I).—1.

BROKEN WIRES AND POLES. Gales of exceptional severity, accompanied in some instances by heavy snowstorms, occurred in many parts of the Dominion during the past year, and account for the extraordinary large number of breaks reported. There were 8,290 broken wires reported by electric-supply authorities, with 104,499 miles of conductor erected. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 2,204 broken wires, and 102,718 miles of conductor in use. In 2,852 instances reported involving 8,290 broken wires, falling trees were again the principal cause of the breaks, and accounted for 47 per cent, of the total, as against 26'6 per cent, for 1935. As regards broken poles, 451 instances were reported for the year, of which 232, or 51-4 per cent., were New Zealand blue-gum. For 1935 the total number of broken poles reported was 518, and it is still evident that electricsupply authorities who experimented with New Zealand blue-gum and nondescript Australian hardwoods are now being called upon to make replacements sooner than the anticipated life of fifteen years for poles used on distribution-lines.

Actual Mileages and Sizes of Overhead Conductors in use at 31st March, 1936.

No returns received from Auckland, Christchurch, and Heatlicote.

74

C °PP CT - Aluminium. M g v t a J* ed i %™ n n ized Copperweld. ( ffl^admtaS- d Size of , copper. Tota) Conductors - - — , { Break . | !" ™"- Miles. ]*%*■ Miles. Break- jBreak- Mles Break- «-• 7/20 .. 6,9642,510 .... 1 ...... 2 510 7/18 .. 11,0861,705 ' " 1*705 7/17 .. 2,455 230 '230 7/16 .. 20,1441,088 36 4 90 1 135 1 .. .. 177 .... 1 094 7/15 .. 110 78 3 .. .. '3 7/14 .. 11,052 258 8 2 49 2 . . 723 260 7/13 .. 1.093 6.. .. 4 6 7/12 .. 429 8 146 13 5 3 9 7/11 . 7/10 .. 33 . . 204 8 . 51 7/9 .. 76 .. 15 .. 5 7/8 .. 585 7/7 .. 19/18 .. 1 398 7 . "7 19/17 .. 525 128 128 19/16 . . I 1,707 15 . 15 19/15 .. i 171 19 19 19/14 . . ; 581 10 10 19/13 .. 2,815 7 7 19/12 . . 593 2 19/10 .. .. 37/16 .. 47 37/15 .. 400 4 .. '4 37/14 .. 90 37/13 .. 23 37/12 .. 76 227 66/13 12 .. .. 2,686 281 .. .. 2 .. 101 .. 12 281 11 .. .. 4 10 .. .. 8,896 892 .. .. 438 .. 256 .. 442 9 .. .. 30(i) .. 901 8 .. 12,956 623 .. .. 4,093 20 5,839 196 634 1 .. .. .. 840 7 .. 772 5 96 .. 91 10 15 6 .. 305 6 .. .. 81 .. 142 .. 623 6 4 .. j 599 .. 78 .. 2 2 66 92 .... .... .... . 92 0 .. .. ! 79 '' " 2/0 .. .. .. 10 16 59 16 3/0 399 3/13 .. i 3/12 .. 136 6 26 6 3/11 5 3/10 .. 24 .. 2 3/9 10 3/8 9 2 "2 4/16 .. 13 4/14 253 3 "5 5/14 207 2/10 .. 9 6/-144 .. 19 " 7/-186 41 7/-136 .. j 47 ;; "82 7/-0834 .. 44 8 .. .. 8 7/-0743 83 4 . . . . 3 7/'112 2 2 1/112 281(2) 2i "21 Miscellaneous .. j 54 . . 1 .. .. 4 .. 12 .. .. .. . . .. 5 Totals .. j87,5147,988 473 26 5,228 24 6,573 197 1,907 20 2,493 14 301 21 8,290 Grand total, 104,499 miles.