OTAGO POWER BOARD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 4

OTAGO POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING The monthly meeting of the Otago Electrict Power Board was held at Milton yesterday, when there were present the chairman (Mr D. Boyd) and Messrs W. Lee, W. C. Arkle. A. E. Bussell, R. 11. Michelle, and T. Moore. FINANCE. The following were the board’s financial transactions for the month of February:— Receipts: Consumers’ deposits, £24; cash sales, £4 10s 9d; rates, £25 19s 8d; and electricity sales, £4720 13s 4d; —total, £4935 12s sd. Expenditure, £1751 5s Id. Cash receipts for sales of electricity to end of February, with comparative figures for the previous three years, were as follows:—l933, £35,334; 1934, £30,053; 1935, £37.317; 1930, £39,729. { Accounts before the meeting totalled £2889 Os 4d, and included £1950 18s 7d, being the first repayment to the Depreciation Fund. Casual labour to date for current year amounted to £039 3s sd. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was received frorn the Public Trust Office in connection - with the appointment of the Public Trustee as sinking fund commissioner for the board’s Depreciation Fund, and the conditions on which applications for withdrawals for any works might be made from the fund. —The terms proposed in the letter were agreed to and the formal resolution making the appointment was passed. The Electric Supply Authorities’ Association wrote forwarding a circular and a questionnaire in relation to electric power supply'in sparsely-settled areas. — Members remarked that the idea was a good one, but the time for consideration of the matter was not opportune.—The engineer stated that the board had an nnreticulated district valued at £BO.OOO, and full justice could not be done to the questionnaire in the time allowed. —It was decided to reply asking that consideration of the matter bn deferred until June. GENERAL. Three months’ leave of absence were granted to Messrs T. A. Lewis and A. M'Kinnon. Mr Russell read a report of the recent conference at New Plymouth between a special committee of the Electric Power Boards’ Association and the Dairy Board on efficient hot water systems for dairy farms. —The chairman remarked that the matter had been discussed for years without much progress being made. The chief difficulty in the way of electric installations was the cost. —Mr Russell said that another problem was loss of heat. WORKS REPORT, The board’s engineer (Mr R. D. Veiteh) reported as follows: Balclutha and Environs. —A floodlight has been installed to light the Stirling sub and yard for breakdown purposes. The supply to the Stirling residence and tide flood lamp have been connected to the reclosing transformer to ensure the light being available when the oil switches are open. Telephone line repairs have been effected. Owaka 11,000-volt line has been patrolled. Railings have been made and fitted to the North Balclutha. Crescent. and Storer’s subs. One burnt sub and transformer at Kaitangata have 1 cen dismantled. This was occasioned by a (laxmill fire. The transformer was destroyed beyond economical repair. L revision has been made to supply the surrounding domestic consumers from the Kaitangata main sub by running another wire. Danger plates have been repainted. At the freezing works sub a metering transformer has been changed. One new pole and new switch have been erected in Inch Clutha and line changed over on to the new apparatus. Low tension has been retied in Balclutha and Rosebank; three services (one seven phase) have been erected. ~ , , Lawrence District—Meter reading is completed. One motor service has been installed at Craigellachie, and meters have

received attention here and at Lawrence. The fuses have been replaced with a more modern type at Lawrence, and fuse elements have been renewed at Mount Stuart, Manuka Creek, Bowler’s Creek, and Tuapeka Flat. At Waitahuna earth guards have been repaired and installation faults attended to. Milton. —Three services have been constructed, low tension to Milburn railway resagged, and a five-jiole extension has also been fitted to the low tension. A start has been made \Vith the dismantling of the Moneymore-Adam’s Flat (jCOO-volt line. Voltage adjustments have been made at Adam’s Flat, and four distribution sub-transformers have been changed to suit altered circuit voltages. Earths and stays on this circuit have also received attention. The Adam’s Flat conversion to 11,000 volts has been completed, with the exception of one transformer. On February 13 at 4.30 p.m. trouble'was experienced on the main line, due to a pole catching fire. Power was received from Kaitangata when least inconvenience would be caused, late that night, and temporary repairs wore effected. Maxi graph repairs have been effected, and fuses made up and completed for the Adam’s Flat Gold Mine. Power readings inspections, etc., have been performed as required. Owaka. —Decoration lights were fitted for the school jubilee celebrations. High tension fuse holders have been fitted to the Owaka Valley and Pounawea subs. Preparations have been made for the removal of six k.v. circuit at HunPs road, and several services at Kaka Point and Paretai have been repaired. Northern Area. —Three now installations have been connected, and one extension has been wired for. Alterations have been made to the voltage boosting transformers at Waitati to permit of more adequate cooling. Trouble was experienced on the Waitati-Evansda 1 e circuit owing to a cracked insulator. At Tumai conductors have been strained oyer on to a newly-erected pole in the main line At Shag Point the transformers have been replaced with smaller one,?, and the original bank transferred for heavier duty at Waitati, where three transformers were removed, and at Smart’s crushing plant. This line and plant is now completed and connected. Near Waikouaiti a termination has been shifted owing to a slip. Poles to CTossan’s have been reblocked. and conductors resagged. At Seacliff a main line pole has been shifted to suit footpath alterations. Shot insulators were rerdaced at Leith Valley and Purakanui. Transformers have been repainted at Evansdale. and a new operating cable has been fitted to the 33,000volt isolating switch at Waitati. Faulty fuses have been replaced as new one« became available. Service wires at Good wood have been changed to comply with the regulations, and disused low-tension has been dismantled at Kilmoe. one pob being used on an extension at Karitano Earth-testing has been commenced in the Karitano. Merton, and Palmerston districts.

During the month U.TS.OOO units were purchased in tli p northern area, and ?.<ti .500 units in the southern areatotal. Sflo.lfiO, a decrease of 120.120 over last month. The report was adopted.