“Cuts Cost Thousands”

Press, Volume C, Issue 29609, 4 September 1961, Page 12

“Cuts Cost Thousands”

‘‘This thoughtless or deliberately malicious action by shooters is all too common, and you cannot but wonder at the mentality of individuals who would cause such widespread inconvenience to thousands of people,” said the district engineer of the Electricity Department (Mr D. L. Grant) last evening. Inconvenience was caused to farmers, housewives, travellers, hospitals, picture theatres and many industries which depended on a continuous power supply, he said, ‘‘Apart from the actual cost of finding the fault and repairing it, the loss must run into thousands ot pounds.” Shooting at insulators followed a pattern, said Mr Grant. It occurred on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays just as dusk was approaching, when there was the least chance of being caught. “Our repairmen have to work throughout the night locating the fault and making repairs. There is always an element of risk in patrolling river beds and rough country in the dark and in climbing high towers and doing intricate work with such artificial light as can be provided “Most of the linesmen are family mqn and they are called from their homes to do work caused by irresponsible shooters who deliberately place them in jeopardy The shooters wantonly destroy an asset which belongs to all. *' When these vandals read

of the result of their senseless action, I hope they will be thoroughly ashamed of themselves," said Mr Grant.