MARKING POWER PYLONS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28493, 24 January 1958, Page 13

MARKING POWER PYLONS

Federated Farmers’ Request “There is a chance of getting markers for the power pylons but you will have to nail the State Hydro-electric Department pretty hard or it will put you off,’’ said Mr A. C. Wright when the North Canterbury provincial executive of Federated Farmers decided to press the department again to mark the pylons. Five weeks ago, Mr A. P. O'Shea (Dominion secretary) was promised by Mr A. E. Davenport (general manager of the department) that an engineer would visit North Canterbury, said Mr R. H. Hiatt. Nothing had been done about the markers and the department in Christchurch that morning had informed him it knew nothing about the proposal. The pylons on the route into Hanmer Springs were a danger to aeroplanes, as the cables were suspended at a height of about 500 ft, said Mr Hiatt. On the route of the power line from Halswell to Bromley, the stretches of cable were from 30 to 40 chains across the valleys of the Cashmere Hills, said Mr R. H. Overton. “I would not like to be a topdressing pilot wandering around among those high tension wires.” said Mr Overton. His information was that the Ministery of Works pilot had reported that the cables were “0.K.” The excuse for not doing the marking of the pylons in South Canterbury, given by the State Hydro-electric Department, was the expense, said Mr Wright The executive decided to ask the Dominion secretary to take the question up again with Mr Davenport.