POWER BOARD.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 134, 18 March 1940, Page 4

POWER BOARD.

PROGRESS OF THE WORK.

DONATIONS TO PATRIOTIC FUND.

Tho Ashburton Electric Power Board met in tho Ashburton County Council meeting room this morning, when there were present?, Messrs E. F. Nicol (chairman), J. Brftce, H. Morris, J. W, N. Dart, AV. H. Bundle, H. J. Crothers, AV. G. Gallagher, J. Carr, AV. H. Wood/?, R. J. Mulligan, W. Bryant, and H. 'O. Barton. The iinancial statement showed that receipts in the last month had totalled £5288 16s 9d, an increase of £273 4s 8d on the receipts for the corresponding month of last year. The domestic service provided £3927 12s of the total. Revenue for the 11 months of the Board’s year was £57,383 6s lCd, an increase "of; £4746 16s 9d over the amount for the corresponding period of tho previous year. The Engineer-Secretary (Mr PI. G. Kemp reported that six defective bluegnm poles were replaced with ironbark at AAaimarama, Lyndhurst, Eiffelton, Buccleuch and Methven. The 11,000 volt line to tho head works at Ivlondyke was completed during the month and involved tho erection of 47 polos, 10 miles of wire, 1 100 k.v.a. and 1 7i k.v.a. transformers. During the flood one polo in this line was washed away at a point where considerable area of land was taken out by the river. Owing to the alteration in the bed of the river at this point, it may be found necessary to re-locate several poles. At the pumping station it appeared possible that the cutting of the bank would endanger a 50 k.v.a. static condenser and a 250 k.y.a. transformer and as a precautionary measure these were moved temporarily away from the bank. Due to the h/ftiyy winds a transformer at the Lauriston township and anotHer at the River Terrace, Tinwald, were burnt out d/m to service wires twisting. The installation of two voltage regulators in the Methven and Mayfield lines at tho Springfield estate substation had been completed. These were working satisfactorily and had made a considerable difference to the voltage at Methven and Mayfield. Trees had been cut at Lauriston, Lismore, Methven and along the Hinds an<S*Mt. Somers lines. - *

The Running-Engineer (Mr A. T. Saunders) reported that units supplied by Public AVorks Department had totalled 1,257,000. The faultmen attended to 455 faults during the month. The Inspector (Mr AV. G. AA r elsh) reported that the wiring department had been kept fully occupied during this month and the main items connected were nine storage ranges, nine water heaters and 15 motors.

An appeal for a donation was received from the Ashburton section of the Fighting Services Welfare Appeal and it was agreed to make a grant of 10 guineas.

The chairman said the Board was not a body that gave donations to appeals as a rule, but this instance was an exception-and an-appeal •;of:a national nature.'He ; believed -the Board should make a grant to show its sympathy with the object of the appeal.