TARANAKI POWER BOARD.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 May 1928, Page 8

TARANAKI POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Power Hoard was held at Eltham on Monday. There were present:— Messrs H. G. Carman (chairman), W. H. Were, R. J. Ivnuckey, T. R. Anderson, J. Dobson and C. Foreman. Apologies for absence were received from Messrs J. •T. Belcher and C. E. McGuinness. Advice was received from the Electrical Supply Authority Engineers’ Association that the 1928 conference would be held at Wellington on June 19, 20, and 21, and technical officers of the board were invited to attend. ■Mr B. H. Goldsmith, resident engineer, was appointed to attend and the chairman and secretary were authorised to frame remits for consideration.

RESIDENT ENGINEER’S REPORT The resident engineer (Mr 13. H. Golf 1 smith) reported : The number of consumers to date is 1534, and nine further installations are authorised. Units generated during April total 590,300, and the maxinyim demand for the month of 2376 k.w. occurred on Friday 27tli nit. The largest daily output was 33,600 units on 28th. The above figures constitute records for the Power Station to date, this fact being due to the break-down at the New Plymouth hydro electric works, necessitating a heavy demand on the board’s power station which reached a maximum of 1400 k.w. On 27th. Instalaltion work during the month has been interfered with considerably by the absence of boys in camp, making it necessary to put two wiremen together to form a gang. Details of installations carried out are as follows: —Milking motors 4, other motors 2, water heaters 11, water pumps 1, stoves 8, lighting and heating installations 19. miscellaneous jobs 12. Sub-contractors during the same period carried ont the following work Milking motors 4, other motors 1. water heaters 2. stoves 2, lighting and heating installations 10, miscellaneous 6. Reticulation work. —Work has been carried out as under : —- Duthre Road and Hunter Road have been completed as regards line wire, services and transformers. Alterations have been made to Ngaro Road transformer and a further structure has been erected at end of road. All transformers on Rristol Road have been completed except one single phase for Mr Ward. Two remain to be completed on Kaimata Road. Work is being carried on in Waitui area. Poles have been laid on ground and are in course of erection. Wire is being erected at same time. Services have been erected as required. The Public Works Department recently instructed that re-inspection of consumers’ premises, in accordance with the .new regulations, must be commenced at once. By arrangement with the chief electrical engineer, owing to special circumstances he has agreed to this work being deferred until 1929. This will render unnecessary immediate appointment of an addi"tional inspector. It is possible that by the time re-inspection starts the inspector’s normal work may be reduced sufficiently to permit them to carry out re-inspection also. On Thursday, May 10, a partial sliut-down of tlie system was arranged effecting Eftham. Borough and, lined

south of Eltham. A considerable amount of work" was done during the live hours available, including installation of a main automatic line switch at the Eltham sub-station, the bringing into use of the main feeder from the Eltham* sub-station to the King Edward Street structure and removal of the Rawhitiroa line switcii to the latter structure. Work is proceeding rapidly on the transfer of stores and line materials from Midhirst to Eltham. Additional accommodation has been provided in the transformer store for pole iron work, and a certain amount of material has been placed on the roof of the main building. While accommodation is /somewhat limited, this re-arrangement will permit of the disposal of all of the material. it has ■ not been possible to concentrate entirely on this work as that indicated in the reticulation report lias also been carried out. Arrangements have been made for erecting the line required by Mr E. Standing for a sawmill located off Bristol Road. Poles aiyl cross-arms are being supplied and erected by the consumer and a galvanised iron high tension erected at a cost, to him of £2O. ’

Acting on instructions, a re-canvas of Aliuroa Road was made. The distance is I.J miles from Ohura Road. The canvass resulted in live settlers signing up for lighting and heating, three for milking motors, one range and two water heaters. The immediate annual revenue to be expected is £lO9, with a later probable addition of £lO6.

CONSULTING ENGINEER’S REPORT. During the month about two chains at the outlet end of the Mangaotea tunnel have been opened up and formed into an open racs about twenty feet deep, with the exception of the removal of the rails' and tunnel timbering. This material cannot be removed until the lake level is drawn down considerably. r lbe same gang, comprising two men and a boy, has reconditioned the board fences that were damaged in the swamp fire last autumn.- A number of silver pine posts and blocks have also been split.

The work authorised at the Ratapiko dam to reduce the seepage at the western end was not attempted owing to it not being advisable to lower the dam during the abnormal demand for power. The reports were received and adopted. CONCRETE SERVICE POLES. A report prepared by Messrs H. W. C’limie and Sons on the cost of manufacture of concrete service poles was read and on the motion of Mr R. J. Knuckey it was decided to defer the question of manufacture for one month, the consulting engineers in the meantime to ascertain the cost of making the poles by piece work, the Board to supply cement and steel reinforcing. • FINANCIAL MATTERS. Statements presented by the finance committee showed the position of various accounts to be: Loan Account. —Credit at last meeting, 1£829 3s 9d; received since £G47 17s Sri (£1477 Is sd), less accounts to pass £33GG 2s 6d), dr. £1899 Is Id. Stratford Loan Account. —Credit at last meeting, £624 18s lid, less accounts to pass (£29 17s Gd) cr. £595 Is sd. Power Fund Account.—Overdraft at last meeting £8746 18a plus ae-

counts to pass (£746 3s 7d), £9493 Is 9d; received since, £9189 18s Id; dr. £303 3s Bd. Accounts amounting to £4142 3s 7d were passed for payment. SURCHARGE ON RATES

The question of imposing a penalty of 10 per cent, on unpaid rates was deferred until the next monthly meeting.-