POWER BOARD.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 18671, 21 April 1926, Page 6

POWER BOARD.

SP RINGS-EL LESMERE. The monthly meeting of the SpringsEllesmeje Electric Power Board was held at L-eeston on .Monday. Present—Me«srs J. Cunningham (chairman!, J. W. Kime, J. S. Simpson, E. H. Kowell, J. A. Henley, G. Maginne«6, A. E. Langdale Hunt, J. W. Kingan, K. T. McMillan, and H. Neave. Un behalf of the Motor-car Committee, Mr Magianess reported that tho light-delivery truck had been repaired and an additional new truck purchased. From figures supplied by (he engineer, (he chairman commented tuat it ua* clear that the business oi tlio lioard had gro.in considerably during the last twelve months. >'ew customers to the number of 276 had been seived, the increase ir. load (light, heat, and i-ower) being owl k.-.v. Thev nowhad - i t-otal oi loot consumers, the total load being '2269 k.w. A sale-of-current summary 6howed that the .total. Bales in the ijpnugs and EU*smertl area for tho year ended March 31st amounted to £G9SB 63 Sd (lighting £4301 15a 4d, Seating £441 5s sd, power £1745 ?s lid). The jPaparua area tales totalled £4046 4s t>d (lighting £490, heating JESS, power £150.1. The total revenue from sales of current was £11,671 10s 4d. The engineer reported that pole examination and pßir.ting lud been continued, a further 5(30 poles raving been tieatei. Tho cost of the work was about Is tid a pole. Transformers hnd been erected on the Weodons extension line and supply given to seven consumers. An extension to supply three consumers on Spring.' road had been completed. The remainder of the scries of street light fittings around Sockbuin, numbering 19, had been erected. The constant current regulator to feed these had been installed at the Socklurn sub-station, thereby completing this job. An extension of 32 poles along Brown's road and the proposed lino to Halkott had both been pegged out. For the exterior shop-lighting scheme in Leeston, about 15 lights would le required, tho approximate capital cost of which would be £129, from which the revenue would bo £<!7 10s. As requested, he bad investigated tho merits oi steel poles, and had found them to be quite, satisfactory where used in the Ash burton district. The' estimated life of these poles was 10 years, provided they ■were painted every four years. In view _of tlir probability of wooden poies increasing in price, he thought that future reticulation would be all steel.

Tiegarding the proposed Ilalkctt extension, it was decided that the Paparua members, with Mr Hunt as convener, should arrange a meeting at Halkett, with a view to ascertaining whether the required guarantees were likely to bo forthcoming from thoso desiring to get the current. Regarding the outside lights required by 13 business firms in Mr Simpson ruoved that tho lights should 1 e supplied for a period of three years at £3 10s each per annum, a, three years' guarantee to bo given by the consumer in each -.ase. Mr H. Xeavo moved an amendment that tho charge should be £3 per annum for each light. The amendment was carried, on the understanding that a guarantee of 35 lights was given. The rhaitman of the Finance Committee reported that the revenue for the current venr was estimated to be £15,464 13s 4d, and the. expenditure £13,419 Is 9d. The estimates were adopted. The statement of balancc« wan as follows: : —No. 1 loan account, credit £ll9 Ob 3d; > r o. 3 loan account, credit £2003 17s 8d; power fund account, credit £625 10s 3d. Accounts for payment were: Xo. 1 loan, £lO6 6s Id; No. 3 loan, £628 9s ]od; power fund account, £143 >4s 3d. Advice was received from the Public Works Department that the Board's recommendation that its membership should be reduced frora eleven to five had been approved, and tliat an Order-iti-Council applied for would be gazetted. The number of members to be elected at the poll on May 12th would, therefore, lie five, two for Ellesmore County, two for raparua-County, and one for Springs County. The Public Works Department wrote pointing out that on certain, lines there was not sufficient ground clearance, due, in some cases to the span being ,too great. It would be r.eceseary to have alterations made so as to secure-the proper clearance. Members considered that the alterations necessary to give the clearance: desired would involve a heavy outlay. It was decided to look intp the matter further. • The Post and Telegraph Department .asked the Board for a special rate for lighting the telephone box at Sookburn. A 'charge of 5s per mouth was fixed. , ' The clerk of the Paparua County Council complained that the 1 street - lights at Sockburn had'not been giving-satisfaction.'• The Board's Paparua foreman sent in a report regarding work he had done in order to improve the service. It was decided to reply in terriis of the report;

Mr C. .T. Ryan, of Templeton, applied to he supplied, with current. It was agreed that Mr Henley and the engineer should go over the route suggested and ascertain the prospects, the engineer to supply estimates of the guarantees required. Mr E. McLennan,. West- Melton, enquired when the Board was likely t-o be able to serve him with current. The secretary was instructed to reply that the Board was going into the cost of running the line with steel poles, with a view to reducing the cost, and that he would bo jiven more information when this was done. It was decided to give supply to several residents of West Melton . efi early as possible. * _ It w»m decided to write to the Waimairi County- Council stating that complaints liad been: received regarding the lighting service to Tjunn's road, ..-Middlfiton, und asking that an improvement should be effected. Mr F. A. Wagner, Doyloston, wrote oomplaining of the injustice imposed by the fixeil charge for horse-power. The letter had come before tho Finance Committee, and members considered ( that the rates should be revised. It was decided that the secretary and engineer should. go into the ouestion of revision and report to tho Board.