POWER CUT OFF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23997, 21 June 1941, Page 10

POWER CUT OFF

LOWER NORTH' ISLAND

NOT ENOUGH TO GO ROUND

WELLINGTON SUBURBS SUFFER

An abrupt reminder of repeated warnings of necessity to economise in the use of electricity was given in Wellington on Wednesday afternoon, when power was cut off, with at best only tho briefest notice, from 2.30 to 5 o'clock. Inconvenience was caused, and in some cases great inconvenience and some loss, but the abrupt cutting of power was unavoidable, for there was not enough power to go round. The whole of the southern part of the North Island, from a line roughly from New Plymouth to Gisborne, was affected, and cuts in one form or another wero made in all power board and supply authority districts in tiiis southern area by urgent order of tho Electricity Controller, Mr. F. T. M. Kissel. Generally the reduction ordered was one of 10 per cent of the district loads. Very Heavy Demand The demand was very heavy because of the cold southerly wind and dark skies in the southern part of tho island, but further north the position was not ho acute. There was, in fact, a margin of about 10,000 kilowatts of power from the stations up north, but the transmission lino which links the Arapuni and Auckland steam stations to the rest of the North Island .system, all of which was brought in, could not bring more power to tho areas where ii was most, needed.

All city suburbs except Hataitai, Northland and Miramar were cut off; power was continued to Hataitai and Northland so that radio services would not be interrupted, and to Miramar so that factories there would not be shut down. Operations were stopped in several lesser factories in other suburbs and In. ono large factory in Newtown where about 200 are employed. The supply to the city area was not cut off and trams continued running in all suburbs.

Power was restored immediately the position had eased sufficiently to give a safe margin. The first suburb was given power at 4.55 and all were back again by 5.15 p.m., by which time practically tho whole of the industrial load was off for the day. In the Hutt Valley residential areas wore apparently not affected, but appeals were made to the large industrial users to reduce their demand as much as possible. Warnings by Radio

The acute position developed very quickly. The first definite instructions that power board and supply authorities were to reduce their demands upon bulk supply were given from the office of the Lighting Controller soon after 2 o'clock, and all authorities had been notified by 2.20. A request was made at once by the electricity department to the broadcasting authorities that warnings should be put over the ail and should be repeated during the afternoon, urging all possible economy.

The first local radio announcements were made at about 3 o'clock, but within a few minutes suburban radio sets went dead and those who had not heard the first announcement wondered what it was all about until power was restored at about 5 o'clock.