GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 June 1943, Page 8

GREY POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING

After a lengthy discussion the Grey Electric Power Board decided at its meeting last evening to send Messrs J. Mulcare (Chairman), J. B. Kent, the Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) and the Secretary (Mr. W. S. McClymont) to a regional meeting of representatives of the Electric Power Boards 1 and Supply Authorities of the South Island to be held at Christchurch on June 24. There were present at the meeting: Messrs Mulcare (Chairman), Kent, W. Fisher, W. E. Pring, AV. H. Parfitt, J. Unwin, J. Smeaton, P. Blanchfield and W. Clayton. The matter of representation at the meeting was raised by a letter from Mr. E. Hitchcock, the convener, inviting the Board to be represented and enclosing the agenda suggested by the main Association, comprising: (a) bulk supply; (b) rehabilitation; (c) re-inspections; and (d) reticulation of sparsely populated areas. Mr. Smeaton moved that the Chairman, the Engineer and the Secretary represent the Board. Mr. Kent intimated that he would be present at the meeting as one of the two South Island representatives on the New Zealand executive. Mr. Pring: That’ll be four. I think we should cut out this joy-riding. Mr. Kent objected to the term “jov-riding.” He said that supply authorities and Power Boards were up against a serious crisis, especially in the North Island, where it was a, matter of present serious concern.! Money was not wasted in being re- j presented at such conferences, which , were of the utmost value to the Board in enabling them to profit by ; the knowledge and also by the mis- ■ takes of others. The question of future supply was one of most serious import. So far the South Is- > land had not been affected, but conferences such as the one proposed : enabled those concerned to foresee problems and provide remedies. | Mr. Parfitt seconded the motion. ! Mr. Blanchfield moved an amend- ; ment that Mr. Kent and the Engin- I eer represent the Board at the meeting. Ho thought that the Board would be adequately represented by the two. Mr. Pring seconded the amend-. ment. x x I When the amendment was put to i the meeting only the sponsors supported it and the motion was carried - X, X Mr. Kent said it , appeared that though lie was one of two South Island representatives on the Association the Board did not have confid- | ence in him to represent it at the meeting. , , Mr. Unwin said he thought Mr. Kent was taking the wrong line. The Board understood that. Mr. Kent would be there in. any case as a representative of the New Zealand, Association; that lie would be there, I even though the Board decided not; to bo represented. . | Mr. Smeaton asked if Mr. Kent j would be receiving £2/2/- a day| while he was at the meeting? ! Mr. Kent said he would be receiving no payment. It was a regional ( conference, not a meeting of the • Executive, of which he was a mem- | Mr. Smeaton said he had no intention of passing a vote of no-confid-ence in Mr. Kent, in excluding him, from his motion and it was unfair of Mr. Kent to suggest it. He thought j that the Chairman, the Engineer and j the Secretary of any Board should j be present at such a conference. I After further discussion, and 1 with the agreement of members, a I further motion was taken. —That Mr. ■ Kent be added to the Board’s re-1 presentatives at the meeting. This, was seconded by Mr. Parfitt, and | was carried, Messrs Smeaton, Unwin and Blanchfield dissenting.

Mr. Blanchfield (when the motion was carried): What about your next year’s Chairman, too? Circular letters were received regarding the participation of the Board’s staff in the Third Liberty Loan, and the matter was referred to the Secretary.

ENGINEER’S REPORT

The following report from the Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) was read and adopted:— \ The line staff have been engaged on general maintenance of the overhead system in Greymouth, Runanga, Ngahere and Paroa and in erecting services. Some transformer running maintenance has been carried out and annual earth testing in accord- j ance with the regulations completed. Loads continue to be heavy due to the large power consumers and | ’ cold weather and considerably exceed those for the corresponding period of last year. The load connected for

the month was 115.12 k.w., making the present load 29,165.31 k.w. The Finance Committee’s report, embodying the following report from the Secretary, was adopted:— The power fund account balance is £4,130/1/6, after having invested £3,000 in National Savings maturing, on June 15, 1945, at 3 per cent. This action was authorised at the May meeting, and, as was discussed with the Chairman before drawing the cheque, has the following to recommend it. (1.) It assists the war effort and (2.) the rate of interest is 3 per cent, (as against 21 per cent, offered for the Third Liberty Loan, and 2 per cent for 24 months fixed deposit) and the term is only two

years, the same as the term required to obtain the maximum fixed deposit rate and three years less than the shorter of the two periods offered by the Liberty Loan. Amounts now owing for ranges sold under the financial assistance scheme total £2,227 13/10 out of advances amounting to £10,528/19/3. The meter accounts of i-.vLe power users are all up-to-date but one~which is safe. This revenue comparison is -interesting:—Group “D” readings for the months of April and May, 1942, showed £1,903/18/5 and for the same months in 1943, £2,381/9/3. . The Engineer submitted a report on rehabilitation scheme (b). He stated that the Rehabilitation Officer

at Greymouth had sent two men to him suggesting that they might be employed under the scheme which provided for a subsidy on wages from the Rehabilitation Board, that Board and the Power Board paying equal sums of £2/12/6 a week for ‘the first eight months. The scheme was approved and the matter of employment was left to the Engineer to decide, members expressing themselves in favour of doing all possible for men returning from the war. _