POWER BOARD

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 109, 18 February 1935, Page 6

POWER BOARD

REVENUE STILL INCREASING. OVER £2BO LAST MONTH. OFFICERS PRESENT THEIR REPORTS. The Ashburton Electric Power Board met this morning, when there were present—-Messrs E. F. Nicoll (chairman), W. H. Woods, J. Carr, W. G. Gallagher, J. Lambie, R. J. Mulligan, W. Bryant, H. Morris, H. C. Barton, H. J. Crothers, W. H. Rundle, and J. AY. M. Dart. The financial statement showed that revenue for January was as follows: — Domestic £ISOO Is 2d (last year £1402 7s 6d), increase £79 13s 8d; commercial £383 14s 7d (£376 2s 2d), increase £7 12s sd; power £7S2 15s 6d (£591 2s), increase £l9l 13s 6d; .sundries £3O 5s 9d (£25 17s 2d), increase £4 8s 7d; totals £2696 17s (£2413 8s lOd), increase £283 8s 2d. Revenue for the ten months of the year was £37,511 19s 3d, against £36,444 15s Id, for the same period of the previous year, an increase of £1067 4s 2d.

The chairman expressed satisfaction at the fact that the total revenue had shown a four-figure increase. The Engineer-Secretary (Mr H. G. Kemp) reported that a total of 118 defective fcluegum poles were replaced during the month in the following districts:—AVheatstone 53, Tinwald 18, Mitcham and Lowcliffe eight each, Hinds seven, AVillowby five, Methven four, Ashburton and Flemington threo each, Rakaia and AVinslow two each, Springfield, Ashton, Lynnford, AVaterton and Highbank on each. Mitcham Road line and Price’s and MeKeague’s at Lowcliffe were changed over on to new poles. Two poles were erected l for a new service at Tinwald, and, 11 poles were erected at Ruddenkhiu’s far tractor reticulation. An additional pole was erected for the pile driver at the Railway Bridge. Four piles were driven into the South Ashburton river on the Mayfield line crossing to cany two poles. These would make the crossing secure from floods and would enable the Board to carry a telephone line across. Trees were cut at Lowcliffe, .Ealing, Lismore and Mayfield. A north-west storm on January 26, 27 and 28 brought down a total of 27 poles in the following districts: Willowby and Tinwald five each, Hinds four, Flemington three, Seafield and tyinslow two each, Chertsey, Lynnford, Ashburton, Lowcliffe, and Eiffelton one each.

The Running-Engineer (Mr A. T. Saunders) reported that units supplied by Coleridge had totalled 626,000, and from the Diesel 1,942.9, a grand total of 627,942.9. The Diesel plant was running for 21 hours 41 minutes during the month, using 184 gallons of crude oil. The loading had been heavy and consistent each morning with slightly lower load in the afternoon. The pumps were in good running order. The demand had been exceptionally heavy during the month, but they had not had any difficulty in coping with it. The workshop and transformer room had been kept very busy. Staff holidays accentuated this as the workshop did not close down for the days between Christmas and New Year.

The Inspector (Mr W. G. Welsh) reported that the wiring department had been kept fully occupied during the month on installation work, which had included the connection for a 60-h.p. motor at the new bridge, several refrigerators, the total installed. being LI. which were also included in the total of 18 motors. Five new consumers and forty-one extensions had been connected, and the test room staff had had meter testing and several motor repairs. The retest work was m hand again, and forty-five had been retested during the month. Six radio sets were connected.

Members refer to the fact that while power was going to waste the Board had to run the Diesel engine at stated periods, and they thought it was a surd that the position should be as it

It was pointed out that the Government was well aware of the position, but that representations on the point liad failed to bring results.. Mr Barton asked if the liiamtenr ante of poles erected on private land was a charge on the occupier, and saicl that some consumers were diffident about reporting defective poles -on their property because of the cost of maintenance. , The Engineer-Secretary states that lines erected to the main point of supply (that is, the consumer’s house) were looked after by the Board, but any extensions past that, to sheds or yards, were the responsibility of the consumer. There was nothing to prevent a consumer placing a buttiessing post against one of the extension poles, if these poles were defective. In reply to Mr Carr, the EngineerSecretary stated that when a maintenance man went to several consumers in one district and carried out repairs, the cost, apart from repairs, was divided among the people affected.