KAPONGA ELECTRIC POWER.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 1 October 1924, Page 6

KAPONGA ELECTRIC POWER.

SPECIAL BOARD MEETING

DIFFICULTIES CONSIDERED

Owing te the necessity for intermittently easing the pressure on the hydro pipe line in order to carry out reinforcing work and repair fractures on portions of the line, considerable difriculty has lately been experienced in idea the Kaponga Town Board’s electrical scheme in maintaining the power supply required to cope with the demands of the town and country area reticulated by the Board. In endeavouring to complete tire work and at the same time proivided for a water pressure sufficient to keep the plant operating up to the necessary capacity, tiie> engineer has been faced with an exceedingly difficult problem, to consider which a special sitting of the Board was held on Monday evening, when certain measures to cope with the position were decided upon. The chairman (Commissioner A. R. Bates) presided over a full attendance of members:. Mr R. G. Cook (ex-chairman) was present by invitation,, and lent the benefit qf his lengthy experience in the Board’s affairs to the discussion.

The chairman reported that during the week-end he had, with Cr. Law and the engineer (Mr A. E. Moss) inspected the broken pipe line. They had come to the conclusion that the only satisfactory method of dealing with the position would be to take the water off the pipe line and proceed with the repairs and reinforcement, whilst maintaming a service from available standing sources. The engineer had, during lie past two months, been labouring some sixteen hours a day, with no extra remuneration, in the endeavour to do the work with no interruption of service. The greater portion of the repairs had been quite successful, but unfortunately a sudden fresh in the river had caused a further breakage in the last forty feet-of concrete work before it had time to harden. The engineer had then decided that the best alternative, was to shut off the water and do the work with the pipe line in a dry condition. The engineer had successfully negotiated with the Opunake Power Board for a temporary supply of 40 kilowats, which, together with’ the power which, could still be generated by the Kaponga "Board's lower plant, would be sufficient to maintain the service whilst the upper turbine was not running. It would be necessary, however, to temporarily instal a transformer, to obtain which a deputation consisting of the chairman, the engineer and clerk had waited -UDO.n the Taranaki Power Board, and had been assured that their request would receive sympathetic consideration. The engineer had further 1 ' reported - that it would he necessary to have the defective alternator in the lower power house repaired immediately, arid was making inquiries for having this done: The removal of the defective portion would entail a stoppage pf eight hours, after which this plant could be again put-into operation.

The meeting expressed approval of the suggestions and the action already taken.

The engineer was directed to stop the "lower plant from 8 a.m. to Iqum. on Thursday, October 2, and proceed with the necessary steps tq have the ■repairs effected. ,

Members expressed the opinion that before any further expenditure on the pipe line was authorised the advice of an expert in concrete work should' he obtained, and on the engineer’s suggestion it was decided, if the Kaponga Dairy Company approved ;of the proposal, to approach' Mr. Amor, pf -New Plymouth, who had been successful with similar work in that district, with a view to obtaining immediately a. full report of the capabilities of the line. In view of the large amount of work involved, it was decided to have completed by contract any recommendation adopted regarding the pipe line, thus relieving the engineer of all responsibility in the matter, and allowing him to devote his attention solely to his duties as electrical engineer. The engineer intimated that there were many electrical problems, particularly in the Matapu portion of the Board’s area, to which he would be able to give immediate and necessary attention as the result of the Board’s decision to free him from the pine line work'.

. A letter received from Mr E. W. Blackwell, Manaia Road, drawing attention to damage and inconvenience incurred on his farm by the breakages in the pipe line, and requesting that immediate steps be taken to afford relief, met with sympathetic consideration, the chairman being requested to interview Mr Blackwell regarding the matter.

During a/discussion relating to the scheme in general, Mi; R. G. Cook pointed cut that so far as reticulation and administrative charges were concerned, the Board could successfully compete with any neighbouring body supplying electrical energy. The crux of the question, however, lay in the cost of generation. As was amply demonstrated by the figures before'them, the Board could generate power at a comparatively low annual charge provided the whole of the output was disposed of. For that reason it was vitally essential that the pipe line and plant should he maintained in good order, as no extension of business could be expected unless a reliable service could be guaranteed. From the point of view of future policy, the Board’s energies should be concentrated on the extension of their sales through every possible channel until the full output was absorbed. Their financial position would then be unassailable. As indicating the development of the Board’s administrative work, Mr Cook, referring to the fifteen years during which he had been associated with its activities, explained that the value of the assets at present administered were .twenty times as great as they had been at the commencement of that period, and the revenue showed a proportionate increase, having risen from £3OO to almost £6OOO. The Board had made several successful ventures, such as the water and drainage, and housing schemes, and though their electrical scheme had lately experienced a very difficult period, lie had every con, fklence in its future prosperity.