MEETING OF MANAWATUOROUA POWER BOARD

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 6811, 15 January 1929, Page 2

MEETING OF MANAWATUOROUA POWER BOARD

Mr. J. A. Nash, M.P., presided over the monthly meeting of the Manawatu Oroua Power board yesterday. Also pr&sont were Messrs M. A. Eliott, J. Hodgcns, 0. McElroy, J. S, Tingey, H. H. Hunt and P. J. Small. Correspondence. The Palmerston, North Borough council wrote advising that it wa's prepared to leavo facilities on poles on Boundary road so that tho board could run high and low tension wires, subject to tho board agreeing to bear a reasonable cost of pile sand erection. It was decided that tho board agree to pay one-third of the cost should it at any time make use of the poles. A request from Mr. J. Thompson, asking that the board extend its line on Taonui-Golyton road to connect up properties belonging to Mr Itcmnant and himself, was held over until such time as tho writer should give the board a guarantee of £lO a year. Tho engineer (Mr. Wi A. Waters) pointed out that it would require 2S chains of line, returning only £4 a year, which was not a payable proposition. Discussion centred around a letter from an Auckland firm handing Scottish electric ranges, asking that the board finance the installation of its goods if sold by its local agents within the board’s districts. The chairman, Mr. Nash, said that he was not favourable to tho suggestion for financing installations but he was emphatic thnttkey should show a preference for British goods. His idea was that they should ask tho firm to forward the board a range for trial when if satisfactory the board could stock it.

Mr. J. S. Tingey supported Mr. Nash’s proposal. On its being mentioned that there were two New Zealand manufacturers making electric ranges, Mr Tingey moved that all three be invited to forward samples to the board for trial and investigation. In declaring tho motion carried, Mr Nash remarkod that if the New Zealandmade articles were satisfactory, it would be better for the country than sending the money to Canada or to Great Britain. Finance. The financial statements presented to the meeting disclosed: — Loan account —Amount of loans raised £471,700; expended to date £462,390; balance £9310.

Installations —Total £99,278 8s 10d; repaid, £87,645 11s 9d; outstanding, £11,632 17s Id. Sale of current —December, 1927, £4831 5s sd; December, 1928 £5600 Us 9d; 8 months 1927, £40,557 14s 3d; 8 months 1928, £36,165 13s 7d. Consumers —Lighting and heating, 4080; electric ranges, 475; milking motors, 715; ■water boaters, 948; Small and industrial motors, 489; street lights 255; community lights; 50, total, 7012. The Month’s Work. The engineer’s report stated that the short extension of the 3300 volt line at Ashliurst had been finished and a supply given. In addition to new service lines in various -parts of the area, four services to railway cottages at Halcombc and the railway station had been run., McLean’s road Kopane, had also been overhauled and some of the poles concreted to get them to hold. Extensions along Sandy and • Puki Puki roads had been finished and livened up. 200 steel rails wero already drilled, awaiting carting to the Pohangina job. The inen had made a start with the building of the lino north of Pohangina while the survey staff had its camp qt Piri Piri, finishing locating the route and pegging that area. On this lino there was a span of half a mile across a gorge, and the special cable required for this big span had been ordered.. Tho work of building tho extension or. Hyne’s line had been commenced by one of tho Fcilding gangs. The 3300 volt lines were being extended in Te Arnkura area and No. 4 line, and extra transformers put up to cope with increased loads. Tho following was a summary of the new connections for tho month:—New lighting and heating 21, ranges 14, water heaters 19, motors for milking 6, other motors 13, additions to existing installations 19, total 92. During the past few weeks, the Newbury-Awahuri area had been the sceno of several interruptions.. The first was due to a car crashing into. a pole and disorganising the service in the early morning for nearly two hours. The next trouble was lightning on Christmas Eve, which blew a number of fuses. The following morning another “dead short circuit” was recorded in the middle of the morning milking, tho origin of which had not been traced.”—Adopted.