SOUTHLAND POWER BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22519, 13 March 1935, Page 13

SOUTHLAND POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING i ( Special to Daily Times) TNVERCARGILL, March 12. The ■•• Southland Electric Power Board held its monthly nieetimr this morning, when there were present: Messrs William Hinchey (chairman), J. T. Caiwell, G. Wray, D. J. Heenan, P. Arnott, W. M. Norman, A. A. Mac Gibbon, T. Golden, A. le H. Hoyles, E. K. Sim, and W. J. M'Kenzie. . . Regarding the proposed extension ot the Monowai headworks. a decision was reached that preparations and plana should be held over pending the decision of the Local Government Loans Board. ENGINEER'S REPORT. The engineer (Mr L. B. Hutton) submitted the following report:— I have to report as follows on the activities of the board for the month ended February 28, 1935: Power Station—The output for. the month was 2,440,020 units. This is a very high figure for February, and has only twice been exceeded in any month. The biggest daily output was on the 22nd, and reached 104,020 units. In the Winton area seven service lines were erected. Most of the month has been spent in conjunction with the Invercargill partv at Ryal Bush and Lochiel, where additional men were required to handle the heavy work. At Limehills, a 5 k.v.a. transformer wag removed and replaced by a 10 k.v.a., and a similar action was taken at Waicola. At Oreti, a low tension line was extended for a new house, and on the long 11,000-vott job at Southdown the supply wag connected. In the Invercargill area seven service lines were erected. The main work was the Lochiel-Makarewa alteration, which was continued, in conjunction with Winton, as often as occasion offered. Hy the 14th two of the transformer groups had been changed over to the new lines. Transformer groups at Curie Bay, VVaikawa, Otara, Niagara, and Tokanm were overhauled, and 65 11,000-volt insulators removed between Gorge road and line Bush. Operation of the feeders was not entirely satisfactory in that there were many trips, of which 42 were of unknown origin and five due to line faults It is hoped that with increased maintenance these stoppages may be reduced. In the Gore area a faulty fuse caused the only major interruption, No. 1 feeder being out for an hour on the 24th. in thig area, as in the others, there w-as a large number of momentary trips of unknown origin, and here again it ig hoped that the number may be reduced Jw the erection of bird guards and the removal of superfluous ironwork. The construction party made a high tension extension under guarantee at Waikaka, put up the transformer, and ran a service. At Waipounamu a three-phase transformer was changed to a single phase, and at another point a new transformer was erected under guarantee. The crusher plant wag removed from Riversdale and re-erected at Balfour. Three service lines were erected in Gore and at Mataura, and additional transformer of 300 k.v.a. was installed at the Paper Mills. In the Edendale area the faultsmen spent some time in reconditioning service lines. On No. 6 feeder —the short length Gore to Mataura—bird guards were erected at all transformer groupß. On No. 1 feeder, on the Lintley branch line, unnecessary earth guards and ironwork were removed and several bird guards erected. House Wiring, Etc.—Twenty-five new consumers were secured, which brings the total up to 10,270. Twenty-seven installations were connected, and 55 extensions made to old installations. There were five ranges, two water heaters, and 10 motors, of a total horse-power of SO, connected —the total additional connected load being 122 h.p. The number of electric ranges is now 1571. Further good progress was made on reinspection of premises, 154 more being completed, which brings the total to date up to 5610. The engineer also reported on the recent conference of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers. The report was adopted.