GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 July 1941, Page 9

GREY POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board was held last evening and was attended by Messrs J. B. Kent (Chairman), P. Blanchfield junr., J. J. Unwin,. A. H. McKane, W. Clayton, W. E. Pnng, VV. Fisher, the Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) and the Secretary (Mr. W. S. McClymont). The Greymouth Borough Council wrote accepting the Board’s charges for reduced street lighting. The Ikamatua Womens Physical Welfare Class wrote asking f6r a concession on the electricity bill for current used by them each Monday evening, in the Ikamatua Public Hall. Mr. Smeaton moved that the request be referred to the . Engineer, with power to act. . . The Chairman: If we start giving concessions to everyone who asks, just because we gave one to the Home Guard, I am afraid I don’t know where it will end. Mr. Smeaton said he supposed the applicants were on the same basis as tne Home Guard. The Chairman: We will always have physical welfare classes with us. Mr. Pring: It would be a matter of only a few pence and I think it is paltry to ask for it. , Mr. Smeaton said he had not suggested that the concession should be granted, but merely that the Engineer should look into the request. The Engineer said that it was only a small thing, possibly sixpence or a shilling and it would, be almost impossible to compute it. An amendment was moved by Mr. Pnng, that the letter be received and no action taken. , The amendment was seconded by Mr. Blanchfield and carried. The Blackball Bowling Club wrote asking that electricity be supplied, for light and power, as soon as possible. The Secretary said he understood four poles would be required to supply power to the Domain, where the bowling green was situated and, if so, it would possiblv be a matter for the approval of the Electricity Controller. The matter was referred to the Engineer. On the recommendation of the Finance Committee, accounts amounting to £2,541/16/10 were passed for payment and the Secretary’s report, as follow, was adopted: — The balance of the consolidated bank account after this meeting is: £4,070/13/6. June meter readings produced a revenue of £7,997/19/8, as against a figure for the same period last year of £8,055/1/5. The figure outstanding on account of financially assisted range sales is £1,847/8/5. The total sum advanced to date is £5,837/6/4. Excepting the one dredge reported on at the June meeting as not now operating, all large power accounts are up to date but one, which owes for two months current. During the period, the State Mines Department purchased the Blackball Coal Company’s mine. So far this Board has received no official intimation of the transfer. On July 10 I attended a meeting of the secretaries of South Island Power Boards. Many interesting subjects were discussed, some dealing with war time problems. Members will doubtless have read that the Board was successful in its recent case against consumers stealing current. This should strengthen the Board’s hand in many other similar cases which have been reported. In his report, covering the period June 25 to July 15, the Engineer stated, inter alia: The outside staff have been engaged on general maintenance connecting new services. One new transformer has been erected near Sawyer’s Creek on Marsden Road. The annual tests and re-conditioning to be carried out on earths according to regulations are being carried out. Modifications to the street lighting system to give more light without increasing the visibility from the sea, have been undertaken with the permission of the authorities, and provision is being made, by introducing some modifications to the protective relays to enable the whole town street I light system to be controlled from; one point in emergency. . The connected load for the period was as follows: Light, 3.27 k.w.; neat and irons, 10.45 k.w.; water heating, 2 k.w.; power, 3.25 h.p.; cooking, 14 k.w. Load for month, 33 k.w., grand total, 24,261 k.w. The maximum load recorded for the quarter ended June 30 1941 was 4316 kva and the units purchased 5,308,000, an increase in demand over the corresponding period of last year of 295 kva, with n decrease in kwh purchased of 270,000. The report was adopted.