OPUNAKE POWER BOARD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 11 October 1926, Page 8

OPUNAKE POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Opunake Power Board was held on Friday, when there were present: Messrs C. A. Trotter (chairman), J. P. Burton, W. L. I. Chambers, E. A. Collins, G. Goodwin, J. Hickey, and J. S. Tosland. Mr C, M. Stowers-Crowley (engineer) was also Mr Collins congratulated Messrs Trotter and Burton on their re-election to seats on the board. On the motion of Mr Collins, seconded by Mr Goodwin, Mr Trotter was reelected chairman. Correspondence was received. From the district Inspector of Factories to the eftect that first aid appli” anees had been forwarded ready for immediate use. EMERGENCY POWER SUPPLY. From the Town Clerk, New Plymouth, covering the following resolution of the council in reference to an application of the board for a supply of electrical energy during the summer months, in, anticipation of a shortage of water power: (a) The supply to be delivered to the board at Okato dairy factory, the board to pay to the council the cost ot providing the meter and other equipment at such terminal station, but the same to be erected and controlled by the council. (b) If the agreement remains in operation for more than two years from the commencement of the supply, the cost of the meter and other equipment above referred to shall .be refunded by the council to the board and thereupon the property in such meter and other equipment, shall vest in the council. (c) The board to take delivery of the electrical energy at the terminal station above referred to, and from the time and beyond such point of delivery the council is to have no responsibility. (a) Such electrical energy to ibe delivered during the months of November to March (both inclusive) between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8.30 a.m. each day, and in addition the council will whenever it finds it posible to do so, deliver electrical energy between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., but shall be under no obligation to supply during the last-mentioned period. The council shall not be bound to supply at any time other than during the months specially above mentioned. (e) Unless and until otherwise agreed between the parties in writing the maximum supply under the agreement shall be 5 k.w. (f) The price to be paid by the board for the supply to be as follows as per unit payable monthly: Between the hours of 8.30 a.m. to 8 p.m., gross 2d reducible to Id if paid within 21 days from the reading of the meter; between the hours of 8 p.m. and 8.30 a.m., l£d, reducible to Jd if paid as above. (g) The council will do its best to give continuity of supply, but shall not be liable to the board in the event of any failure to supply from whatsoever cause arising, (h) The agreement to be for a period of ten years, but shall be subject to the right of the council at any time during the two years following the commencement of supply, if it finds itself unable to supply to cancel the agreement upon giving the board three months’ notice of intention so to do. (i) The agreement to be subject to such other usual and proper conditions as the borough solicitor shall advise and the council. In reference to the foregoing, Messrs Templin and Toogood, Wellington, consulting engineers to the board, wrote stating that they had carefully perused the Borough Council’s terms, and submitted the following comments: —“As there is no minimum annual guarantee required from vour board the proposed arrangement is very satisfactory. However, it is suggested that in clause (h) the council should give you at least six months’ notice instead of three months, so that it would be possible for your board to make other arrangements in case the Borough Council desires to terminate the agreement. Your board must make provision for a switch at the Okato factory, but the cost of this should not be much. If you were taking an annual supply from the Borough Council the price per unit charged would be high, but in view of the fact that, it is only an emergency supply in cases of low water, we feel that the total annual charge for current will be verv little.”

On the motion of Mr Chambers, seconded by Mr Goodwin, it was resolved that the terms offered by the New Plymouth Borough Council be accepted, subject to the proviso that six months' notice of cancellation be given, as suggested by Messrs Templin and Toogood. PUBLIC RISK POLICY. Mr Tosland’s motion that the board take out a public risk policy for £2OOO, was seconded by' Mr Collins. The mover pointed out that the standard of damages recoverable had been raised, and the board's risk was perhaps greater than that of many other similar bodies in that its power lines are exposed to rough coastal gales and the corrosive effect of salt blizzards. After considerable discussion, an

amendment proposed by Mr Burton, seconded by Mr Hickey, that a policy for £IOOO be taken out, was carried. ENGINEER’S MONTHLY REPORT. Mr C. M. Stowers-Crowley, engineer, reported in part as follows on work for the past month: — During the month construction woTk has been carried out on the fekeet, AVarea and Upper Parihaka Roads. The extension to Mr Conaglcn's property on the Skeet Road has been completed. •The Upper Parihaka Road is almost completed, and I hope to get the line livened early in the coming week. I propose getting on with the line between the Puniho Road and the Stony River immediately the Parihaka extension is completed. The construction of this extension vvill be to 11,000 volt standard, and I hope to be able to get the 35ft poles for this work within a week or two. A new sub-station has "been erected on the Warea Road, and the remaining mile of line has been livened up. On account of the long delay in delivery of the poles for this extension I propose feeding the Cape Road fropi the Lower Pungarehu Road. This would mean construction 35 chains of high tension line through private properties. Six milking sheds, three stoves and seven houses, have been connected for the month, a number of installations are completed awaiting service lines, and we are making every effort to speed up the connections. The milking load continues to grow rapidly and at times ive are approaching the normal rating of the generators. Owing to the rapidly increasing load at the powerhouse, it has been necessary to raise the weir a further 10 inches. The capacity of the intake will have to be increased very shortly, and I hope to be able to submit proposals for this work in the near future. Heavier secondary feeders have been erected in Napier and Fox Streets which enable ns to cope with the heavy cooking load that is making its apeparanee in those localities. GENERAL. On the motion of Mr Collins it was ‘ resolved that the engineer present at

next meeting a comprehensive schedule of advances bv the board to consumers to cover cost, of installations for power, heating, lighting and cooking. A request to affix the board’s seal to a deed of apprenticeship in respect of a young employee was deferred on the engineer 's suggestion that a period of three months’ probation should be served by the applicant.