GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 July 1945, Page 6

GREY POWER BOARD

monthly’meeting. Mr. P. Blanchfield presided at the monthly meeting of the Grey Electric Power Board held - last evening, Messrs J. Ryan, J. B. Kent, W.- E. Pring, L. N. Downes, W. McGilchrist, W. Clayton and J. Mulcare also being present. A welcome was extended to Mr. jPring who replaced the late Mr. W. 81, Parfitt on the Board. It was decided to make a grant oi Jl2/2/- to the Royal Humane Society, and also to make a donation of £5/5/to the Mission to Lepers. r The Secretary (Mr. W. S. McClymont) reported that he had circularised 40 Power Boards in New Zealand * in connection with their trading charges, and so far 34 or 35 replies Kad been received. These had been tabulated and would be circulated to members of Tariff Revision Committoe. The ' action of the Chairman in -sending a telegram of welcome to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), was approved. . ' The South Canterbury Electric Power Board wrote urging that the Board request the President of the Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities Association to withdraw at once any proposed legislation now before the House of Parliament. The Secretary reported that this was in connection with rural reticulation. Mr. Kent, a member of the executive, said he was pleased to see the letter. The Grey Board was more concerned with rural reticulation than any other Board, and had more experience in that connection. The Association had had the matter before them for years and at their meeting in Napier set up two committees in the North Island and one in the South Island to fully investigate the matter. He gave details of the scheme to assist rural reticulation to be presented to the Government, and moved a remit to the conference that the Association at the annual conference ask the Government to subsidise approved .rural reticulation schemes as was done with County Councils in connection with roads and bridges. County areas, he said, should have the same amenities as the town and thought it was a matter for the National Development Council. He thought his remit was a step in the right direction and the Grey Board should carry some weight. He would like to support the letter from South Canterbury. ■ On the motion of Mr. Kent it was decided to take the action suggested by the South Canterbury Board. Mr. Clayton, supporting Mr. Kent, <=aid the present scheme was no use to the West Coast and he was disappointed in the scheme. Mr. Mulcare also supported the proposal, but said he did not think the big power boards could stop the Government’s action. , . The Chairman also supported the resolution, which was passed. The Power Boards’ Association forwarded a request from the Thames Power Board that Government action in removing the menace to Power lines of trees be sought. It was decided to support the proposal. In connection with the annual conference in Wellington from September 24 to 28, the Power Boards’ Association advised that the closing date lor ■remits was July 31 and invited nominations before September 14 for the offices of President of the Association and two South Island representatives. There was a lengthy discussion on whether the Chairman or executive officers only should attend the conference. and it was finally decided that the Chairman represent the Board at the conference, Mr. Pring voting against the motion. Mr. Kent was also appointed as a delegate. It was decided that a remit be prewonted to the conference that a verbatim report of the conference be taken and circulated to Boards. It was also decided to forward a remit in connection with rural reticulation as previously propounded by Mr. Kent. • . T ‘lt was decided to nominate Mr. Kent as South Island renresentabve. It was decided that the Engineer (Mr. Sinclair Trotter) and The Secretary attend the officers’ conference. ADMINISTRATION REPORTS. The Secretary’s report as follows, was aaopiea: The Power Fund bank balance to-day is £ 15,079/la/2, but will be reduced by the accounts passed at the July 20th meeting, which show signs of totalling a large sum, including several large amounts ana £ll,OOO odd for Government power. Only one large power account is outstanding. The usual telegram has been sent, and I hope payment will have been made before the meeting. Ihe consumers who are still paying oft the ranges sold them under the Board's financial assistance scheme now total 136, owing £1,973/15/2 out of a total of £ 14,138/11/5 advanced. June meter readings were taken m the “A” group, Greymouth, and the “C group, about half our- country area, and revealed revenue of £10,218/2/8. The Engineer’s report, which was received, stated:—Men have been engaged at Reefton erecting lines and connecting consumers changed over from direct current. Other staff have been engaged on general maintenance, af South Beach, Blackwater and Greymouth, and small extensions of LT. lines to connect new load. The 11, volt line at Te Kinga village has been extended and a new transformer erected to take sawmilling and other load. A new sawmilling consumer has been secured at Aratika to go into production in a month or two. Since last meeting 10 new applications have been received and permits issued. Fifteen, new consumers have been connected. Applications now total 5372 and consumers 5365. Twenty-three permits have been issued for alterations to existing installations. Nine extensions have been completed. Eight ranges have been connected for the month. Three water heaters have been connected for the month. Eleven new consumers have been connected to our supply the connected load for the month is as follows, the totals being in parenthesis:—Light 6.060 k.w. (2229.095 k.w.), heat 64.00 kw. ( 5727.6 G k.w.):» water-neat 3.60 k.w. (740.16 k.w.); power 3.00 h.p. (15436.00 h.p.); cooking 56.00 k.w. (6858.36 k.w.). The load at the last meetings was 30857.615; the load for the moiith was 132.660; total 30990.275. For the quarter ended 30th June the maximum demand was 5878 kVA compared with 5700 kVA for the corresponding quarter of last year. Units purchased were 7,942,000, power account amounting to £ll,OBO/5/- for the quarter. Operating conditions were normal during the period.