HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 August 1930, Page 8

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The ordinary monthly meeting of th« Horowhenua Electric Power Board was held in the Board's room at Levin on Tuesday morning. Present: Messrs G. A. Monk (chairman), A. Seifert, W. E. Barber, T. G. Vincent, R. Bryant, E. S. Morse, C. Blenkhorn, A. J. Petherick, A, E. Hyde, and Mr. F. J. Ramsay (secretary and treasurer) and Mr. J. A. Smith (engineer). The Auditor-General returned the balance-sheet. The treasurer pointed out that members of the Board would notice that the profit had been increased by a further £6. On moving that the balance-sheet be received the chairman said that the staff was to be complimented that it had gone through without a tag. Mr. C. A. Fergusson, hon. secretary of the Paekakariki Life Saving and Surf wrote stating that they were desirous of erecting a siren with three switches and asked how far the Board would'be prepared to assist in the cost. At present it is proposed to erect a switch at the sand track and later on to place switches at the surf shed and fountain. —Referred to the engineer and Mr. Petherick for further invesigation. Engineer’s Report. The engineer (Mr. J. A. Smith) submitted the following report: — Thirty-six new service lines have been erected, extra phases run on seven existing services and two extended. One hundred and forty-one poles have been fitted and erected and 1810 chains of wire run out. Two outdoor substations have been built. The Arapaepae Road line was completed and livened up on July 17th, 1930. The Waikawa Beach line was completed and livened up. on August 6th, 1930. An extension of 45 chains to the l.t. was made on No. 2 Line, Foxton. L.T. was extended and extra phases were run on the Avenue, Levin, and Hume’s Road, Rangitane, and extra phases run on the C.D. Farm section, A start has been made on Tarar.ua Road line and the Opiki sub-division has been pegged. The transformer at the C.D. Farm has been changed. Maintenance has been considerable on account of the severe weather conditions. A close inspection of all insulators on all poles South of Rauraati corner to Paekakariki whs made during the period. Earth testing and strengthening, I transformer, fuse changing and switchpanel overhauling is being now carried out. On the motion of the chairman seconded by Mr. Hyde, the report was adopted. Engineers’ Conference. The engineer (Mr. Smith) reported having attended the conference of electrical supply authority engineers hold in Wellington on the 14th, loth, and 16th of July. There was a large attendance of engineers from all parts of the Dominion, about 78 being present, including officers of the Public Works, Post and Telegraph and Railway Departments. A number of suggested amendments to the Electrical Supply and Electrical Wiring Regulations were discussed, and the decisions are to be put before the Public Works Department so that several anomalies might be removed and the .regulations more effective. The economic weakness of the regulations governing guaranteed lines was discussed and in co-operation with a committee from the secretaries’ conference, a joint recommendation was submitted to the Electric Power Boards’ and Supply Authorities’ Association conference.

The following papers were read and discussed: —

(a) The economic aspect of heating water electrically.

(b). Electrically driven milking plants with notes on the flat rate system of charging. • (c). Power factor correction. (d) Electricity supply tariffs. (e) Rural tariffs. (f) Relay control of water-heaters in residential areas. (g) Electric heating of schools. (h) Distant repeaters. (i) Testing practice of supply authorities. (j) Lines erected under guarantee.

The papers were well written and showed that the writers had put in a considerable amount of work in collecting the various data. They aroused some very fine discussions and brought out a considerable amount of useful information.

Mr. M. Cable gave a most interesting address, supplemented by maps and photographs, on “Observations of Electricity Supply in Australia.” The operations of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria were detailed and a description of the working of their brown coal deposits in open cut at Yallourn Avhcre one man operating an electrically driven machine, can, cut and load 500 tons per hour. This coal which contains 63 per cent of moisture has 90 per cent of it dried out and is then pressed into One hundred and eight thousand tons being manufactured last year. A large amount of this is consumed in their steam stations and the balance sold. Although good work has been done at previous conferences the general opinion is that this was the most successful, and that the information made available and exchange of ideas and experiences will be most useful to the various engineers who attended. I should like to express my appreciation of having the opportunity of being present. The report was received.

Mr. Hyde asked Mr. Smith, if he could tell them anything about the paper which was read on the “ Electrical Heating of Schools.’ ’ Mr. Smith said that the paper was in reference to a live-year term that had been tried in Stratford. He said 'this was by the use of a hot water cylinder similar to that used by householders. He said a cylinder was placed inside the door of each room, reaching to the top of the door and circulating round the room.

Mr. Hyde said that if a five-year system could bo solved for heating schools and theatres it would be of great benefit. Mr. Smith said that engineers were

now working on a system, whereby heat -was stored through the night and circulated during .the day. In reply to a question from Mr. Barber in regard to. the flat rate system of charging for powder for electricallydriven milking plants, Mr. Smith said that the conference had a report before them on this question from the Thames Valley Power Board, who had changed mvor for the flat-rate system. They had jfound this very 'He pointed out that the rate was based on -the number of cows milked, with the result that all kinds of means were used to dodge paying the full rate, a number of which he instanced. t Notice of Motion. ' A notice of motion was given by Mr. Vincent, "That it be an instruction to the engineer when presenting an estimate for a new line that the same be based on the consumers’ charges in operation as at Ist April, 1930.’’ Wooden Poles v. Concrete. Mr. Hyde asked if the engineer would bring down a report in the near future as to the cost and life of wooden and concrete poles.

Mr. Vincent said that he had recently seen concrete poles in' the Bay of Plenty and also in the Wanganui district. He had noticed that they had to be buttressed and stayed. Perhaps, he said, the engineer could get some information from these places. The chairman said they had a confidential report on this matter and he would like Mr, Hyde to peruse it. It might be- a help to him.