GREY POWER BOARD

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 December 1945, Page 3

GREY POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING.

The final .meeting for the year of the Grey Electric Power Board was held in Greymouth last Evening, Mr. P. Blanchfield presiding. Other members present were: Messrs. J. Ryan, A. L. McKay, J. B. Kent, W. R. McGilchrist, L. Downes, and W; E. Pring. Mr. W. S. McClyinont, Power Board Secretary, submitted tide following report:—The bank balance .of the Power . Fund _ account to-day is £10,712/8/6. There is only one large power account outstanding, arid this is more than covered by Government guarantee and deposit. One other account is also overdue but concerns a firm now out of business, and also more than covered by a deposit. The total advanced to consumers ■ for the purchase of’ranges is now £15,375 9/8, of which £2024/11/7 is still owing by. 124 „consumers. Revenue from November meter-readings in the “B” group totalled £5437/10/7, including £2946/14/5 for big power. Sick pay availed of by the Board’s employees since the last report totals £22/14/2, and compensation wages total £3B/12/-.—The report was approved. The South Island Local Bodies’ Association invited nominations for an Electric Power Boards representative and forwarded minutes of its conference and executive meeting.— Nomination of Mr. J. B. Kent to be supported. The request from the New Zealand Institute of Engineers that the Board facilitate the attendance of the Engineer at the annual conference in Wellington in February was approved. The Board decided to support the protest of the Westland Progress League concerning the misrepresentation of facts about Westland con- 1 tained in a recent National Service [ Department report. A donation, of £5 was voted to the Greymouth Health Camp Executive and a donation was ordered to be sent to the District Patriotic Council for distribution among the various district committees. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineer, Mr. S. Trotter, reported for the period November 8 to December 14; —Reticulation: Work is proceeding in Reefton with line erection and changing over of consumers to the Board’s system. General maintenance has been undertaken in Blaketown and in Boundary Street and the vicinity. Small extensions for new consumers have been erected and some rearrangement of street lighting circuits in Taylorville made in order to remove power wires from the foot suspension bridge. Testing of earths and general inspection to comply with regulations fs proceeding. Some overhaul of Pole Transformer Stations has also been done. Since last meeting 14 new applications have been received and permits issued. Five new consumers ' have been connected. Applications now total 5403 and consumers 5385. Twenty-five permits have been issued for alterations to existing installations. Eighteen extensions have been completed. Seven ranges have been installed for the month; seven waterheaters have been installed for the month. Reefton: Sixteen further consumers have been connected to our supply. The wiring department is busy with the usual rush of work before the holidays. Some re-inspec-tion work has been completed, but re-inspection before change-over at Reefton has reduced the time which could be devoted to the Board’s other consumers.—The report was approved. Mi’. Clayton suggested that there might be more co-operation between the Engineer and the County Council officials, as complaints had been received about the erection of some power poles. Pie recommended that the County Engineer be consulted before poles were erected and that the surface be left clean and smooth afterwards.