OTAGO POWER BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 23038, 17 August 1938, Page 15

OTAGO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Electric Power Board was held yesterday, there being present—Messrs A. E. Russel (in the chair). D. Boyd, R. H. Michelle, G. Moore, W. Cameron, W. ' C. Arkle, W. Lee, T. Lewis and J. B. McGill. Finance. Accounts amounting to £ 1493 ICs 10d were passed for payment. Receipts for the month amounted to £5290 6s. Central Otago Reticulation Much progress was made with arrangements for the reticulation of the new Central Otago area, and the engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) reported that work would probably be commenced in three or four weeks. A schedule of charges for installations and specification of materials to be used were approved, and tenders for power poles and insulators accepted. The first work will consist of piercing holes in the rock to receive the poles, this being carried out from Macraes towards Hyde. I" 1 Street Lighting Charges 5 Both the Balclutha and Palmerston Borough Councils wrote seeking some • relief from street lighting charges, the Balclutha Council desiring a conference at- Balclutha. , - The board was unable to see why its representatives should travel to 1 Balclutha for the conference, and, ini' stead, offered to discuss the matter with delegates from the Balclutha • Council at the next meeting of ;: thei board. At the same time it was real- , ised, that representatives . co(i]§, i npt^%^pxj3ected...to 1 -trayel -sp far. Mr Lee. stated that the board’s charges compared- favourably -with ’ those elsewhere, and he saw no reason why they should be reduced. Consequently, it would not be worth the board’s while interviewing the Pal-, merston Council, - at least until the request from Balclutha had been dealt : with. Correspondence G. W. Bartlett, secretary of the Law- ; rence branch of the National Unemi ployed Workers’ Movement, wrote ;< asking for special reductions in charges for power supplied to local unemployed men.—lt was not in the board’s power : to grant any concessions. Correspondence was received from : the Waitaki and Teviot Power Boards ■ expressing willingness for their delegates to attend the proposed conference of the Otago, Teviot, Waitaki and Central Otago Power Boards with the secretary of the Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association (Mr E. W. Swain). This is to be held , at Milton on September 14. Notification was received of a notice ■ of motion to be brought before the annual Power Boards’ Conference at Wellington. 'This was to the effect that the number of members on the executive committee of the Power Boards : and Supply Authorities’ Association be Increased from 12 to 14. This was necessary to provide for additional representation for municipal supply authorities who were now ioining the : association.—The matter was left in the hands of the board’s delegate (Mr Russel). General The board decided to contribute £3O in three annual instalments of £lO each towards the cost of the electricity court at the Centennial Exhibition. Mr Boyd moved that any reports coming before the board from any source whatever be out in the hands of the secretary at least eight days pre- ■ vious to a meeting .of the board. He proposed this as, if the secretary did not receive reports in time to send out copies to biembers they would not have time to give the matter reported on their full consideration.—His motion was carried.

The chairman, secretary (Mr L. W. Potter) and engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) were appointed-the board’s representative*, at the annual Power Boards’ Conference in Wellington. It was announced that the board’s offices would be closed on Saturday mornings, but would remain open on the Friday nights immediately preceding the due dates of accounts, which occurred about once every four months. It was reported that the Public Works Department proposed to run a 110,000-volt high, tension line to Monowai, and suggested that the current be stepped down at Clydevale bridge to supply’ a mining claim at Tuapeka Mouth. —It was decided that executive officers of the board meet the Public Works engineer at Invercargill suggesting that the power be taken upriver from Stirling, as this would prove much cheaper than the Public Works Department’s scheme. Engineer's Report The engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) submitted the following report on work carried out during the month:— Stirling.—On the Hillend line two more transformers have been erected. Eight services have been constructed for the month, and a further one and a-half miles of faulty V.LR. cable replaced, and live line ties fitted. In Charlotte street eight low tension poles have been shifted to suit footpath alterations. Two poles have been replaced in North Balclutha. At Inch Clutha, sub No. 106 has been shifted to improve the position of supply necessary on account of increased loading. Tree cutting has been proceeded with. Dismantled poles from Inch Clutha have been returned to store. Radio faults found by the radio inspector have been promptly attended to. Owaka.—A two-pole service has been run and two poles erected to give better clearance. One three-wire

service has been run for a motor at Romahapa. Earth testing in this district has been completed, and extensions to Hina Hina and Tawanui have been investigated. Lawrence. —Low-tension fuses have received attention. High-tension fuse mounts have been changed at the hospital, and services have been reconditioned and pulled up. At Beaumont straightening and reblocking have been performed. At Waitahuna services and earth covers have received attention. At Tuapeka Flat fuse mounts have been changed. At Evans Flat earth covers and in the Lawrence Borough street lights have received attention. Kaitangata.—Meter reading has been completed, and 80 installations have been reinspected. Two new poles have been erected, with a four-wire and a two-wire service. Reinspections and extensions have received attention. and 15 new extensions have been tested. , Milton.—Fifty first-time and 56 second-time reinspections were made, making totals of 550 and 365 respectively for the area. Two new installations and 15 extensions were also tested. Voltage tests, radio interference and consumers’ inquiries have also received attention. Earth tests have been completed in this area, and transformers conditioned. On the 33.000-volt Waipori-Milton line insulator pins have been tightened, a new pole installed at Clarendon, trees cut back, and braces more securely fastened. At Hillend extensions to Rolleston and Moir were installed by the .Milton gang. Service wires have received attention. The Stirling- , Milton telephone line reconstruction is well under way. .Northern Area.—Relay adjustments have been made at Waitati. Services at Kilmog,,. Merton, Omimi, Waitati and Purakanui have received attention. One streetlight has been erected at Seacliff, Gorse around poles at Waitati has been cut back, and 6600volt fuses for Lawrence have been made up in Lawrence. Poles and wires have been renewed on the Palmerston-Dunback circuit. Some low-tension was replaced with hightension; and, a transformer fitted to improve voltage. Faulty insulators have been replaced at Karitane, and a. service dismantled at Ellisons. Merton low-tension has also received attention. Forty meters were tested, and plans of the Clinton extension prepared. Transformer repairs have betn effected in the test room. The report was adopted.