ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 12

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY.

THAMES VALLEY FACTORIES. 'V ' AUCKLAND BOARD'S ASSISTANCE RESOURCES RECENTLY INCREASED Reference to the statement by the Public Works Department, Hamilton, that it had arranged to supply electricity to all New Zealand Co operative Dairy Company factories throughout the Thames Yalloy Power Board's area at all times except between 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m., was made last evening by Mr. R. H. Bartley, general manager of the Auckland Power Board. It was stated by the Public Works Department that the proposed supply had been mado possible by a friendly arrangement with the Auckland board. Mr. Bartley said the arrangement was really not new, as such action by the Auckland board had been suggested some time ago. However, it had hitherto proved impossible to carry any such arrangement into effect owing to the inability of the board to spare the power. "As far as tho board is concerned, it has always adopted tho attitude that it is willing to help other bodies whenever possible," Mr. Bartley said. "It has to bo recognised that it cannot render assistance at the expense of its own consumers. Tho difficulty in the past has been that the Government has not been able to give us all we have required from Horahora, and in addition the original cables which were laid were not of sufficient capacity to feed back into the Waikato district. "With the completion of the 22,000-volt cable link between King's Wharf substation and Penrose we are now in a position to supply tho Government at special times, which usually fit in with its requirements, with almost as much power as it can take. One or two alterations have yet to be made to the Government's switch gear." It would be possible for the Auckland Power Board to be of greater assistance than had been possible in the past, merely because its resources were now greater, Mr. Bartley added. Four boilers had recently been transferred from tho old Hobson Street power-station to King's Wharf, where an additional 1050 kilowatt turbine had also been installed. The erection had also been completed of a set of rotary converters in order to make the fullest possible use of the direct current supply.