INTERRUPTIONS OF SUPPLY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 48, 25 January 1939, Page 10

INTERRUPTIONS OF SUPPLY.

POWER CONSUMERS’ COMPLAINT. At tlic meeting, yesterday, of the Oiiimevirke Power Board, letters were lead from .Air W. H. llidge and the Tataramoa Dairy Co., complaining or the recent- stoppages of power and the geat inconvenience caused to those engaged in tin* dairying industry. There was a suggestion contained in one of the communications of defects in the power line being largely responsible. The chairman (Mr M. 0. Grainger) said the board regretted very much tlie inconvenience caused. but the complaints were not singular; the trouble had been caused by the extraordinary weather which had prevailed. He pointed out that the board had over 3000 consumers, and many of them suffered in the gales, but they did not complain. They accepted the inevitable. The board’s staff did all possible in the circumstances considering that a number ot the staff were absent on holiday. He thought that the staff were deserving of great credit. The chairman added that one of the writers had made a suggestion regarding the technical aspect of the matter, and lie disagreed with him on this subject, hut did not intend to enter into a discussion on it. The engineer and staff had made strenuous efforts to deal with a difficult situation. The chairman also considered that the varying force of the gales would have some bearing on the power lines. I The Woodville members, Messrs H. !P. Horne and Edgar Harding, supported the chairman. As an old resident of the Woodville district, Mr i Harding said the gales had been nn- | preccdented; anti lie instanced the force with which they had raged at the southern end of the board’s district. He complimented the board’s staff on the prompt manner in which it had attended to any interruptions or breakdowns.

Air A. England also commended the stall'. The engineer (Air F. 0. Devlin) dealt with the troubles which had been experienced, and the interruptions in the AVoodville district, as in other parts. A lot of the trouble, he said, had been due to overhanging trees. The service at AVoodville had also been interrupted, on Pinfold Road, by lightning. The engineer referred to the effect of the stormy conditions on power lines. Extraordinary conditions had also prevailed in other power boards’ districts. It was agreed to reply to the complainants that the hoard fully recognised the hardship which they had suffered, and to assure them of the hoard’s sympathy and desire to afford them in the exceptional circumstances every possible assistance.