OTAGO POWER BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21363, 17 June 1931, Page 5

OTAGO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Electric Power Board was held yesterday in the board’s office in Cumberland street. Mr J. K. Simpson occupied the chair, and there were also present Messrs D. Boyd, H. M. Driver, A. M'Kinnon, T. A. Lowis, G. Moore, W. B. Galloway, W. Taine, and A. E. Russell. RAILWAY BOARD. The chairman made reference to Mr G. W. Reid’s appointment to the Railways Board, remarking that Mr Reid’s ability and qualifications should prove of great value to the board. Other speakers alsoreferred to Mr Reid’s great ability for the work. WATER HEATING. A letter was received from Mr R. S. Thompson regarding water heating charges. After some discussion it was decided that the letter, along with some amended recommendations from the engineer. should be submitted to Mr Templin (electrical expert) and considered at the next meeting. DISCOUNTS ASKED FOR. Several requests for discounts were received. Mr Boyd said that, at one time, he had been of the opinion that no discounts on accounts should be given, but he had changed his mind on the point. He now thought that it would be in the interests of the board and its consumer* if, under certain conditions, some allowance were made for discount. It would create a friendly feeling in the attitude of consumers. If it was known that the people who applied for discount were genuine this policy should certainly be carried out. When people approached the board previous to the account being due and asked for so many days in which to pay, the board should give every consideration. It would make for contented consumers. —In accordance with Mr Boyd s remarks, it was decided that provision should be made to grant discount under certain circumstances, provided consumeis approached the hoard before the duo date, stated reasons for non-payment, and gave a guarantee to pay within a certain time. The matter of drafting the conditions was left in the hands of the executlVe" ENGINEER'S REPORT.

The report of the engineer (Mr J. C. Collins), which was adopted without discussion, was as follows: Main Transmission Lines. —The main lines in the southern area are reported to be in ; fair order, and on the whole the 33.000- line in the northern area is in good condition, but five insulators have been shot at, and though the breaks were not so serious ns to cause an interruption these insulators_ will require t renewal at the first convenient opportunity. Distribution.—ln the Owaka district maintenance work on the Owaka \ alley and Pounawea lines has been carried out where necessary, and a fault on the line at Otanomomo which caused an interruption to supply on May 25 was repaired. The man in this district is assisting the Balclutha man on the necessary maintenance and reconstruction in the Paretai and Kaka Point districts. No other trouble was experienced in this district other than that of the interruption at Otanomomo, and all the lines are reported to be in first-class order. In the Balclutha district during the month one three-phase transformer was erected at Inch Clutha which enabled us to dismantle the low tension line, two miles of 7-16 copper, insulators, etc., being returned to stock. A good deal of the maintenance and reconstruction work is being carried out at Paretai, poles being straightened and reblocked and the lines pulled up. A lorry, collided with one of our poles, breaking the low tension line, to which repairs were effected promptly. Two extra phases have been run to the Presbyterian Church at Stirling to supply heating load. A low tension pole in the Kaitangata borough has been shifted 20 feet at the request of the Borough Council. High tension fuses have been attended to and renewed in Balclutha and surrounding districts. Two new services have been connected in the Balclutha borough and one in Kaitangata. The lines in this district are in general in satisfactory order, but further maintenance work is required in the Paretai district. In the Milton district no interruption to supply has occurred during the month, and one new connection has been erected in the Waihola district. Two poles in the borough have been renewed and spine poles were straightened and the lines tightened. Tree-cutting has been attended to where necessary and assistance has been rendered with the alterations at the main Milton sub-station where protective equipment and reclosing gear have been installed in the switch house recently erected. There is now one linesman and one asistant wireman-linesman in the whole of this district. It will be realised that patrol work on the lines can, in future, only be carried out at regular intervals. In the event of an accidental interruption, every endeavour will be made to restore supply with the least possible delay, but our main line to Waipori is over 20 miles in length from Milton, and portions of it traverse very rough country. It must naturally be expected that interruptions will be of longer duration than our consumers have hitherto experienced. In the case of emergency, and if their employment is suitable to the board, the city electrical engineer has offered us the assistance of the city a Outran! employees at cost.—ln the Lawrence district, no interruptions have occurred during the month. Alterations to, and the tightening up of, the low tension in three streets of the Lawrence Borough have been attended to. A stay pole was erected at Waitahuna, and the low tension was tightened up. Spare poles in the Beaumont district have been carried in and stacked, and some low tension tightened up and an extra earth in the neutral installed. High tension fuses in the Beaumont and Evans Flat districts have been renewed, fuse holders in the Johnston district have been painted, and oil supplied to transformers where necessary. £jome low tension was run in Wetherstones to effect supply to one new consumer and the service erected and connected up. All lines in this district are reported to be in good order. In the Waitati-Seacliff district one new service was erected at Warrington, ihe 33.000- line has been patrolled once a week, and the 11,000-volt lino to the Waikouaiti River has been inspected. Two interruptions occurred on the 11,000-volt line, one on the 4th and another on the oth. The main line telephone has required inspection and repairs, an interruption on one occasion being due to a wire coming off an insulator, and on another to a loose connection in the switch box at Port Chalmers. Fuses at the Omimi, Kilmog, and Warrington sub-sta-tions have been renewed. Four street lamps at Warrington were renewed, and some tree cutting was attended to in the Merton district. In connection with the gorse growing along our main line, necessary notification to have this cut will be sent out immediately after this meeting. A transformer was erected in this district at Evansdale to give supply t< a 3 h.p. motor.—ln the Palmerston district the necessary low tension and temporary service have been erected at Waikouaiti. and the mains erected for the new nurses’ building at the Pleasant Valley Sanatorium. High tension fuses were reconstructed at three sub-stations and the oil level in the transformers adjusted. Small interruptions occurred, due to the snow, on the sth. The lowtension at Bushey Park required repairs, and the high tension wires in the lumai district had to be straightened out and tightened up. The marline ties in the Palmerston borough are being renewed where possible. Alterations to the store at Palmerston were completed. A transformer was dismantled at Dunback, and assistance was given to erect it_ at Evansdale. Some trouble was experienced due to flickering lights by several consumers at tlie Government township at waikouaiti. The trouble caused the blowing of a high tension fuse at the sub-station which tripped the breaker. The transformer supplying these people was replaced, since when the trouble lias ceased. This transformer has been brought into the test room for testing and repairs. It will be necessary to notify owners of hawthorn hedges and trees in several parts of the district, where growth has brought them dangerously close to our line, to have them cut back. Test Room.—ln the test room two transformers and one dozen time switches have been conditioned and despatched tor service, and maxigraphs in the different sub-stations have been attended to. The earth testing for the year is now well under way. During the month the installing of reclosing gear has been completed and throughout appears to be working satisfactorily. The necessary alterations to the main Milton sub-station have been completed. General. —AVe have experienced occasional interruptions due to faults develop-

ing in the bushings of our 33,000 volt transformers. These will require attention, and it is considered advisable that a number of 401 b rails should be purchased and a trolley obtained with the object of installing travelling gear so that the transformers at the main Milton sub-station requiring repairs can be run in under cover while repairs to the bushings are being effected. Such attention will also be required eventually at the Stirling sub-station. FINANCE.

The question of reducin'? the wages and salaries of the board’s employees, which had been held over pending the decision of the Arbitration Court last month, was brought up. After a short discussion it was decided that a cut of 10 per cent, should be imposed, to take effect from the date of the meeting. A Lawrence ratepayer wrote complaining that hie water heating system was inadequate, and asking that it should be disconnected. —The engineer was instructed to go into, the matter. A letter was received _ from a second Lawrence ratepayer offering a guarantee of £4O per annum provided his water heating should not cost more than £l2 per annum. —The matter was left in the hands of the engineer. A Balclutha consumer wrote protesting against large accounts charged him lor electricity.—The engineer and a member were instructed to deal with the matter. A protest against charges for power for a motor was made by a Kaitaugata consumer, who requested that he should be charged a flat rate.—The engineer and the member for the district were instructed to deal with the matter. MANIOTOTO CANVASS. Mr M'Kinnon said that the proposed canvass of the Maniototo district, which was now about due to be made, would undoubtedly prove disappointing in view of the present depression, and he moved that the canvass should be postponed for another six months. —The motion was seconded by Mr Lowis and carried. LEAVE OF*ABSENCE. Mr T. A. Lowis, in asking for three mouths’ leave of absence from the board s meetings, said that, while matters in connection with the reticulation of the Maniototo district remained in abeyance, he did not think he was justified in incurring travelling expenses. He had every confidence that the other members of the board would look to the interests of the Maniototo ratepayers in the meantime.— The leave was granted.