GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 July 1936, Page 9

GREY POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING HELD. The monthly meeting of the Grey Power Board, held last evening, was attended by Messrs W. H. Parfitt (Chairman), A. Robinson, F. L. Turley, A. H. McKane, J. B. Kent, J. Mulcare, J. Smeaton, J. Unwin, and W. Clayton.

The Electric Supply Authorities forwarded various items of interest in connection with new legislation. —On the motion of Dlr Smeaton, they were taken as read, the mover stating that the items would be available for inspection by members. The Department of Health wrote regarding amendments to the Plumbers' Registration /Vet, and asked for the opinion of the Board. —The secretary (Mr A. J. McDowall) said that the matter vaguely concerned the Board, and it apparently referred to the heating of water by electricity.— The matter was referred to Mr McDowall and the Engineer (Mr Sinclair Trotter), to make any suggestions they thought fit. Tho Electric Supply Authorities’ Association wrote regarding the dates for the forthcoming conferences. —The secretary stated that the conference of engineers and secretaries would be held on Monday, August 24, and the general conference of delegates from various Boards, on the following Thursday, and Friday.—/The matter of the Board’s representation was held over until the next meeting.

The Finance Committee reported that a meeting was held on Tuesday last, all members being present except Mr Turley. The revenue for the month was: Town £2149/10/10, country £2754/6/7, total £4903 17/5. The balance of bank account is as follows: —To receipts: Capital £4OOO, revenue- £4828/4/1, balance overdraft £6012/5/5, total £14,840 9/6. By balance at 31/5/36, £10,858 14/5, pavments, capital £1682/9/-, revenue £2299/6/1, total £14,840/9/6. A further instalment of £4OOO has been received on the loan of £16,000. It is recommended that the offer of Messrs Wild and Robertson to take the timber at Aratika, to be flooded by the dam extension, at the rate of 2/- per 100 feet for white pine, and 1/6 per 100 feet for rimu, be accepted. It is recommended that the Board ask the consulting engineers to speed up the contract for the completion of the extensions to the dam, as the power is required at an early date. It is recommended that the committee’s action in accepting T. Coll’s transmission line tender for election of line to Rotomanu, at a cost of £1936, be approved, and that tho recommendation in regard to overseeing of the work be given effect to. it is iccommended that power be supplied as requested to the State mines, and that the expenditure for tho necessary material be authorised. That, the tender of A. G. Campbell, £55/10/-, for the Austin car, be accepted.—The (recommendations were adopted.

ENGINEER’S REPORT. The engineer reported as follows for the period June 17 to July inArnold River Generating Station: The units generated and maximum demands for the past live weeks were as under: —Week ending June 21, 223,210 k.w.h. generated; k.w. max. demand, 2088. June 28, 222,660 —2160. July 6, 244,630—2286. July 12, 249,270— 2322. July 1!), 217,850—2304. Total units for live weeks 1,187,650. The highest weekly load factor was 64.1'3 per cent and the lowest 61.36 per cent. Reticulation: The outside staff have been engaged on general maintenance, connecting new consumers, and realigning poles on the TaylorvilleBlackball road. The contractor has made a start on the erection work of the Rotomanu line; a few poles have been erected at the Arnold end. and the general work of material distribution, hole-digging, etc. is well in hand. Several interruptions on the southern end of the 11,000-volt system took place during the bad weather on Sunday, July 5. Most of them were of minor importance, but parts of Greymouth were without power for some time owing to short circuits un high-tension feeders. Trouble with salt spray necessitated cleaning down porcelain at Nelson Street Sub-station before supply could be successfully restored.

Consumers: Since last meeting 25 new applications lor supply have been received, making the total to date 3654. Forty new consumers have been connected, and thia brings the total number of consumers up to 3683. Extensions and alterations to 59 existing installations have been curried out; 43 radio sets and three electric ranges have been installed The connected load for the pcr'od is: Light k.w. previous 1421.790, present 18.705, total 1440.495. Heat and irons k.w. previous 2975.995, present 36.840 —3012.835. Water heating k.w. previous 230.95, present 1.00—231.95. Power h.p., previous 7003.25, present 301.00—7307.95. Cocking k.w'„ previous 2160.650, present 19.500-2180.-150. Total load lor month. 304 k.w. Total load at last meeting 11,SOS k.w. —12,112 k.w.

The report was adopted, the Chairman remarking (hat they were still adding new consumers and radio sets. That was a good sign. The engineer: It is the iirst time you have had one million units on the report. That is for five weeks, of course.

The Chairman said that the engineer's figures coincided with those in the finance report, which were practically a record for one month.

The secretary said that 12 electric ranges had been booked for Rotomanu.

Mr Mulcare asked whether any progress was being made at Waiuta. “Not marked,’’ replied the secretary. “There have been one or two.” Mr Clayton asked whether the street lights were being put on. In reply, the engineer said that special transformers were needed. They would all be on within a week or so.

The Chairman, commenting on the acceptance of a tender for the Rotomanu line, said that they were very lucky, in that they had 375 poies which had just arrived by the Abel Tasman, and about £l6OO worth of wire, it might be a good while before another boat was put on to take the place of the Abel Tasman.

Mr Smeaton said it was a good job the poles were discharged before the flood in the river, and the subsequent wreck.

The Chairman said that it should

not be long now, before Rotomanu was supplied with power and light. That would be good news for Mr Robinson.

Air Turley: He is a couple of years younger, since they started the line. Mr Smeaton said he would like to refer the engineer to a pole on the Brunner-Blackball Track. If another flood occurred, the pole might topple over, and cause trouble.

The engineer said that a lot of other poles in tho same vicinity had to be realigned with the road 1 . The matter would be atended to.