POWER RESTRICTIONS HEAVIER M.E.D. CUTS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25206, 10 June 1947, Page 6

POWER RESTRICTIONS

HEAVIER M.E.D. CUTS

Two Shut-Downs Each Evening RAIN OF LITTLE VALUE An extension of daily shutdowns from two hours to lour and a half hours, a reduction in permissible water-heating hours* from 88 a week to 53J a week, and the turning off of all street lighting, except between 7 and Bp.nu and 10.15 and 11,15 pan. In Cathedral square only, were among the decisions made by the emergency ’ committee of the Christchurch City Council yesterday to reduce consumption io the substantially lower allocation fixed by the State Hydro-electric Department for this week. Even these cuts do not provide for the full saving asked for, and a good proportion is required from voluntary efforts by consumers. If consumers do not further reduce consumption voluntarily still heavier cuts can be expected. The committee has not set any time limit for the new restrictions but will be guided by the savings that are made. An Inch of rain fell in the Lake Coleridge area early yesterday morning. and there was also heavy rain and wet snow in the Waitaki catchment area. The weather later cleared. Very much more rain than fell yesterday is necessary before there is any real improvement in the level of Lake Coleridge and the flow of the Waitaki river. Even if the fall in Lake Coleridge is stopped this week by South Island economy measures there will remain the problem of coping with the seasonal increase in demand for the next few weeks.

Fine weather and the effects of rationing have combined to reduce the peak load on the South Island generating system, which is now about

130,000 kilowatts, compared with 160,000 kilowatts on the day of the crisis, May 30. It is also a reduction on the peak load before *then; but tne effectiveness of the efforts to take demand off the peak hours has yet to-be tested in cold, dark weather. Supply authorities doubt whether some peak b load cuts can be avoided before the end of the midwinter demand.

Drainage Board’s Pumps There was no trouble on the Christchurch Drainage Board’s pumping system yesterdsy, and the M.E.D. has taken action to give supply to more pumping stations. On present indications, the present arrangements should be satisfactory during the extended cuts which come ihto force to-day. Outlying pumps are still shut down during cut-offs; but the Drainage Board is trying to get auxiliary plant to keep them going. The Christchurch Tramway Board will reduce the number of stopping places, and, to save power, the board will replace trams with buses on the Barrington street-Hills terminus section. No decision has been made yet to use steam trains between Christchurch and Heathcote, as was done in the power crisis of 1930. Emergency shopping hours will be discussed by all groups of retailers at a meeting called for this morning to discuss power economies. Manufacturers, except those working night shifts, have not been cut further in the new schedule, and a slight advantage is that the morning cut now covers only an hour, instead of an hour and a half, although of the same total duration. Trade groups of the Canterbury Manufacturers’ Association held meetings yesterday and considered questions of stand-by plant, shift work, and ensuring the co-operation of all members. The * groups’ recommendations were considered at a meeting of the joint emergency committee of the industrial and commercial community in the afternoon, and will be discussed to-day by the sub-committee appointed to assist the supply authorities when it meets to consider further voluntary savings of power. There was a general move among doctors during the present crisis to take patients before evening “blackout” hours, said the president of the Canterbury Division of the British Medical Association (Dr. E. D. Pullon) last evening. Evening hours in many cases coincided with the 6.45-7.45 p.m. shut-down.- There was as yet no official move by the division to alter evening hours, he said. It would be advisable for patients to find out from individual doctors what their consulting hours would be.