DIFFICULTIES ARE MENTIONED

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXIV, Issue 14074, 31 May 1946, Page 2

DIFFICULTIES ARE MENTIONED

PURCHASING OF MATERIALS

BY BOARD

NEW CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE

The difficulties, under present conditions. of purchasing materials for new .construction and maintenance were mentioned by the engineer of the Tauranga Electric Power Board (Mr J. H- Bongard) in his report to the annual meeting of the hoard' on Wednesday. The engineer stated it presented many difficulties, adding that in the heavy lines, requirements had to he estimates 12 to 18 months in advance with no control over delivery dates. This resulted in a series of feasts and famines with Hie different lines of material, so it hat, although the board had considerably more money tied up in stocks than previously, it .was often short of some vital commodity that held up the work.

Normally, stocks held by local warehouses tided over the periods between arrival of indents, but that service was not available for most lines of goods. Much of the material was of inferior quality and this would alioct maintenance costs later on,” added the engineer.

Tho servicing department had continued to be very active and to maintain the standard that had been built up. Much equipment that would normally have been replaced, had had to be repaired and kept going, but consumers’ requirements had been satisfactorily met.