HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 22 September 1928, Page 7

HYDRO-ELECTRICITY.

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD’S MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Horo■whenua Electric Power Board was Leld in the Municipal Chambers, Levin, on Tuesday, there being present: Messrs G. A. Monk (chairman), W. E. Barber, T. G. Vincent, K. Bryant, E. Morse, C. Blenkhorn, A. J. Petherick, Sind A. Seifert, Mr'. P. W. Goldsmith (secretary and-treasurer) and Mr. J. A. Smith (engineer): r . Treasurer’s Report, ; The. following report for the past - month was : presented by the treasurer: Accounts. ; In the absence of any charges this month cither for interest or electricity the' monthly pay-roll is comparatively small one. There have been paid ' away since the last meeting of the Board, accounts totalling £7Ol 10s 2d, - the principal payments being for wages £269, salaries £3O-7, bare copper wire £59, and benzine about £4O. Accounts for these amounts arc now subV. initted for the Board’s confirmation. The accounts to be passed- amount to £595 Is lOd. The largest item on the - list is the accident insurance premium* for the current year, the amount being c £l3s. Other Items are l-25_k.v,a. trans--former £66, Regina motors £55, T. B. Gable £42, insulators, pole ’.steps, and clevises £56, Foxton Borough Council for attendant’s services £57, water-heaters, motors, elements . £6O, the balance being made up of payments for oil, benzine, spares* printing, stationery, and many sundries. Receipts for August. • During this month £2584 was collected, of which amount £2065 was P for electricity. The returns under this head are keeping fairly close to the ■estimates, although the lessened , revenue through the abolition of meter rents has not yet been overtaken. The ■following table will be of'interest:. — August. April-Aug. Electricity . ...... 2065 16,407 Penalties ..; 27 134 Installations and ser'viee lines ........ 406 2,783 Interest on installations 28 193 Consumers’ Deposits 11 62 •Cottage rents and sundries .. 45. 244£2584 £l9'S2o Loan Expenditure. At the close of the half-year the loan moneys at present raised will be about exhausted. In round figures the expenditure will reach £3200 with wire and poles on order amount to say £BOO, The loan moneys raised to date total £190,000. Before taking steps -to raise a further sum of the loan authorised by the ratepayers, it would be advisable for the Board to take into account the various extensions proposed and decide its policy therein. The finance committee could thcn\ go into the matter to arrive at the amount of money required, also to, consider the best method of raising the same, and make a recommendation to the Board accordingly. Referring to loan roqnii'cmonts, the chairman said • that the Board had plenty of authority;,, it was just a •question of how' the money could bo raised. • The report was adopted, on the motion of the chairman, seconded by Mr. Vincent. Engineer’s Report.* The engineer reported as follows: — Levin Depot.—Working from Levin depot, 20 new service lines have been run, extra phases run on three existing’ services, and an extension on one service, 32 poles have been carted out and erected and 114 chains of wire run. ■ About 18 ‘ chains of line, 3 phase and neutral, were changed at Paraparaumu on account of growth of range load. Small extension of L.T. was made on Levin-Foxton Road. The transformer at Marotiri was changed. Earth testing was carried out at Paiaki, Gladstone and Kimberley Roads, Levin-Fox-ton circuit and at Hautere. Three transformers have been dried put and -re-conditioned. Owing to the- bad nature of the ground on Humes ’ Road, Eangitane section, it has been found necessary to-make some alterations, involvinglho erection of H poles on the angles, and the letting-off and re-strain-ing the line, also straightening up the poles. * All our available men are on this job, so as not to inconvenience consumers bn this section if possible. Shannon Depot.—The attendants have run 7 service lines, erected 3 poles and run 44 chains of wire; have extended L.T. on Okuku-Road, strengthened earths on East and Buckley Roads, attended to general maintenance, etc., and Main Sub. Installations.—During the period 17 •applications from now consumers, and 24 applications to existing installations for extensions have been received, comprising 6 ranges, 8 waterheaters, 3 milking and separating motors. Fifteen new consumers and 27 extensions have been connected, •including 4 ranges, 8 waterheaters, 9 milking and separator motors, one industrial and 3 pumping motors. Three chicken brooders" have been connected, making a total of five, and one incubator, all of which are working satisfactorily. Thirteen single-phase and 6 polyphase meters have been tested and 8 repaired and re-tested. Eighty railway sleepers have been, cut into •breast-blocks, the emery grinder overhauled and new bearings fitted, one 11,000 volt switch panel ■*’ completed, and a quantity of lino-ma-terial made up, and general maintenance carried out. The Chairman commented in favour* able terms on. the demand for current as disclosed in the report. In answer to questions by Board members as to the electric brooders and incubators, the Engineer stated that they were 1 very satisfactory and there was no danger of Are. To deal with any stoppages of current, these appliances could be obtained with an alarm’ 'attachment. ■ The- report was adopted, on the mo* tion of'the Chairman, seconded by Mr Morse. < Replying to a question by Mr Vincent* the Engineer stated that the load ■was distributed very well. In the midh die of .the night it was about 500 k-w.’