OTAGO POWER BOARD

Evening Star, Issue 23092, 19 October 1938, Page 15

OTAGO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Electric Power Board was held at Milton yesterday, when there were present: Messrs A. E. Russell (in the chair). W. Lee, W. C. Arkle, T. H. Michelle. D. Boyd, T. A. Lewis, W. Cameron, G. Moore, and A. T. McGill. Finance Accounts amounting to £4969 9s 3d were passed for payment. Cash electricity sales amounted to £4838 10s 3d, the total receipts for the period being £5285 18s 2d. Street Lighting The engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) submitted the following report on street lighting:— “ In preparation of this report, an analysis of one of our borough systems has been taken out. Street lighting circuits, poles, switches, lamps, etc . have been costed and their annual charges covering interest, depreciation, sinking fund, maintenance, and cost of power, worked out. “ I recommend that where extra poles are not required, a reduction from our standard charges of 10s per lamp be made on all lamps in excess of those already installed; or, in the case of Maniototo-Strath Taieri area, in excess of those already shown on our records.” It was decided to adopt the engineer’s recommendation. General As the board had already contributed to the cost of the electrical court at the forthcoming Centennial Exhi-

bition, it was decided to “ receive ” a letter from the Otago Provincial Committee soliciting a donation of £75 to the cost of the Otago Court. In reply to a question, the engineer stated that tenders had been called for the building for the production of concrete poles at Stirling, and portion of the plant had been received. It was thought that a commencement with moulding would be made early in January. Secretaries’ Conference The secretary (Mr L. W. Potter), reporting on the recent Secretaries’ Conference at Wellington, stated that two of the important questions discussed were tariffs and discounts. In connection with tariffs particularly, the only matter left for discussion was whether tariffs could be put into operation by the board without seriously reducing its revenue. The general feeling was that discounts or surcharge were not in the best interests of boards or of their consumers. When it was not allowed owing to late payment, or where the surcharge was imposed, a feeling of ill-will arose, and ill-will, from no matter what cause, was to be avoided. Engineer’s Report The engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) submitted the following report:—• Southern 6 Area. —Lawrence: Fuse mounts at Waitahuna, Bowler’s Creek and Tuapeka Flat have been replaced. Earth guards and earth wire were also erected. At Wetherstones and Evans Flat low-tension stay poies and trees have received attention. At Lawrence low-tension has been retied. At Mount Stuart and Evans Flat high-tension fuses have been rewired. Earths are being tested. Owaka: Trees and fuse contacts near Otanomomo have received attention, and poles have been reblocked. A four-pole extension at Romahapa has been run.

Stirling District.—ln Kaitangata only 115 reinspections remain to be completed. Services here have received attention, and low-tension and street lights, have been dressed up. An undersize conductor has been replaced. Hillend extension is completed, with the exception of one transformer to be erected. Four transformers artd seven services were livened during the month at Hillend. The flax mill sub-station at Otanomomo has been dismantled and re-erected at the Balclutha quarry to supply a crusher. Eight services and four poles have been erected, and low-tension reconstructed at Otanomomo. Reconstruction of the Barnego high-tension and low-tension to improve supply has been commenced. Low-tension poles at Paretai have been reblocked. Forty-nine reInspections have been made, and 21 completed, for the month for the Balclutha district, making a total for the district to date of 458 completed. Milton.—The telephone line from the Milton sub-station to Stirling has been reinsulated, with the exception of about half a mile. A two-pole extension was run at Clarksville. Lowtension at Moneymore has been reconstructed. The Lawrence 11,000-volt circuit was altered to suit road alterations. A 6.6 kv. extension of one mile is being run at Waihola. A storm resulted in three fuse loads being broken, one transformer lead broken, one cross arm twisted, and two high-tension fuses blown. Metering alterations have been made at Lovell’s Flat. At Berwick a line was lowered to allow new Public Works Department circuits to be run. Twenty-one reinspections have been made in the district and 20 completed. The totals are 594 and 407 respectively to date. Northern Area.—Heavy winds caused two 11.000-volt and one 6000-volt fuses to blow. Alterations to the 6.6 kv. circuit at Waitati have been made for the Public Works Department. Trees at Warrington. Doctor’s Point and

Evansdale have been cut. and fuses changed. At Purakanui several services have been erected, and low-' tension at Kilmog reconstructed. One temporary service to the Public Works Department at Palmerston has been run. On the Inch Valley line insulators have been and a new pole erected. ' A stay and anchor have been fitted to the Dunback-Macrae’s line near Palmerston. Transformers and oil have been dried for Macrae’s. Eighteen reinspections have been made. The following were the numbers of units supplied for the month of September: —Northern area, 276,400; southern area, 380,920; total, 657,320. The report was adopted.