POWER SUPPLY

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume LXII, Issue 19, 11 March 1941, Page 4

POWER SUPPLY

SPRINGS-ELLESMERE BOARD

BUSINESS AT MONTHLY

MEETING

The monthly meeting of the Springs-Ellesmere Electric Power Board was held at Leeston yesterday at which there were present Messrs R. T. McMillan (chairman), A. E. Langdale Hunt, H. Neave, P. V. Bailey and H. D. Moran.

The engineer-secretary, in his report, mentioned that the house at Templeton had been completed. Mr Vicary added that practically all the outside staff and some of the office staff had enrolled in the Home Guard and it appeared to him that should the occasion arise the Home Guard would be taken over by the military authorities leaving the board without any staff to carry on or maintain the essential service. He asked the board to consider the position again.

The assistant-engineer reported on the extensions" made during the month. In addition services and low tension lines had'been overhauled in the Sockburn, Islington and Dunsandel areas. Considerable damage was done to the power lines by the heavy north-west winds early in February, the main trouble being due to trees blowing across the lines. In some cases the trees were growing on the opposite side of the road, but being so high they reached the lines on the other side of the road.

The inspector reported that there were 41 additions and extensions to the loading, nine being new consumer*. Twenty-four of these extensions were carried out by the board's staff and included one new consumer. The linen flax works at Leeston was connected during the month and was now in operation. Seven ranges, one water heater and 21 motors were connected. Ten wiring permits were issued and 135 notified minor faults were rectified. Owing to the shortage of metal conduits it had become necessary to use wood casing in installation work wherever possible. The net additions to the connected load were: Lighting, 12.550 k.w., heating 70.550 k.w., power, 39.659 k.w., total, 122.759 k.w.

The Templeton faultman reported that three high tension faults, 42 low tension repairs, 31 installation repairs were attended to as well as other work during the month. A fair amount of interruption was caused to the West Melton-Halkett lines on account of high nor'west winds. Two interruptions were reported on other lines during the month. A piece of wire thrown across the low tension line on Shand's Track was found to be done accidentally by a woman who was driving cattle at the time.

Tai Tapu faultman also reported that a number of high and low tension fuse faults caused by the gales were attended to, but no breaks occurred on the high tension distribution lines. General maintenance work had been done during the month. The power fund account had a credit balance at the beginning of the month of £2347/2/8, and the No. 5 reticulation loan, a credit of £185/7/4.

Accounts amounting to £2782/11/4 were passed for payment. >

The tender of Mr J. Smith'of £139 labour only, for painting * the board's houses and offices, was accepted.

With regard to the enlistment of members of the staff in the Home Guard, the chairman said that it was necessary that certain members of the board's outside staff, especially some of the linesmen, should be transferred from the Home Guard to the E.P.S., for it was absolutely necessary that qualified man should be, in an emergency, available for work on the board's lines. If they remained in the Home Guard and that corps was taken over by the military, their services would not be available to the board. The selected men could jofn the E.P.S., and could do a certain amount of training with the Home Guard. The board should safeguard its services in every possible way.

The engineer suggested that two men in each of the centres, Lees-

ton, Paparua and Tai Tapu might be retained for emergency services.

It was left to the engineer to select the men whom he required •for essential services for the board.

The Ministry of Supply, writing with reference to the board's efforts to obtain a supply of steel from Australia for making reinforced concrete poles, stated that the department's officer in Australia had been asked to expedite delivery of the steel as soon as possible.

There was a further letter from the Ministry of Supply stating that, in view of the shortage of metal conduit, wooden casing should be used wherever possible. There was a penalty of £1000 for non-com-pliance with this order.

Electricity Controller forwarded decisions with regard to four permits. One was deferred, and three were granted on certain conditions.

Electric Power Boards' Association advised that there was a. surplus of between £800 and £900 in the activities at the Centennial Exhibition, of which the SpringSrEUesniere share was £8/5/-. The board is to claim this amount and deal with its allocation later on.

A renewed application is to be made in the case of a prospective

consumer who had been previously declined.

The board's own telephone system is to be completed by filling the gap between Templeton and Smith's road sub-station.