POWER BOARD.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19212, 19 January 1928, Page 4

POWER BOARD.

SPRINGS-ELLESMERE. The monthly meeting of the Springs-EUcs-mero Electric Power Board was held at Leeston on Monday, when thero were present—Messrs J. Cunningham (chairman), J. W. Kime, A. E. Langdale-Hunt, and G. Maginness. The chairman roported having .attended, in company with Mr Maginness, the conference of supply authorities recently called by the Canterbury Progress League to consider the subject of future supply in Canterbury, if the Government intended to retain the right to develop the water power resources of the Dominion, it should take reasonable steps to see that provision was made in time for tho likely future demand. There was a great deal to bo done before the work of developing tho proposed Waitaki scheme could bo proceeded with. The Engineer roported that soven new consumers had been connected during tho month, tho additional connected load amounting to 30.84 kilowatts. The total number of ranges now connected was. 58. Tho chairman said that during a recent visit to Ashburton he had noted that tho number of electric ranges was. much larger in proportion to the number of consumers than in Spribgs-Ellesmere, the figures being 10 per cent, and 2.37 per cent, respectively for tho two districts. It had occurred to him that the Board should employ a range salesman, the Ashburton Board having found it profitable to employ two • such officials. Thore should be a far greater number of ranges in ,use in the Springs-EUesmcre district.

It was agreed 'that the chairman and engineer should make satisfactory arrangements to have a salesman on the-road.

• The baTa><ss and accounts for payment wore given as follows:—Power fund, credit £2Oll Jss 4d; accounts for payment-, i960 Is lid; No. 1 loan, credit £55 7s 2d; No. 2 loan, On fixed doposit £149 0s 3d, credit in current account £660 10s; No. 3 loan, credit £1561 Is sd, accounts for payment £B9 4s Id; No. 4 loan, credit £146 3s lOd, accounts for payment £l5O 3s 7d. The Auckland Power Board called attention to recent electric wiring regulations issued by the Public Works Department, relating to inspection of installations, and asked support for a protest. Tho Board decided to support tho objection. It was decided to apply for a remission of tho duty on steel poles until such timo as they were made either in New Zealand or in Kngland. Tho imposition of tho duty, tho engineer said, would practically moan that he could not uso any more steel poles. Those already in use had been obtained from tho United Statos. Messrs A. J. luwood, W. Lilley, E. C. Inwood, J. S. Inwood, and A. C. Greenwood asked the Board to reconsider the guarantees given iii respect to the line serving them with current. They had been given to understand that now consuinors added to the line would result in the guarantees being reviewed. Pour additional consumers had been addod, ■ and they had not been asked for guarantees. They complained that lately accounts had been sent them for two years' pavments under tho guarantee. it was resolved to write the consumers pointing out to them tho advisability of installing appliances to use current to tho value of their guarantee, and apologising for tho oversight in regard to the accounts. In connexion with the Board's. desire to secure certain large consumers in the Paparua area now supplied direct by the Public Works Department, tho secretary reported that a further letter had been sent to the Minister for Public Works, pointing out that, at tho present juncture, tho Board could not bo considered desirable partners in the union of supply authorities around Christ.church as proposed. It believed, however, that if the Department consented, to the handing over of tho consumers desired, this would so strengthen the position of the Board that at least tho major objections to amalgamation with it, held by adjacent authorities, would disappear. A table enclosed with tho letter showed that the Board had seriously attacked its main objective of distributing electric cr.ergy as far 33 possible to the lesser populated areas, and in doing this had kept to a narrow financial margin. It was contended that, by handing over the large wholesale consumers, bv amalgamating its maximum load, and by extending its district to include Tai ' Tapu and Halswell, the Department would be assisting the Board to carry out still further the Government policy of n p]ving electricity over as wide an area as noUible. Moreover, these wholesale contnmcrs had been .promised to the. Board as ■icon as it felt it was able to handle them. The Minister had telegraphed that the representations con taincd in the letter would reeeivo consideration, and a reply sent by letter as soon as possible.