WAITOMO POWER BOARD

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 4747, 17 September 1935, Page 5

WAITOMO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Waitomo Power Board was held in the Board's offices on Monday, there being present Messrs. W. S. Cato (chairman), V. W. Simms, E. T. Gorton, W. Bluck, T. M. O'Connell, W. A. Lee, J. N. Boddie, and the engineer and secretary, Messrs. Davidson and Seeker.

Lifting of Loans.

The secretary reported that it would be necessary to raise a further sum of £2500 for financing the range load building scheme. This would be raised as part of the £20,000 house wiring and trading loan, permission for the raising of which was granted some years ago.

Resolutions were carried for the purpose of lifting £SOOO for extensions to reticulation. This sum is the first part to be raised out of the £20,000 the Board has been authorised to borrow for reticulation purposes, the poll for which was held in August last. The £SOOO is to be raised from the A.M.P. Society at SY 2 per cent, and will have a term of 20 years.

Boundary Compromise Suggested.

A letter was received from the Te Awamutu Board regarding several settlers in the Waitomo Board's outer area, north-west of Otorohanga township. The chairman reported that an informal discussion regarding boundaries of the two Boards had been held at Otorohanga, when it was suggested that the boundaries be adjusted to enable the Waitomo Board to supply the settlers on the Pirongia Road from Otorohanga as far as the Te Kawa crossroads, and thence westerly by the Turitea and Turoto Roads back to Honikiwi; the Waitomo Board in turn to cede all its outer area north-west of the main Kawhia Road.to the Te Awamutu Board. It was likely that the subject of boundaries would be investigated by the Public Works Department, and although it was really a matter for the settlers in that area to finally decide, it could be shown that the Waitomo Board could readily give a supply by a rearrangement of the boundaries as proposed.

Satisfactory Report on Conference.

Reporting o'n the Power Boards Conference, Mr. Simms said that he thought that "we have got somewhere along the road." The report of the special committee appointed to go into the question of bulk supply charges, which the Board had supported at its last meeting, had been adopted almost unanimously at the Conference. Even the city Boards had supported it and on this they should be congratulated, for it would probably involve additional charges. The operation of the proposal in Waitomo would mean reduced bulk charges. It was intended that it should begin as the various contracts expired, ...but Mr. Simms said the Board should try to have their present contract reviewed before then.

The secretary pointed out that the present contract had about 18 months to run.

The chairman: It is the most satisfactory report on the Conference we have had yet. The engineer reported that the main line for the Panetapu extension had been completed, and the Board was now supplying some of the farms at Panetapu. The branch lines at the Mangatutu settlement required to be finished yet, but he hoped to complete these and the rest of the wiring at Panetapu in the near future. The peak load to date for the current quarter was 844 k.v.a., as compared with 747 k.v.a. for the corresponding quarter last year. Eightyfour ranges and 57 water heaters have been installed to date under the Board's range load building scheme.