POWER BOARD.

Press, Volume XLIV, Issue 19389, 15 August 1928, Page 3

POWER BOARD.

_ ■;. - ' : / ■♦. • —■ ' SPBINGS-ELLESMERE. Tho monthly meeting' of the SpringsEllesmero Electric • Powor Board was held at Leeston on Monday, there being present: Messrs J. Cunningham J. .W. Kime, G. Maginneßs, H, Neave, and A. E. Langdale Hunt. The chairman reported that a section iD High street had been purchased as a site_ for uew offices and showroom. ' It' was decided to have plans prepared after information concerning the designs of offices built by other Power Boards had been studied. Advice was received that the cost of the new building could be apportioned to ' the various loan accounts.

Mr Maginness, who .represented the Board at the recent conference of power supply authorities in Wellington, reported upon the business ' transacted. He considered that it was now unnecessary to hold the conferences annually as • there was not so much business to be dealt with, as during the initial years. It-should be sufficient to meqt every-second year, as ;n tho case of the Cpuntios' Association - conference. ■••■.■'"•

The monthly financial statement gave tho balances and accounts for payment as fol-lows:—-Powor fund, credit .£ll2 10s 7d; accounts for payment, £B3 10s 7d; No. 1 loan account, credit £55 7s 2d, no payments; No. a loan account, credit £Bl3 16s 9d, no payments; No. 3; loan. account, credit £2406 2s lOd, accounts for payment £156 4s sd; No. 4 loan account. crodit'£l76'2s 7d, accounts for payment £672 18s 7d. The ' engineer-secretary, Mr L. C. Vl.cary, reported that an additional six now eonsumers had been added to the Board's mains and .additions- made to 'fifteen .existing installations', the additional connected load totalling 49:432 kilowatts. The sales of.current for tho month, as".compared..with, those for the corresponding period last year. ..showod" an increase of £66 6s 2d . i or. lighting a- decfease of £S 95.6 d for power. .Polos had', been erected .for extensions to. high-ten-sion Hues at' Spriugston . and . Killinchy. A number of residents had'boen visltod in the Curragh's road district, but there did not soem. to bo any likelikoodof the ' amount required for- tho .guarantee being made ,up. The 11,000-volt' line between the Selwyn | river and Leeston'was' incapable of carrying any .additional load,' and ho recommended the Board' to, have the capacity increased.- ' The Board, agreed' to purchase: from .the Public' Works' Department .its lines serving the Islington Freezing Works and other whole-, sale consumers, in that; district-at tho valuation finally agreed upon between the Department's engineer, ithe Beard's engineer,' and Mr'J.' R. Templin.- . . Mr E. T. Stewart, hydraulic and mining engineer, enquired-, the -charge- for current ■for - a motor of from- 250 to -350 horse-power, delivered-at the.-bid Wooden culvert at.Taumutu. ■ The- voltage,required.would be 400.... In reply'to Mr'Maginness," the engineer said that: the Board's 'main -was 1 within I}. miles of tho culvert. The presents line-would :not, however, carry the load required to. drive the motor Mr Stewart proposed to-'install. It would be necessary to provide a new-line from Leeston to the lake, and possibly a new lino from Addington - sub-stafwn. The'cost would run into-a large sum, and-it was questionable whether the outlay would be ■ warranted, seeing that the motor- would, bo used for'only 24 hours in a period of two mouths'; The matter W3S referred' to the engineer to investigate and present a repovt ; ,at tho test meeting. : - Tho chairman,' and the engineer were appointed to go-into the'question of'a staff .'•superannuation Boheme valid report to the Board. ..'•■• The engineer was asked to present a report as'to the practicability of Supplying all tho Board's consumers along Hansen's lane and vicinity front its own lines. ■ • Todemonstrate'the capabilities of the electric range, the .Board decided, to conduct a cookery competition in conjunction with - the Ellesmore Show, and to'give £lO in prizes. .The-chairman and Mr'Neave were appointed to draw up a list of;classes.. • Mr Hunt mentioned > that the -Halkett-resi-dents wished to-be.'supplied with current if the district could bo served ,at'a-reasonable figure. '■-■■ When the- previous estimate •of the cost of the, lino, was-submitted, j the people interviewed thought it prohibitive. He suggested that the engineer should' go. into the matter again, with "a . view to 'seeing if an estimate could bo submitted that would be acceptable to-the residents. ■'-..-.' ■ '" . ! The engineer undertook to review Ins figures as soon as possible' and make them available. He thought-more. favourable pro posals could'now-be made. .- It was agreed that Messrs Kime and Hun., should get -into: touch with .the_• Rolleston residents' at the earliest opportunity,-with a view to ascertaining whether, a line can. bo run to servo that district. A .tender was accepted for.tho, supply■ of 21" miles of copper wire to replace the existing lines between the Bub-station at the Selwyn river and th,e sub-station at Leeston, in .order to - cope with the f heavy increase in load that has taken place .within the last year.