SOUTH OTAGO NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 26067, 3 April 1947, Page 9

SOUTH OTAGO NOTES

(Own Correspondent.) STATISTICS. Milton.—Vital statistics for March: Births 8, deaths 3, marriages 3. In March last year the figures were 2, 1. and 1 respectively. For the quarter the figures are:—Births 24 (1946,' 15), deaths 7 (5), marriages 10 (7). Rainfall: For March .47in, compared with .66in March last year. Rain fell on six days, the heaviest fall (.24in) occurring on the 25th. For the quarter the total rainfall has been 3,04 in, compared with 5.18 in last year and 8.73 in in 1945. POWER BOARD. An interesting event and one that marks a new era in the history of the Otago Electric Power Board took place on Tuesday afternoon when, to mark the change-over from the Dunedin City Council’s Waipori supply to that of the State hydro-electric supply, a function was held at the new sub-sta-tion at Kiness, near Milton. In addition to members of the board, there were present representatives of the Clutha, Tuapeka, and Bruce County Councils, ißalclutha and Milton Borough Councils, Messrs G. T. Edgar (electrical, engineer, to the Dunedin City Corporation), L. "S. Payne (chief engineer to the South Electrical Supply Authority), and Mr Charles Campbell (secretary of the Southland Supply Authority). After an inspection of the new building and plant- Mr Payne said the gathering was, held to mark the initiation of a new point of supply to tho Otago Power Board. They had inspected the new modern equipment which had come from the Old Country and would serve to break down the power from the main line of 110,000 volts to 11,000 volts in order to supply the Otago hoard’s southern area. The equipment was automatic, and would be practically self-operating. Mr J. Kofoed, engineer in charge of the construction of the. new, plant, then explained the workings of the equipment, which, he said, would tend for a steady voltage. He explained that the power came from Monowai, Lake Coleridge, and Waitaki generating stations, and the voltage was broken down to meet the ments of the Otago Board. Provision was made so that-should the board require more power the extra voltage could he supplied with very little interruption to the supply. Consumers would also find that the annoying breakdowns and interferences of the past would now be reduced to a minimum. Mr Edgar gave some interesting figures. It was in 1925 that the Otago Board first purchased power from the Dunedin City Corporation. During that time 137,000,000 units had been supplied. When they first started the Otago Board had consumed 627 kilowatts, but this had grown tremendously in subsequent years. There were great possibilities in the district, and he saw no reason why Milton ana other centres in the southern area should not participate in the expansion of industry that must come to the South Island. When the Coal Creek scheme was developed there would be a big expansion of industry, and the drift to the North Island would stop. In fact, he thought it hadl stopped now. Mr J. P. McGill, chairman of the Otago Board, said they had looked forward to that day for some years, but the work had been held up owing to the war and shortage of supplies. The Waipori line had been in a bad state for some time, and had caused the board and its engineer and staff a lot of worry, and it Was hoped that this was now ended. However, they must not lose sight of the fact that had it not been for the Dunedin City Corporation there would have been no Otago Power (Board. It was through its foresight in providing abundant power at AVaipori that the Otago Board had been able to procure power. An adjournment was then made to the Otago Board’s meeting room, where all were entertained at afternoon tea as guests of the board.