ELECTRIC POWER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 19 November 1937, Page 9

ELECTRIC POWER

THE WAIMEA BOARD h j WORK IN' TIIE AREA I COLLECTING OFFICE ESTABLISHED | ( AT TAIIUNANUI j, i ; l | The Waimea Electric Power Board j i concluded its monthly meeting yesler-r day afternoon. Mr It. E. Stephens was l I in the chair. A letter from the secretary of the ; Nelson Motor Trades Association with : j reference to the practice of selling pel-i 101 to employees below retail prices, I was received. j The Nelson City Council advised that 1 1 I I h o Council would be prepared to Rivet, a bulk supply of electric energy to the | j board if financial and other could be overcome, and suggesting that | the board appoint representatives to I, discuss this matter with the Council's || electricity committee. The chairman and Messrs Logan and j. Webby were appointed to represent the board at the meeting which was held | yesterday afternoon. Messrs Keith Walker Ltd., wrote re- ( questing information regarding the names of new consumers on flic service, ( for which information the firm was ( prepared to pay. The chairman was agreeable to sup- 1 plying the information. Mr R. J. L. York considered that it - was a dangerous practice and one that . he objected to. ij It was pointed out that it would help I, i to build up the load. After further discussion the request 1 1 was refused. It was decided to inform the chair-| ( man of the Far East Relief Fund Com- I mittee that it was outside the scope L of the board to open a subscription j , [list for the relief fund. " The Board was advised that Icgis-jJ lation will shortly he passed enabling | ( power boards to use 3 per cent, money j. 'for building houses for employees j , [without a previous poll of ratepayers. IJ j The board decided that it does not [ j contemplate building at present. , I TAHUNANUI TOWN BOARD’S j OFFER t j ( The Tahunanui Town Board wrote offering to collect for the Power Board at a charge of 5 per cent. i Mr J. A. Logan said that it was the s Tahunanui Progress League that was c pushing the matter. Mr W. Max supported the request, and said it was a problem the board would have to deal with in the future in other parts of the district. Mr L. A. Higgins said that he could not overlook the fact that, if they granted this at Tahunanui they would get requests from elsewhere and the more it cost them to collect the less chance S the consumer had of getting electricity c at a cheaper rale. If would be quite a c good idea if the Board could establish " an office at Tahunanui, but they needed to go carefully. Mr F. W. Gibbs agreed with Mr Higgins. Mr York said that Tahunanui was in a different category from the country districts and was entitled to a collecting depot. Mr Max moved that it be given G months’ trial on the terms offered by the Tahunanui Board. Mr Logan seconded the motion but thought that a charge of 5 per cent, was too high. Mr Max agreed that the charge was high but said that future applications could be dealt with on their merits. Mr Webby thought that the Board should go steadily. If they opened an office at Tahunanui they would get applications from all over the area. They should aim first at providing cheap electricity. Mr Higgins did not think Tahunanui was entitled to an office as it was only a suburb of the city. The motion was carried.

The Waimea Co-op. Dairy Company complained in a letter about the charges for electricity. Mr Higgins pointed out the company’s viewpoint. They had installed a good deal of electrical gear on the strength of the previous quotations fox electricity and now the charges were almost doubled. They were considering going in for a steam plant. An explanation as to how the new tariffs would operate was given by Mr J. G: Lancaster, the consulting engineer. Mr W. A. Andrews, supervising engineer, said that all the factories in the North Island were doing their churning in the off-peak period at night. It was resolved that the engineers be i asked to furnish a report when the new scheme had been running sufficiently long for them to be able to form an estimate. An application by the Motucka A. and P. Association for electric power i on the showground was granted, a ! charge to be made. The board gave its approval to proposed legislation empowering it to pay £3OOO and have £4OOO written off the : loan of £22,000, and to issue debentures 1 for £13,000. The supervising engineer’s report was adopted. The chairman commented that dry weather experienced was shown in the ! fact that they had had to use the Brook- j lyn plant a lot and also had to purchase more from the Hume Company. The total increase in consumption was very satisfactory. The consulting engineers reported on the proposed weir at Brightwater. Mr Max urged action to save the expense that the Board was being involved in now. Messrs C. B. Webby and Higgins expressed opposition to building a permanent dam. Mr Higgins said he was 1 afraid of damage to property in floodtime. He moved that the matter be j postponed and legal advice obtained. ! Mr Gibbs seconded the motion. Hr. said the board would be liable if there was damage to property in floodtirm through the board’s action in building ' a bank in the water. The resolution was carried. CONSULTING ENGINEERS’ RE I*OIII The consulting engineers. Messrs 1 Viekerman and Lancaster, reported as | follows for the period ended Kith Nov- ! ember:— Hume (Cobb River) Electric Power Co., Ltd.: The SOU k.w. set has been hi regular operation during the past i two weeks on supply to the Board. The 1500 k.v.a. transformer will be do- j 1 1 vexed and erected at an early date. ; and the lull output of the station, 750 1 k.w.. will then Ire available, if required. ; to the Board. Nelson City Council: The construction j jf the transmission lino between Stoke |

and Nelson will be carried out during the next four weekly period. Manufacture of Concrete Poles: The total number of poles manufactured io the 14th instant is 1099. Manufacture of concrete poles lias slowed up considerably due to shortage ol steel. We have been advised that the steel for the 31 feet poles, of which 3!) tons are on order, will he rolled next, week. A further delay will he increased if a direct boat from Newcastle to Wellington is not available, and we reeommend that we he authorised to arrange for delivery of at least, a portion say 10 tons, by mail steamer via Sydney. This will enable the pole contractor to manufacture a supply of poles before fix Christmas shutdown. Transport and Erection of Poles: The poles transported to site under Hie loan total 710, and lo dale some 820 poles, including hardwood and service poles, have been erected. Construction Work: The work carried out during the period includes The Board's high telephone line lias been completed between the Diesel station at Stoke. Hie Board's office at Richmond. and Motueka Diesel Station and office. A connection '’ill shorlly lie made to Bright water. This telephone system will he of considerable value to the Board in connection with the operation of the four generating stations, and in the administration of the slalT. Office Building: Satisfactory progress has been made during Hie period in connection with the internal work of Hie office building. It is expected that the building will be sufficiently advancer! for the staff to transfer to it at the end of this month. Block Wiring: The position reblock wiring is as follows: Block No. I: 32 installations, 2(i completed together with 7 additional jobs authorised. Block No. 2: 35 installations, 17 completed together with considerable additional work authorised. The position with reference to the wiring of other installations in the Board’s area was dealt with at the recent special meeting of the Board. Load Building: Mrs Barrington, tiie Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities Association demonstrator arrived to-day. Arrangements have been made for demonstrations at Motueka on the 17th, at Richmond on the afternoon of the 18th. and at the Nelson A. and P. Show on the 19th and 20th. Canvassing has been completed in the Belgrovc district and is in hand in the Waimea West and Redwoods Valley districts. The engineer was authorised to get ten tons of steel by mail steamer via Sydney. The report was adopted. A motion was passed applying lo the Local Government Loans Board for its sanction to borrow moneys for the reticulation of the central area.