THAMES VALLEY POWER BOARD

Matamata Record, Volume III, Issue 202, 25 November 1920, Page 2

THAMES VALLEY POWER BOARD

Annual Meeting Mn Strange Re - elected Chairman The annual meeting of the Thames Valley Electric Power Board was held on Tuesday. There were present:— Messrs. F. 11. Claxton, J. Bell, .T. W. Anderson, J. Price, P. Grace, C. A. Arthur, and J. Pohlen. The clerk (Mr. R. Sprag(ie) read a letter from the Under-Secretary of the Department of Public Works, advising that, in accordance with the Electric Power Boards Amendment Act, 1020, annual meetings of the Board must be held on the fourth Tuesday in November. He had no option, therefore, than to call the meeting for that day. Mr. Sprague explained that Mr. F. M. Strange (the chairman) was in Sydney for the purpose of securing poles for the Board. Nominations for the position of chairman for the ensuing year were called for. Mr. Strange was unanimously re-elected. Mr. F. H. Claxton was elected deputychairman, and took the chair. SUPPLY OF POLES. . Mr. SpnTgue said the question of supplying sufficient poles to keep the stair employed had given the Executive considerable concern. The position was not satisfactory. Some 2000 poles had been ordered in Australia, and of these 130 had been delivered. The contratctors now demanded an extra 17s o<l per pole before shipping any more. The clerk said he had replied, pointing out that the Board had accepted the contractor’s firm offer. Difficulty in obtaining shipping space had been met with, and as no satisfaction could be obtained in Wellington, the chairman had gone to Sydney and Newcastle to endeavour to arrange for supplies and shipping. The clerk said he had been informed there were 10,000 poles at Newcastle awaiting shipment. An offer had been t made for the purchase of a sea-going scow at £6500, or for a charter of the vessel at £IBO per month. By means of the scow the poles could be delivered anywhere the Board required them on the sea-front or up the river, and the need for railing from Auckland would be obviated. The cost of railing poles from Auckland to the Thames Valley was 16s each. The cost of railing King Country poles to the Thames Valley was 3s 7d per 100 superficial feet.

It was resolved that the clerk write to the owner of the ship and endeavour to secure an option or to obtain a charter. RATE OF EXCHANGE. A firm supplying the Board with motors notified that, owing to the increase in the rate of. exchange between America and the Dominion, the price of motors would be advanced £2 4s each. The clerk reported that ho had written, advising the firm that they had quoted, and the Board had accepted, a firm offer for the motors, that they had retailed motors at this price, and that the Board would not authorise an increase. The clerk’s action in reference to this'matter was endorsed. SCREW CONDUIT APPROVED. The minutes of a conference of electrical engineers and chairmen of electric power boards, held at Hamilton recently, were read. The conference approved of the installation of the screw conduit system of installation, and expressed their opposition to the grip conduit system. With regard to this matter, Mr. Claxton gave notice of motion to rescind a resolution favouring the grip conduit system, and to notify contractors and wiremen that the Board will only connect with the screw conduit systems installed after December Ist next. LICENSING OF WIREMEN. The conference approved of a scheme for the examination of all wiremen, and drafted rules forbidding any vnccrtificated wiremen from operating in any of the power board’s districts. The clerk was asked to submit any additions approved by the conference respecting installations to the next meeting of the Board.