ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 May 1925, Page 8

ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY.

OPUNAKE, AREA

BOARD MOiMTHLY MEETING

YEAR/'8 WORK REVIEWED

The luouthiy meeting of the Opuua.ko E'leetriu Power Board was held at Opunake on Friday. There ware present : Messrs C. A. Trotter (clniirinaij.), E. A. Collins, J. P. Burton, J. S. Toslaud, J. Hickey, T. H. H. oinclair, W. L. F. Chambers, J. N. Stephenson (secretary), and O. At. Stowers Crowley (engineer). With reference to the claim for compensation made by Mr. Mitchell, in connection with which the chairman and Mr. Sinclair had'been appointed to interview the claimant, the chairman reported that a solution had been reached by arranging to replace the destroyed cow -with a heifer, the cost to the board being £'6.- —The arrangement was approved by the board. ENGINEER ’& R EPORT.

The engineer (Mr. C; M. Stowers Crowley) reported as follows: .During the month the construction gang have been employed os the pole lines in the Warea district. It is expected to reach the Pimilio Road within the next week. A start will then be made on .the Wa rea Road. Poles. —Our next lot of poles has not yet left Australia, although they were due to arrive here last month. Unless these poles can be delivered within the next fortnight, no further work can be done in the outer area. One hundred 26ft. silver pine poles were trucked to the Watino Road, and 27 of these have been laid out on .the Upper Watino Road extension, and the remainder will he required for the extension on the Tip oka- Road. The Nopera Road line was livened on the 27th April, and a further seven consumers have been connected. In reviewing the past year’s work it will be seen that the growth of this scheme has been remarkable. Many difficulties were encountered jn the beginning, and the service was somewhat unsatisfactory. Defective insulators, together with service climatic conditions, contributed mainly to the above, and it entailed much labour and expense before good: results were obtained. 'High maintenance costs have been due partly to the exposed nature of the main lines, and partly to the failures of both high tension insulators and primary fuse gear. These troubles are 'now at an end, and the present year should see a big reduction in running expenses. Plant and Hcadvvorks. —Excellent results have been obtained from this portion of you? undertaking, and the operating charges have bee u exceptionally low. Very dry weather has been experienced, and there has always been a plentiful supply of water. One genereating set has been sufficient to carry tlie load up to the present, but the coming spring should see both units in operation. A continuous service lias been maintained, and only on one occasion was it found necessary to shut' down for repairs. These were carried out without the least inconvenience to consumers. Cooking Load. —It was found necessary to place restrictions on this load on account of the distribution transformers and secondary mains being on the small side. It is yet possible to extend our operations in tin’s direction, providing it does not interfere wiui the milking load. |ln pointing out that the returns per k.v.a. of maximum demand on stoves is only about one third that of milking motors, and in view of the fact that there seems every possibility of reaching the full output of the plant with milking ' motors, every care requires to be ex- 1 ercised in extending this load. Peak Load.—The peak load occurred '■ on Tuesday, 10th February, at 5 a.in. The demand on the generating units at that time was 200 k.w. The reason 1 of its being as late as February was : because of the bulk supply to Ka- * ponga. This supply to Kaporiga was also the cause of consider-

ably reducing the return per k.v.a. of maximum demand per annum, on ao count of it lasting only a few months. Output.—The total units generated for the year ending 31st March, 1926, amount to 461,600. During the winter months the demand lor powe r is very low. This position could be improved somewhat by making a reduction in the heating charges, which would. I. am sure, tend to popularise the use of electric radiato-ra. Consumers. —The total connections up to March 31 are as follows Lighting and heating, 412, representing 200 k.w.; milking motors, 100,

representing 176 h.p.; industrial motors, 12, representing 100 h.p.; dairy factory motors, 12, representing 145 h.p. The demand for milking motors is still keen, and there is no doubt they have given every satisfaction in the xiast.

Extensions. —Twenty-one miles of line have been constructed during the last year, and further extensions involving the whole of the Ware a district have been commenced. Regardjig the latter extension, I might add that this work is being pushed on with ell possible haste. If it is possible to obtain the necessary wire in New Zealand, there 'is every hope of completing this work by the end of July. A of seven men are employed, including the three permanent hands.

The report was adopted. The question of the supply of heating power was discussed, the matter of revising the scale of charges being referred to the chairman, secretary and engineer.

The chairman, engineer and Mr. Burton were appointed to investigate the possibilities of arranging for the supply of various electrical requisites to be sold under the direction of the board, and report to the next meeting. SUPPLEMENTARY LOAN. The formal resolutions authorising tic raising of the supplementary loan of £7OOO from the Public Trust office, appropriating the special rate of 1. 33-64 d, provision of £l4O annually covering interest and sinking fund charges, and authorising the signing of debentures, and the sinking fund deed were finally passed in accordance with the requirements of the Public Trust office. Mr. Toslaud moved that a remit be forwarded to the annual conference of the Electric Power Boards of New Zealand, asking that some decision he arrived at so that a settlement could be reached on the most economical basis concerning the reticulation of roads where such marked the boundary of respective power board’s areas. In seconding, Mr. Chambers said he favoured the marking of boundaries by block divisions. Mr. Sinclair thought that power boards could mutually arrange which should reticulate boundary roads, but it was pointedi out by the engineer that provision for this was not made in the Act. The motion was carried. LINES ON CONSUMER’S PROPERTY. E. Sole (Waroa} wrote asking if in the event of power being taken,.the board would make any concession in the expense of erecting a line from the roadway to the milking shed and one

oi the houses, a distance of about 3-3 chains. The letter explained that a 10-cow plant would be used, and possibly IS lights would he installed in the houses, and, in view of the large cons'umption which would be entailed, asked for favourable consideration of the request. The chairman explained that in accordance with the Act, the board could not reticulate beyond 60 feet from its own lines.

Replying to Mr, Burton, the engineer said the power which would probably be consumed would entail an approximate charge of £7O asnually. Mr. Burton estimated that in such

a case the board should endeavour to meet the consumer as far possible. After further discussion, the engineer was instructed to furnish the applicant with particulars concerning cost of erecting the line, pointing out what saving could be effected by the applicant supplying the necessary poles. KQ111P31EX T INST A LL.VHO X >S,

Mr J. T. White, representing Messrs J. B. Mac Ewan and Company, waited on the board with reference to its notification to intending consumers in the Warea area that the board istended to call tenders for light and power installation, and that in the meantime no representatives of the board were in the area, and- statements concerning such, made by persons other than officers of the hoard did not have the board’s guarantee. Mr. White wished to know whether the board was raising objection to the operation of his firm, which had, he contended, endeavoured to work in their common interests when arranging to supply requisites. He pointed out that in accordance with arrangements made with customers of his firm, no charge was being made for the installations until such time ag the power actually reached them. He stressed that in supplying plant for milking machines his linn had endeavoured to place motors instead of engines, in which they were supporting the interests of the board, •ft was naturally desired that amicable relations between his linn and the board should exist, and ,he believed such to be the case, 'but, when confronted by inquiries resulting from the notification mentioned, they were at a loss to explain the position. The chairman explained that it was the intention of the board to eall tenders on the block system for the installation of motors. As representatives of the- consumers the board bad to watch their interests and see that as far as possible arrangements most favourable to them were made available. By calling tenders the benefit, of competition would be received, and requirements could be met on the most economical and satisfactory basis. During the ensuing discussion it was pointed out that the hoard did not question the integrity of the particular firm, but objected to the new territory being canvassed by an outside firm before the. board, while awaiting the authority to reticulate the new area, was in a legal position to place proposals regarding plant requisites or wiring before consumers or to call tenders for such work.

Mr Sinclair stressed the point that sales of motors had been made before the board bad received applications for power supply. Mr Chambers gave the opinion that in treating the matter of private firms supplying .motors or wiring the board must consider whether it could itself undertake such work, including maintenance, or whether it would not be a better arrangement to leave it to a reliable firm which could be depended upon to give satisfactory service to consumers, thus relieving the board of responsibility in the matter.

Summarising the position. Mr Tosland stated that the stand taken by the hoard concerning the Warea area was the only one possible in the interests of ratepayers and consumers, and there was no reason why the action should be retracted in any wav.

This opinion was unanimously agreed to. it being intimated that further consideration would he given to the aspect of the question raised by Mr Chambers.