N.A. ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

Northern Advocate, 9 March 1936, Page 2

N.A. ELECTRIC POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. CONSIDERABLE BUSINESS TRANSACTED. Mr J. A. McLean presided over the usual monthly meeting of the North Auckland Electric Power Board at Dargaville on Friday. A request from the Dargaville Borough Council for an estimate of the cost of installing street lights, and the annual charges per lamp, was referred to' the engineer.

Secretary’s Report.

The secretary reported that there was a balance in hand in the Power Fund Account of £lB3, which represented contractors’ deposits held by the board. The reticulation loan had a credit balance of £7,273, after lodging the £6OOO instalment just received. Payments to be passed by the board at their March meeting would absorb £1,267. while commitments, accruing dui’ing March for steel, cross-arms, poles and general expenses will take approximately £SOOO. After the acceptance of tenders coming before the board at their meeting in March, forward commitments can probably be estimated, covering the whole of the £IOO,OOO sanctioned by the Loans Board. The secretary’s report was adopted.

Meeting With Minister. The chairman tabled the following report dealing with the recent visit to Dargaville of the Hon. P. Webb, Minister of Mines. —

“With the engineer, I waited on the Minister of Mines, the Hon. P. .Webb, and asked for a subsidy from the Government towards the cost of constructing concrete poles for the North Auckland Power Board. We pointed out that there was a difference in. cost in favour of hardwood poles of approximately 16/- a pole. We also pointed out that in the manufacture of concrete poles 66%. of the total cost was made up by the cost of sand, cement, metal and labour from the district, and that only 33%. left the Dominion, for the purchase of steel reinforcement, whereas with the purchase of hardwood poles practically 80%. went out of the country. The Minister was supplied with all the necessary figures relating to the cost of the manufacture of the poles, and expressed himself as very favourably impressed. He undertook to make representation to the Minister-in-Charge of Unemployment Funds, Mr Armstrong. Mr McLean said that they had got a good hearing and he thought they had every chance of receiving the subsidy as requested. The report was adopted without further discussion.

Tenders. The board had a busy hour accepting tenders for varidus departments of the board’s activities. The chairman, Mr J. A. McLean, said that at a meeting of the local committee tenders for the erection of the bulk store at Dargdville and two cottages were considered. ' The prices were considerably lower than •vfras expected, and there was little between the various tenders. The committee recommended the acceptance of Mr G. H. Bartlett’s (Dargaville) tender at £2,160 for the erection of- the bulk store, etc., and Mr T. O. Jsennett’s tender of £1,127 for the erection of two cottages. After a short discussion, the committee’s recommendation was accepted, and the tenders were accepted as above.

Tenders for the supply of bare copper wire, 1100 volt insulators, triple braided and V.I.R. cable, and low tension insulators were considered at length by the board, and the engineer’s recommendations as to acceptance of the various tenders required were adopted by the board.

In answer to Mr J. H. McCarroll, Mr Overton said that all the material as ordered by the board was of British manufacture, ‘and that the board’s policy in this respect was being adhered to. 1

Englneer’s Report.

Mr T. R. Overton, engineer-in-charge, submitted the following report on the month’s activities. — Paparoa Depot.—A section at Paparoa has been obtained from the Otamatea County Council, and has been levelled, as required for laying down foundations for boxing concrete mix-

ing and pole stacking. The plant for twisting reinforcing bars and lifting tackle for pole shifting and loading is in working order. At the moment about 30 main line poles have been manufactured and, with a few minor adjustments, the plant will be turning out about eight poles per day. Four men’ and one boy are at present employed in this depot. Dargaville Depot.—A start has been made with the laying of foundations for boxing and a cement shed, etc. erected. Pole manufacture will commence about Tuesday next. Four men are employed at present. Canvassing.—The formation of groups for the installation contracts have started at Paparoa, and our man reports 'that steady progress being made. I have not yet been able to commence this work at the Dargaville iend on account of the man I had in view being retained in his present job, thus necessitating advertising the position. Some seventy applications have been received, and I have not had the necessary time to go over them as I had hoped to do in'time for this meeting. Contracts.—Messrs Winstone, Ltd., advise that a shipment of poles per “Port Waikato” will arrive here in about a week. . Delivery has been given of two more trucks, and the pole carting lorry, complete with trailer ready for the road Will be delivered in time for the arrival of the poles. Line Surveys.—Progress is being made with the line* survey work. From the sub-station site to Paparoa has been completed, and between Paparoa and Ruawai is in hand. Working plans will be commenced next Monday. Staff.—A good staff is gradually be-, ing assembled. Mr Meyer, the lines\ foreman, started duty a week ago. In answer to Mr Nesbitt (Hikurangi) Mr Overton said that the work was progressing favourably. With the acceptance of the tenders for the material that they had considered earlier in the meeting they now had sufficient material to supply their requirements for the next seven months. “We must not get too far ahead of the supply of power with our reticulation schemb.” concluded Mr Overton. Mr L. W. Nelson: “In the event of trouble hr Europe, would the price of the materials .that the board has just ordered be affected.” Mr Overton: “The metal market price ruling in England at the time of the acceptance of the tender would be the basis upon which the board would pay. We have now ordered sufficient material to reticulate from Maungaturoto to Dargaville, including the borough, and roughly' it represents seven months’ supply.”

The report was adopted without further discussion.

The board then went into committee to discuss the question of bulk supply for the Whangarei Borough Council.