NORTH OTAGO NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 7

NORTH OTAGO NEWS

POWER SUPPLY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SALES MEETING OF WAITAKI BOARD The finance report submitted to the Waitaki Electric-power Board yesterday showed substantial increases in the sales, of electricity, both for the month and tor the eight months of the present financial year. Mr James McDiarmid (chairman) was in the chair, and there were present Messrs J, M. Forrester, E. S. Brewster. G. T. Gillies, R. B. Meek, A. R. Tail, G. O. Pringle. J. Newlands, A. B. Lang, I. Dalmer (engineer) and T. Malley (secretary). Correspondence A letter from the Power Boards’ Association giving further information regarding the group insurance recommended by the association, was held over for further

consideration. The Dunedin Electrical Traders’ Association, reporting that the federation was in touch with tire organiser of emergency training, wrote asking '.he board not to make arrangements with local rehabilitation officers concerning ihe employment of adult electricians until the federation had fully investigated the matter. —Members expressed the opinio:, that returned men should be given every assistance, and the letter was held over until further information had been received. The appointment of Miss M. Robertson to the office staff was confirmed. The tender of Messrs Maynard and Armstrong for the construction of a test bench in the board’s test room, for £lO 16s, was accepted. Finance The secretary reported that the sales of electricity during November had amounted to £3930, compared with £3857 for November, 1941, and £3828 in 1940. Sales for the eight months of the present financial year were £36,798, compared with £35,206 in 1941, and £34,632 in 1940. Range installations on terms for November totalled £449, compared with nil for October, £321 for September, and £461 for August. The total balances outstanding under hirepurchase accounts at November 30 were £6457 4s 4d. The following balances and receipts, with comparative figures in parentheses, were reported:—Power fund account, balance £3071, loan account, balance £llO4 12s; receipts—sales of electricity, fittings, and house-wiring £4723 (£3872 in 1941, and £3605 in 1940); cash sales of fittings £l9l (£74. £46); total £4914 (£3946. £3651). ■ , , The board decided to obtain the balance of £2OOO of the loan before the end of the year. It was also decided to take steps to raise a loan of £IO,OOO on the best possible terms, to cover operations in 1943. , Accounts totalling £2921 16s 8d (power fund £2150 15s 4d. loan account £771 Is 4d) were passed for payment. Two applications for financial assistance under the new range terms were approved. . . „ , Engineer’s Report

The engineer reported that the work during the month covered the installation of 17 ranges. 11 water-heaters, and four motors. Fifty-one extensions and 71 transfers were attended to. The load installed was approximately 98 kilowatts. A high tension supply had been arranged for the Pukeuri Freezing Works. The automatic switch in the south feeder line near Weston failed recently and caused a stoppage of supply. During November the board obtained 1,468,800 units from Government supply, and generated 5164 units by water plant, and 1380 units by oil engine, making a total of 1,470,344 units. The demand on Government supply was 2994 k.v.a. A few more poles had arrived, and they were in a position to carry on with pole replacement work, though, unfortunately, the staff had been so reduced that it was difficult to arrange gangs for this work. They were able to retain, on appeal, some of the start called up in recent ballots, but a number of appeals were still pending. Additional steel was being received for concrete poles, and he hoped to have the factory in going order early in the New YearHe submitted a special report regarding the recent fatality. Mr Dalmer reported that 17 men from the board's staff were serving in the forces. He had advertised for a linesman, and there had not been a single reply. AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION MONTHLY MEETING At the monthly meeting of the North Otago Automobile Association on Tuesday night it was agreed to apply to the Oaraaru Borough Council for a reduction in the motor camp water charges. Mr I. Dalmer presided at the meeting, at which two new members were elected. It was also decided to ask the E.P.S. Committee to release the bunk room at the camp and reinstate the bunks for the holiday period. Mr Dalmer reported that the camp had been inspected, and that the grounds were in fair order, but the fences needed wme attention. In response to recent representations regarding an increase in petrol rationing, the Minister of Supply advised that, while it was desirable to keep private cars mobile, the present ration of petrol was considered quite adequate for this purpose. The South Island Motor Union forwarded a copy of the Substitute Fuel Emergency Regulations, which have been issued for the purpose of reducing the risk of fire from the use of producer gas plants on motor vehicles. The chairman appealed to motorists to take all precautions against fire when using gas producers.

TREES AND POWER LINES The engineer (Mr I. Dalmer) reported to the Waitaki Electric-power Board yesterday that a certain amount of trouble was still being caused by trees and branches being blown on to the lines during heavy gales, making this trouble very real. PERSONAL A motion of condolence with the relatives was passed by the Waitaki Electricpower Board yesterday morning in the death of Mr O. E. Twist. AMUSEMENTS Majestic Theatre.—" Hellzapoppin’ ” will continue its season to-night. As a comedy it is the most hilarious screened for many months. , ~ , ~ Opera House.—“ Las Vegas Nights, a popular musical, will be shown to-night, together with " Timber,” a story of the woods of the North-West. BOWLING Meadowbank defeated Phoenix by 180 points to 140 in the Sidey Cup match on Tuesday. Scores (Meadowbank skips names first): —Donald 27, Corson 18; Keen 14, Adams 21; Martin 23, Crisp 14; Nimmo 30, Bulst 10; Robertson 26, J. Reid 14; Smith 24, Thomson 16; Blacklock 20, Hinton 19; Denholm 16. Foster 28. Tides.—High tides to-day at the port of Oamaru will be at 11.24 a.m. and 11.58 p.m.

WAR MEMORIAL SERVICEMEN'S CLUB ROOMS O AMARU ASSOCIATION’S PROPOSAL Submitting to the Oamaru Borough Council its proposal that soldiers’ clubrooms would be the most suitable form of war memorial, the Oamaru Returned Servicemen’s Association has issued the following statement:— "After the Great War the question of a war memorial received considerable attention from the citizens of Oamaru. who unanimously favoured a memorial, but were divided whether it should be utilitarian or not. The Oamaru Returned Soldiers' Association advocated soldiers' clubrooms as a memorial, but this proposal was defeated at a public meeting, and a monument was erected at a cost of £3BIO. Admittedly it is a very fine memorial of simple dignity, but it did not dispose of the necessity of soldiers’ clubrooms, and, owing to the generosity of Mr R. A. McDowell, clubrooms were rented at a nominal rental and were furnished by the citizens of Oamaru. Although the rooms were spacious and contained billiard tables, they were not sufficiently attractive to be really popular and had one serious defect—the rooms were not on the ground floor, and were reached by steep stairs, making access difficult for many injured men and impossible for those seriously injured or in poor health, denying these men a rest room, which was the very thing they needed. The rooms, while never really popular, met the needs of a number of ex-soldiers for a period of years, but, apart from the revenue from billiards they were nbt productive of sufficient revenue to enable the association to employ a caretaker and to keep them attractive, and it was decided to close them. There is still a number of returned soldiers of the Great War and some veterans of the South African War to whom clubrooms with a comfortable rest room would still be a boon, and with the added attractions of billiard rooms, cafeteria, dance hall, and concert room, rifle ranges, etc., would be a great attraction to the many hundreds of young fellows who will later be returning from active service. We also feel that those who have passed over would prefer that if there is to be a monument to their memory it should be one that will be of use to their mates, particularly to those who have suffered by the war. But clubrooms that are a makeshift would not be fitting as a memorial any more than they would be sufficiently attractive to be really popular. , , " We have plans for the conversion of a very suitable building that would have miniature rifle ranges and archery butts in the basement, reading, writing, and rest rooms, cafeteria and billiard rooms on the ground floor, and dance hall for 170 couples and concert chamber, with kitchen and supper room on the first floor. These amenities, while making the clubrooms attractive, would provide revenue for their upkeep and care. The provision of the concert and dance hall would, in addition, provide a community of interest with the womenfolk of the servicemen. Our plans provide for remodelling the from of the building, scraping and reconditioning the whole of the exterior, and making the building worthy of a memorial. It is rather strange that in North Otago, where we feel that the returned servicemen are held in some esteem, no large donation or legacy has ever been made to the association until quite lately, while in some other communities —we would instance Gore—donations and bequests have been both very generous and frequent. Perhaps this is largely because the Oamaru Returned Services’ Association, since the original furnishing of the original clubrooms. has asked nothing from the public for itself. "In these circumstances is our appeal not deserving of some recognition? Oamaru’s memorial for the Great War cost nearly £4OOO. Is it too much to ask the people of the whole of North Otago for £6OOO for a memorial for the greatest of all wars? The appeal for funds should be made now, and not left till the war is over. The rooms should be ready for the returning servicemen when they arrive home.”