OTAGO POWER BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22631, 24 July 1935, Page 15

OTAGO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Electric Power Board was held yesterday at Milton and was attended by Messrs D. Boyd (in the chair). G. Moore, J. K. Simpson, R. H. Michelle, A. E. Russell. C. R. Smith, and W. Lee. FINANCE REPORT. The finance report stated that receipts amounted to £2618 5s 2d and expenditure to £ll3B 14s 6d. The cash receipts for sales of electricity lor the three months ended June 30 amounted to £9907, compared with £9944 in the same period last year, £9056 in 1933 and £8961 in 1932. — The report was adopted and accounts amounting to £13,210 Os 6d wore passed for payment. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) reported as follows: — Balelutha District.—One single-phase and one three-phase service have been run, some low-tension maintenance carried out, and a certain amount of radio interference suppressed. • Voltage tests have been taken on the pump- circuit. Tree cutting on the Hospital road and in Stirling has been given attention. Ono new sub has been installed in North Balelutha to improve supply and lowtension altered to suit. Barnego transformer has been repaired. Stirling, Stoney Creek, Benhar.—Hightension and low-tensibn have been , repaired following a break, and house services have been altered. At the manse, high-tension clearance has been increased. Street light fittings at Benhar have been fitted with extensions to reduce lamp breakages. Inch Clntha and Kaitangata,—Transformer taps have been changed to adjust voltage at chicory works and at Kaitanguta two services have been run. Owaka. —One new service has been run and overgrowing trees attended to. Earth testing in this district is being proceeded with.

Lawrence.—ln the borough one staypole ItHis been erected and low-tension and high-tension pulled up, At Beaumont service and low-tension alterations have been made and a transformer •painted. At Waitnhuna one service has been run and pole steps fitted to the main line. At Tuapcka Hat trees and hightension fuses have received attention. The district's earth testing has also been completed. MTton.- —In the testroom two dozen fuse jaws have been made, and line material marlined for Finegand. Three 11,000volt fuses are in the course of assembly. The work on demand meters is progressing favourably, and the usual service meters and testing work have been proceeded with. At Clarendon, Waihola, Adam’s Flat, at Somerville, and at Tokoiti trees have been cut. On the Tower road the 6600-volt circuit has been altered to strengthen the line, and the old pump sub dismantled and material returnel to stock. The soldiers’ memorial lighting lias been connected to the board’s street lighting system. Patrols have been made where necessary. Low-tension alterations were made on the Tower road. A sub staging has been fitted at Kinness. On the Kaitangata road lowtension has been altered to give greater telephone clearance from the Post and Telegraph circuits. In Milton several house service mains have been altered. Twisted 6600-volt conductors at Crichton have received attention, and longer crossarms have been fitted in this vicinity. Northern Area. —Five services have been run and reinspections proceeded with in Palmerston and Waikouaiti. On the Macraes-Dunback line many of the poles have been rerammed and anchor rode have been made to secure some of the corner poles. Voltage tests, have been taken at several points to check up on the voltage since the installation of the Waitati boosting transformers, and more satisfactory regulation is reported in addition to the extra capacity available. Seven anchor rods have been fitted to the 33,000 and 60.000 volt circuits near Purakanui. and the metering cubicle dismantled from Inch valley and despatched to Milton. Services at Waitati, Purakanui, Seacliff, and Warrington have received attention. Twelve street lighting brackets have been reconditioned, completing the Palmerston Borough. In Waikouniti and Palmerston boroughs poles have been reblocked, lines resagged, and ties replaced. Time switches and meters have been tested and southern area plans drawn. The report was adopted. ALTERNATIVE SUPPLY.

The desirability of having an alternative power supply for Balclutha from the sub-station at Stirling was mentioned by Mr Russell, who said that delay and inconvenience were caused whenever a breakdown occurred at Inch Clntha.- — The engineer was instructed to prepare a report and estimate of the cost of an alternative supply from Stony Creek or Stirling. CORRESPONDENCE.

The Electric Power Boards and Supply Authorities’ Association advised that the annual conference would be held early in September. The board was invited to

forward remits for consideration at the conference. A later letter advised that the Engineers’ Conference would be held from September 9 to September 11, the Secretaries’ Conference on the same dates and the main conference on September 12 and 13. —Permission was granted to the engineer (Mr R. D. Veitch) and the secretary (Mr L. 'W. Potter) to attend the Engineers and Secretaries’ Conferences respectively, and Messrs Boyd and Russell were appointed the board's delegates at the ipain conference. A request was received from the Unemployment Board for a report on work done by employing authorities under No. 5 scheme and an expression of opinion on the value of local or national assets created since the inception of the scheme. The information was desired in order that it might be taken into consideration in connection with future relief measures. —lt was decided to reply that work calculated to create a national asset had been undertaken by the board. New Zealand Mining Options, Ltd., wrote asking the board to keep the company advised of any developments _ regarding a supply of power which might eventuate. —Received. The Dunedin City Electrical Department advised, that 681,520 units of electricity had been supplied to the board during the month ended June 30.—Received.

The Dunedin City Electrical Department wrote thanking the board for the service it had rendered on two recent Sundays by arranging for the Kaitangata Coal Compuany to carry the board’s southern area load so that No. 2 station at Waipori could be closed down and the tunnel emptied.—Received. A letter of explanation in regard to interference with an electric switchboard at the Port Molyneux Hall during the course of building alterations was received from Messrs Cross Bros-, builders.—Received.

The Marine Department wrote in reply to the board’s inquiry regarding the power which would be required to install electric lighting at the Nugget Point lighthouse, stating that it would bo necessary to have sufficient power for a due kw. lamp through a 10-hour storagg battery, and also power for lighting a six-roomed house. —Mr Veitch reported that he had gone into the question and had written (o the Waitnki Board asking for particulars of the terms on which it supplied power for the Kartigi light.— This action was approved. .