THAMES VALLEY POWER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18703, 8 May 1924, Page 11

THAMES VALLEY POWER.

< INCREASE IN CONSUMERS. • *;»;• ' . ' ' 1 ' :.<';*■/*■.• ' • • r ",* •• ' • /' • ' •> ■; PESTS IN HARDWOOD POLES. [B* TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TE' AROHA, ■Wednesday. • The Thames Valley. Power Board met ' at To Aroha yesterday, when: Mr. :F. H. : Claxton presided/';..lnstruction ■», were erjvoi for the installation of five additional lights ;in . the main street, Morrinsville. The State Advances -< Office advised : that the I result of the board's poll, sanctioning the raising of £150,000 for / the purpose of ■. purchasing s and constructing electric power ; works, had been gazetted. ' The - manager's report showed ' that 65 flat rate - and six meter rat© consumers were connected; during the month, as well as 23 farmers' meters. The total con / r sumers on April .30 were : 4063, including • the boroughs of Te Aroha and Thames 1 and 873 farmers' motors. There are also 239 motors on mater. " ' With reference to. a . sample of hardwood which was/ forwarded to the biology section of the Department of ' Agriculture for analysis, the following reply/was received: ' -V The specimen is most interesting/ In the, first place the wood . has been attacked by beetle grubs when the bark was on.' The grubs were no doubt of the Australian longhorn beetle, variety; When the grubs were, fully developed they had • "bored through . the \ sap into the heart wood, ) causing the large oval tunnels there. The grubs, transformed into chrysalis, and/the 1 beetles on emerging worked their way through the tunnels. to the surface. This beetle is one of the commonest introduced with Australian hardwoods, arid 'is likely to become 'destructive to living hardwoods in the Dominion."- •/ •/ /■;./>-/ ' Mr.Flatt contended that from what was stated it looked as if they would have quite a number of replacements. Mr. Thomas said it, was important that I they lost no time in making experiments in treatment. If they did riot; he thought that in the near future they would be faced with renewals. j ' "7 Mr. remarked tha't in Australia the poles were ' treated' with tar. • ; ,' . Mr. Howie suggested that when « infected poles . were landed in New Zealand they : should be . sent back to Australia. , , i' ' , " . Mr. Strange considered that steps should be taken to prevent: the ; poles from, being lanced. .' He proposed , that; the Forestry Department be communicated with; in the matter. " " • 'Mr. Thomas - thought that it j would jbe more effective if ; the Australian Forestry Department • was ■ ; communicated with through the New Zealand department. % - It . was decided to - communicate- with the Australian Forestry Department, - and that / the ' matter be brought - before the Dominion - Department of Forestry! r lt was a also agreed -;; that : the ; subject of j the inspection of poses on . landing be , referred to the/committee"[already set up by the • board to >go into the /' question of pole I «upj>ly. ■• -