ELECTRIC POWER

Evening Star, Issue 19951, 22 August 1928, Page 14

ELECTRIC POWER

OTAGO BOARD MEETING The Otago Electric Power Board held its monthly meeting yesterday afternoon. Present: Messrs W. B. Gallaway (chairman), James Guest, P. Briscoe, D. Boyd, J. K.: Simpson, F. Carson, and H. M. Driver. ..._ r l'ho Otago Education board wrote asking for assistance in providing prize money for school competitions calculated to servo as a warning against the danger of falling wires.—Received. Mrßovd suggested that with-a view to netting something done quickly two or three canvassers ho tint on in the Ma ni o tot o-Jlidd lo m arch district. The people there wore anxious to have the power installed, and it would be of advantage to all concerned if the work was carried out expeditiously.—lt was decided that tins matter bo left to the engineer, with the recommendation that two or three man be appointed as canvassers.

ENGINEER-MANAGER’S REPORT. The report of the engineer-manager stated that all main' lines were reported to be in good order, but two interruptions had occurred on tho north line, duo lo blasting operations of tn* Public Works Department on the Port Chalmers-Waitati road. Stone and scrub fouled tho main line, and caused an interruption oi over two hours’ dura tion, in each case occasioning eon-sulor-able inconvenience to consumers. This matter was being attended to Distribution. —In the Balclutha district 2,210 poles and 306 miles of xvu-e had been erected to date. Alb lowtensiou tics in Balclutha had been renewed. and reconstruction work carried nut at Kaka Point and Kaitangala. Some poles on the main lino had been straightened up and The men were at present engaged in Kaitangata on recon.sniction work. In the Milton district 1,071) poles and 207 miles of wire had been erected to date. The men had been employed in erecting the extension to the Dominion Lime Works and the necessary transformer bank there. There had been no interruption in this district during the month. In the Lawrence district 537 poles and 103 miles of wire had been erected to date. The men had been employed in erecting transformers and connecting consumers at Manuka, eleven consumers being connected up here. Lightning arresters had been erected on the main line. This lino had been free from interruptions during tho moiiifj. In the Waitati-Seacliff district 857 poles and eighty-four miles of wire had been erected to date. Transformer capacity had lo be enlarged at Soaelilf and Wnikouaiti, and a temporary sub-station erected at Tumai. Since the end of July the only interruptions that had occurred had been those duo to the Public Works Department, and t_im necessary cessation of supply, while transformers were changed on Sunday the sth, and on Tuesday, the 14th, from 1.25 to 1.30 p.m., to allow the electric power and light department to cut in new switch gear at Port Chalmers. Power was cut off the Karitano circuit on Sunday, 12th, in order to let down wires at Karitano to allow of the falling of a gum tree overhanging the lino. Alterations to street light at Waikouaiti, as required by the town clerk, had been carried out, and angle hooks on the Leith Valley lino erected.

Test Room.—Repairs to transformers had been carried out; . new cubicle was installed at Seacliif: 1.47 insulators for tho main north 11,000-volt line had been tested; a maxigra.pli had been installed at tho _ lialdutha borough pumping ■ works for testing purposes; eighty single-phase meters and live polyphase meters had been tested ready lor" service thirteen transformers had been conditioned and despatched for service, and work in connection with transformer records and lino calculations was still proceeding. Cenond.— Matters in connection with proposed Shag Valley extension had been attended to. Mr Dunstan was at urcsout preparing a plan of proposed route.

The report was adopted. REPORT ON CONFERENCE

Tho Chairman, in reporting on the conference of- representatives of fortysix power boards and supply associations bold last month hi Wellington, ; stak'd Unit tho question of deferring j compulsory depreciation fund for seven I years met with a certain amount of /opposition, and after an amendment I giving the Minister discretionary I powers was pub and lost, a vote was | taken by the delegates only on the I motion, lid voting for and Id against; Jk was agreed that the life of concrete I poles and steel towers- be increased I from twenty to forty years. A Bill is : before tho House covering the whole : question of security for advances. Mr I Kissell submitted a draft Bill for np- ; pointing an approval board for the sale | and use of electrical appliances; also, • lie submitted several clauses to bo ipul ! into the new Public Works regulations. | Tho proposal to bold u “ Convocation Week” was considered,and a decided opinion was expressed that something snowid be done to save unnecessary loss of Lime and expense, finally the matter was referred to tho executive, with S a recommendation that the secretaries , meet on the Monday and_ Tuesday, 1 members on Thursday and Friday, tho ' engineers to meet about one month • previously. | The following important _ resolution j was carried, making provision for ex- ’ tension of lines where guarantees wore ' given and strengthening transmission 1 lines to enable greater loads to be car- | riod:—“The board, subject to tho ap- ' provai of the Minister, by special order, ■ | may raise a loan, either of the whole or part of its district, tho amount to I bo raised in any ono year not to exI coed 5 per cent, of tho original author- | iscd loan raised for the construction ol II tho undertaking.” The conference ■ was nob in favour of the proposal to ! consolidate the statutes and rcgula- ; tions. The question of superannuation 1 for boards’ employees was referred tc • the executive, also tho question of appointing an information officer and:a central office, Mr Kissell promised, j wherever possible, subject to the approval of tho Government statistician to reduce the work of compiling statistics.

Tho report was received, and _ the chairman was thanked for his efforts.