ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 25 May 1926, Page 8

ELECTRIC POWER SUPPLY.

TAR IK I SCHEME. BOARD’S ANNUAL MEETING. MR CARMAN RE-ELECTED CHAIRMAN. The .annual meeting of the Taranaki Electric Power Board was held at Elthani on Monday. There were present: Messrs H. G. Ca.ramn (chairman), \\. H. Were, R. J. Knuekey, C. E. MeGuinness, T. R. Anderson, .J. Dobson, and C. J. Belcher. A formal welcome to the newlyelected member, Mr Dobson, who took the place of Mr W. V. Darkness, was extended bv the chairman, who further said that if the new member proved the equal of his predecessor on the board, the ratepayers whom he represented would have cause lor .satisfaction. , Mr Dobson suitably replied. On the motion of the chairman, .seconded bv Mr Anderson, both of whom paid tribute to the services rendered by the retired member, a vote was passed placing on record the board’s appreciation of the manner in which Mr Darkness had co-operated in the administration of the affairs. FINANCES REVIEWED. In elaboration of the interim report of the year’s operations given at the previous meeting, the chairman said a.s follows: — , - "I reported at last meeting regarding the progress of the various works of the board, but owing to the •■short period between the close of the financial year and that meeting the completed balance-sheet was not available for that report. The balance-sheet ho h© presented to the board to-day shows that the neb revenue for the sale of current amounted to £9592. as compared with £1693 for the previous twelve months. Members will agree that this is .a veiy satisfactory increase. I do nob anticipate a bio increase in the revenue for the first six months of the year now current, a*s wo wilt still be distributing from temporary supplies, but given the completion of our own main generating station about the time estimated by the engineer, that is September or October next, I am confident that tins yea 1 a figures will be at lea.st double. •FURTHER EXPENDITURE. “Referring to the balance-sheet, yon will not e the total oxtpenditure on head works and generating account is £137,255 13s 4d, to this must he added proportion of plant, engineers’ and survey fees, which will bring the total expenditure to date about £158,001). Reticulated costs are shown at £136,460 9s lOr. Again to this must be added plant, vehicles and engineering, bringing the total to about £145,000. “It will be noted that while the cost of headworks and generating plant is much, in excess of the original estimate, the cost of reticulation is coming out below, and there should be no difficulty in completing the whole of the reticulation required in the district well within the estimate.

“Further .money, however, will be required to complete the generating plant, the engineers’ estimate being £55,630. To this must be added the first vear’s interest, £5250, and £14,120 for contingencies, making a total of £75,000. for which amount ]-oan proposals trill be placed be foie the -ratepayers ait an early date-.

“The revenue account ,shows a net profit of £2207 3s 9d from the -sale of current, while the wiring department contributes ,a profit of £1134 0s 4d, as compared with £527 last year, a total profit on the year’s operations of £3341 4s Id. STAFF INCREASE ANTICIPATED.

“Now that the reticulation is nearly completed. 1 am of opinion that the time has arrived when the; appointment of a resident engineer should be .made, with which opinion [ understand our consulting engineer, Air Cliiine, agrees. The rapid increase of consumers, with the consequent increase in office work, makes the question of re-organisation of -staff necessary, and this matter should be dealt with as early as possible. The presen t arrangement was. ail excellent one in the early stages and for some considerable time-, but the .rapid increase in work makes the employment of ,an accountant a necessity, while still further ahead the board may have to consider the appointment of a general manager, also from time to time additional staff.

“I wish to place on record any ,appreciation of the work of the secretary (Mr Tristram) and 1 lis staff, of the wiring superintendent (Mr Goldsmith), clerk of Works (Mr Jardine) and their assistants, who often have a very nnjri'ous time locating and repairing breaks and faults in the service which generally develop during had weather. I. also desire to thank the members of the board for their support to me personally during the oast year and for their interest in and attention to the various Works of thp. board, and to express appreciation of the publicity given by the press to the hoard’s affairs, which have been discussed in open meeting.” said the chairman in conclusion. The report- was received. The balance-sheet was adopted. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. Oi the motion of Mr Anderson, seconded hv Mr Were, Mr Carman was reelected unopposed as chairman. Committees were appointed.as follow: Finance: Messrs Carman, McGtiinness. Were and, Belcher. Works: Messrs Carman. Kmickey, Anderson and Dobson. WORK OF THF> MONTH. The engineers, Messrs H. W. diinio and. Son, reported as follow#:'- — -Main Tunnel. —The contractor®, who are driving and concreting the last 36 chains, are now making better progresis since the concrete tilling has been carried up to two of the laces. Tints progress will be improved fifty per cent, when the concreting is carried up to the third lace. At the present time the tunnel is being driven and concreted at the rate of about 16 feet pen day and at the same time is being concreted up to the third face. At the same time the board’s workmen are concreting two other sect ions and working three shifts. The bad section which slipped in over the tunnelling machine has been concreted and the concreting i,s being carried forward to No.. 1 shift, wliere .it will be coupled up with the section that has been concreted by the contractors. The concrete invert bias been placed in the tunnel between No. I and No. 2 adits, a distance of 36 chains. Rower House. —The concrete roof has been completed; the t-raveJiliing crane has been installetd and the case containing the generators and switch-gear have been .stacked in the new building, ready for erection. Tail Rlace. —Owing to the wet welather the tail race excavation could not he completed, the gang having been employed excavating the site alongside the .power house for the step-up tra iksifiormers. Kiabapika, Dam mud Deviation. —.Mr. C. Speck, the contractor for the dam and road deviation has completed the work in a very satisfactory manner. Ais

far as the wefabher permitted the metia-1-li n.,<r of the new road has been carried on "with supplies from the board's crushing plant. Water Races. —All the contractors have been delayed during the month by the wet weather. The work of deepening the Mako stream will require to be expedited in the Aljangao-ten hulined another pump has -been installed to keep the water down in. the new shaft. An auxiliary shaft has beeu sunk to permit surface water to geit away through the tunnel. By these means it is anticipated that all the surplus water will he handled -a-ud enable better progress to he made. Main Tran.smi.ssion. —Tlie ma.iii trailsmission line has. 'been erected a far aw Motuklawa and will be completed nextweek. 'The line will be brought into eonm mission at. 6600 volts to improve the pressure at- the south end oi the district. With, the same object a 1 .start i.s being made to dry out the main transformers next week. The report was adopted. IXBPE.Cn lON OF WORKS. In response to a request received from the .Stratford Borough Council, it was decided to in vite council lorn to pay a visit of inspection to the head woi’ke together with the engineer land mem bens of the board on Thursday next, the 27-th in sit... it being intimated that the part-v would meet a.t the Bprnirh 'Council Chambers,, Stratford, at 9.15 a.m. If was also decided to invite members of the South La-ranalci Board bo join the party. GENERAL, The chairman and Air. .Knuekey were appointed to prepare any desired remits for presentation a.t the New Zealand Electric Power Board’s Association Is annual conference. In reply to the hoard’s -inquiry, >a. letter was received from the New Plymouth Borough Council intimating that the council would be prepared to supply power a.s available, hut -that no agreement For a definite amount ol power could at present he arranged.