POWER BOARD.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 270, 14 October 1929, Page 2

POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of the Mann-watu-Oroua Power Board was held tliis . afternoon, Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., presiding. Also present were Messrs J. Hodgens, J. H. Perrett, H. H. Hunt A. Campbell, L. T. McLean, F. Roberts, 0. McElroy, M. A. Eliott, P. G. Guy, J. Linklater, M.P., and P. J. Small. An application from the Palmerston North Technical School for the loan of two electric motors for experimental work was granted. x The question of the supply of current to houses which are -wired and waiting for power was raised by Mr McElroy, who said that daily he received telephone calls from residents in liis district, who desired to ■ know when the power would he available. Some of them had been waiting, for months and the position was not at all fair, he added. He considered that the board should havo sufficient stocks cn hand to prevent any one having to wait for the po\ver._ which meant that the board was losing revenue.

Mr Guv thought that it would be better to buy stocks ahead; he did not think that hand to mouth buying was good business. The engineers should know the necessary requirements, and. as far as copper wire was concerned, stocks could be bought when the price was low. The ch-urman pointed out that the board had been suddenly rushed with work, . and that there had been a very heavy drain on stocks of all kinds.

The chief engineer stated that there was no chance of getting any more transformers in New Zealand at present. He added that so many estates were being cut up, and new consumers were wanting power so hurriedly and unexpectedly that the demand could not be coped with at a minute’s notice. .. .

Mr Small reminded the board that it had considered some 18 months ago that the whole of its reticulation work was completed. However, in the past 12 months, there had been such an enormous rush of business that it was not possible to cope with it as fast as it came in. People who would not take the power some time ago now wanted it to be supplied as soon as they made their application and this was not possible. The chief engineer stated that six transformers would be to hand shortly and the connections on part of Halcombe Road and Pohangma could be finalised. The trouble was that 28 transformers were needed immediately. ■ Mr Guy considered that the price of transformers did not fluctuate to an extent which precluded a few from being held in stock.

The chairman stated that transformers had been ordered from England months ago, but had not yet arrived. The chief engineer said that the six transformers available would be placed on No. 2 Line, Pohangina (2). Mt. Biggs (2) and Halcombe Road (2). There were enough on order to supply this season’s requirements, but such a delay in shipping had not previously been met with. The discussion lapsed after the chief engineer was instructed to ask the agents for the transformers to expedite their delivery. . • -•--