GREY POWER BOARD.

Grey River Argus, 22 May 1930, Page 3

GREY POWER BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING. The ordinary meeting of the Grey j Electric Power Board was held last 1 evening, there being present Alessrs J. W. Greenslade (Mayor). J. B. Kent. W. Mu I care. W. partitt. .1. Smeaton, IL Cartel*, W. Clayton, 4'- Uddstrom, H. Duggan. 'fhe Engineer (Air Sinclair Trotter) and the Secretary (Air A. J. AfcDowall) were also present. Three applications were received for the position of collector for the Board n 1 Blackball, it being decided 'that the matter be left iu the hands .of fhe Secretary to make an appointment . ' The Engineer was given power to purchase a recording voltmeter. I The. Loral Government Loans Board forwarded sanction for the Power i Boa rd’s Loan of £480(1. Air Mulcare reported that Mr Tayjlor was agreeable that the Board's , Taylorville-Blackball extension line, i should be carried through his property | on condition that £2 was allowed him .for clearing fhe properly, and that the Roanl should keep the fences in repair. The matter was left to the Engineer. ! CONSULTING ENGINEERS’ REPORT. Weather—The weather has been generally favourable to the camping ion work. I Dam.—The first section on the left bank has been connected to within a few fe<‘t of the cut and half the section to well above the spillway bottom level. This represents about a quarter nf the dam. In lake. —The excavation is in I hand. * Tunnel.-—The heading is completed 'and fl.e. enlargement and convict i"g I will now be undertaken, and the con tractor* expect to complete by the end I of -Inly. I Pipe line.—The ex'eax at ion is about three-quarters finished, and the con- | tractors intend carrying on and conIcreting at the same t ine as they are j doing the tunnel ami finishing this early in August With Jie completion [of this and the tunnel they will be [aide to direct, the river and progress ' with the final stages of the dam dur ling \ugust and the succeeding month i till December when I IteY anticipate j coi ;plet iug 1 he dam. [ Pipe br'dgo.— A bridge-niaking team ! is now on the work and pile driving will he started in a few day-. | complet<‘d. i P-nver Home. - The excavation is 'completed lo the fop level am] 1 he i p ant for further excavation arrived itoday. Il is anticipated by the com I tractors (hat the building will be finished about the mddle nt' August; that is a fortnight after tin* due date. With favourable weather this could be I done. | Tail Race.— The excavating plant [arrived to-day. except for an,, addi tional dragline excavator, due in a | few days. With this, if every thing i goes well, it is hoped the excavation | will be finished about the end of Octo-Cottages.--Except for minor details these arc completed. General.—The contractors have iu creased the numbers of men employed from forty to seventy ami a marked improvement in progress is noticeable. It will take all their ability to com plete by the due date, but this is still possible and they are luipeful of tin ishing the work in ihi.- I’mr, Th<‘ Chairman stated that Ibe report had been taken in committee, apd it had been decided that the whole i»f th<‘ members of the Board visit ! the site and discuss with the contractors, tie matter nf expediting the work, so that every endeavour will be made to carry the work out in the contracted, time. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The Engineer. Afr Sinclair Trotter, presented the. following report for the period April 12th to May 20, iiicluGenerating Station. Dobson: The units generated for the four weeks "ending 17 th May were 391,140. the highest half-hourly maximum demand being 1080 kilowatts. 'fhe highest weekly load factor was 59.7 per cent, and the lowest 53.8 per cent. On Sunday. the 17th inst.. the Station was run non-condeusing for a short time in order to dismantle and examine the Condenser Circulating Pump. I last Board meet ling 63 applications (including 27 from Paparoa) have been received, making the total to date 2195. Thirty-one new , consumers have been connected, bring- | iug the fetal number of consumers uy. to 2J41. Extensions and alterations to 40 existing installations have. been carried out. The connected load for the month is as follows. including i seven electric ranges recently installed: Light 10.730 k.w., total 1784.730 k.w 4 ; heat and irons. 28-450 k.w.. total 1170.130 k.w.; water heating. total 95 k.w.; power, 33.5 h.p., total 2890 h.p.; cooking 43.3 k.w.. total 742.9 k.w. Total connected load for month. 108 k.w.; total connected load al last meeting. 4828 k.w.; total 4936 k.w. Reticulation.—Tthe Line Gang have (been engaged for the most part on 11.1,000 volt line extension to ten mile. J The line is finished as far as Bellvue [ail'd this mine is taking supply. Five jpoles at the far end have still to be [erected and'l he remainder of the wire I strung before the line is complete. The usual amount of servicing and maintenance has been carried out. Apart from new lines an accumulation of small extensions to supply new consumers, as well as new mains to provide extra carrying capacity ’ at one or two points on the system, are on the waiting list and will require the formation of an extra line gang temporarily if the work i.s to be overtaken within a reasonable limo. A list of work on hand is appended herewith. Mr Kent moved that power be given to the engineer to extend the Kaiata line to the lower part of Kaiata. I’n reply to a question the Engineer

said that the cost would he about £.l! M .‘ and the return iu revenue would be £24. The Chairman suggested that the people be asked to sign guarantees. Mr Kent: People will not s ‘gn up. The supply must be there to create demand and if the supply is there tl.ex’ will join up. Air Uddstrom: We should take a risk. The Chairman: I’m not in favour of taking a risk. We had guarantees from Rotomanu and Totara Flat. Mr Kent: It would be suicidal to wait for a written guarantee for everything the Board is going to do. The Chairman: The capital cost i.s going on, and we must see that we have definite returns for our expenditure. We have asked other country districts for guarantees. Mr Mulcare: What is Ihe occupation of the residents in that part? Mr Kent: They are farmers mostly. I understand they are prepared to take t; e power. Mr Smeaton: I ■ understand that they arc not. M Kent said that the Board would have to use their judgment. When the cost of the ranges had been reduced, it had been thought by some that the move was a disastrous one. People did not like signing up. but when they got the power they would real se its benefit. By going out to these areas the price would be reduced for every <-oir umer. By the giving of supply the demand would be increased, thus dec easing the cost. which in turn would mean that more consumers would link up. Mr Smeaton: J fail to see why wo should go to Rotomanu and Totara Flat ami ask poor hard-working “cockies” to give a guarantee, and not even canvass in (his part. The principle of the Board should be to treat everyone alike. The Chairnmn moved that tin* people be adv'sed uf tie necessary guarantee, and if it were forthcoming to give the supply. Mr Kent: We arc not wo-king on on business lines. Wr are here for service, and that should apply to everybody. I can see we will be al right. We have proved that the de rnand is t tie reMr Duggan: We cannot compare this little line with that of Rotomanu. The ‘hairman: The principle is there, just the same. Mr Parfitt Seconded Hu- i ha > ••••"•’- motion. On the motion being pul the cast ing vote went to the chairman, who gave his vote in fax our <•!’ the nm 1 ion. M- Kent limn said that there iwi. live members against it. The < hairman: Have \on ju-t sedi it ? Mr Kent: lj suited you not to see it. Air Kent's motion that the line be gone on with was then put ami car CHAIRMAN'S ANNUAL REPORT. J have the honour to submit a brief report on the year’s working for this annual meeting. A comprehensive report covering all phases of our (•[••■ration will be submitted to members with the audited annual accounts. Owing to circumstances beyond tlm Boa'd’s control no audit has as yet been made of the annual accounts. a«»d necessarily any figures given or contained in the Profit and Loss Account, which lies on tic table, arc subject to audit. The revenue account discloses a very gratifying state of affars ar. t 1 am more than pleased with the excellent results of the year’s working. Tlu* chief increase in expenditure was. as mav be expected, generation fuel Provision has been made for remissions, bad debts. ; md full depreciation A non-recurring item i.s that of poll expenses amounting to £205 13/3. The ratio of domestic and commercial rev •‘line to power revenue has further *m proved, being in excess by nearly £3009. The .Showroom has fulfilled its function admirably in the display ami .ale of electrical goods, particularly ranges, eleven of which have been sold during the past four weeks. The Trad ing Account after a fair loading of expenses shows a nett profit, of £232 8/9. Interest on the capital employed has not been charged as yet. but the grand figures will nul be altered as a result, of this, as a reduction in Showroom profits will show a corresponding in-