HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

Otaki Mail, 25 August 1930, Page 4

HOROWHENUA POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING.' The ordinary monthly meeting of the Horowhenua Electric Power Board- was held in the Board's room at Levin on Tuesday morning. Present: Messrs G. A. Monk (chairman), A. Seifert, W, E. Barber, T. G. Vincent, R. Bryant, E. S. Morse, C. Blenkhorn, A. .T. Pethcxiek, A. E. Hyde, and Air. F. .T. Ramsay (secretary and treasurer) and Air. J. A. Smith (engineer). The Auditor-General returned the balance-sheet. Thu treasurer pointed out that members of the Board would notice that the profit had been increased by a further £6. On. moving that the balance-sheet be received the chairman said that the staff was to be complimented that it had gone through without a tag. Air. C. A. Fergusson, lion, secrotarv of the Paekakariki Life Saying and Surf Club wrote stating that they were desirous of erecting a siren with three switches and asked how far the Board would be prepared to assist in the cost. At present it is proposed to erect a switch at the sand track and later on to place switches at the surf shed and fountain.—Referred to the engineer and Air. Pctherick for further invesigation. Engineer’s Report. The engineer (Air. J. A. Smith) submitted the following report:— Thirty-six new service lines have been erected, extra phases run on seven existing services and two extended.

One hundred and forty-one poles have been lilted and erected and ISIO chains of wire run out. Two outdoor substations have been built.

The Arapaepau Road line was completed and livened up on July 17th, 11*30. The Waikawa Beach line was completed and livened up on August 6th, 1930.

An extension of 43 chains to the l.t. was made on No. 2 Line, Foxton. L.T. was extended and extra phases were run on the Avenue, Levin, and Hume’s Road, Kangitane, and extra phases run on the C.D. Farm section. A start has been -made on Tararuu Road line and the Opiki sub-division has been pegged. The transformer at the C.D. Farm has been changed. Alaintcnance has been considerable on account of the severe weather conditions. A close inspection of all insulators on all poles South of. Raumati corner to Paekakariki was made .during the period.

Earth testing and strengthening, transformer, fuse changing and switchpanel overhauling is being now carried out.

On the motion of the chairman seconded by Air. Hyde, the report was adopted. Engineers’ Conference.

The engineer (Air. Smith) reported having attended the conference of electrical -supply authority engineers held in Wellington on the 14th, 13th, and Kith of July. There was a large attendance of en-

gineers from all parts of the Dominion, about 7-8 being present, including officers of the Public Works, Post and Telegraph and Railway Departments. A number of suggested amendments to the Electrical Supply and Electrical Wiring Regulations were discussed, and the decisions are to be put before the Public Works Department so that several anomalies might be removed and the regulations more effective.

The economic weakness of the regula

turns governing guaranteed lines was discussed and in co-operation with a committee from the secretaries’ conference, a ,joint recommendation was

submitted to the Electric Power Boards’ ami Supply Authorities' Association conference. The following papers were read and discussed: — (a) The economic aspect of heating water electrically. (b) Electrically driven milking plants with notes on the fiat rate system of charging. (c) Power factor correction. (d) Electricity supply tariffs. (e) Rural tariffs. (f) Relay control of water-heaters in residential areas.

(g). Electric heating of schools. (4). Distant repeaters. (i). Testing practice of supply authorities.

(;j). Lines erected under guarantee. The paper- were well written and showed that the writers had put in a considerable amount of work, in collecting tiie various data. They aroused some very line discussions and brought out a considerable amount of useful in formation.

Air. M. Cable gave a most interesting address, supplemented by maps and photographs, on “Observations of Electricity Supply in Australia.” The operations of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria were detailed And a description of the working of their brown coal deposits in open cut at Yabourn where one man operating

.an electrically* driven machine, can, eat and load fiOO tons per hour. This coal which contains 6i5 per cent of moisture has 90 per cent of it dried out and is then pressed into briquettes. One hundred and eight thousand tons being manufactured last year. A large amount of this is consumed in their steam stations ami the balance sold.

Although good work ' .- been done at previous conferences ■ • general opinion is that this was the most successful, and that the information made available ami exchange of ideas and experiences will be most useful to the various engineers who attended.

■ should like to express my appreciation of having the opportunity of being present. The report was received. Mr. Hyde asked Mr. Smith if he could tell _ them anything about the paper which was read on the “Electrical Heating of Schools.''’ Mr. Smith said that the paper was m reference to a five-year term that had been tried m Stratford. He said tuts: was by the use of a hot water eylmder similar to that used far housc--10 ders He said a cylinder was placed inside the ooor of each room, reaching l' 1 tn f of tlle door and circulating round the room. °

Mr. Hyde said that if a fire-year -yetem ; could be solved for heating schools and theatres it would be of great benefit.

I "Sfflifh said that engineers were now working on a system, w-herebv neat was stored through the night and circulated daring the dav. In reply to a question‘from Mr. Bar ber m regard to the flat rate system of charging for power for electrically'.meii milking plants. Mr. Smith said that the conference had a report before them on this question from the Thames Valley Power Board, who had changed, over for the flat-rate system. They bad .found this very Jansaitlafaetorv. He pointed out that the rate was based oa the number of eows milked, with the result:, that all" kinds' of 'means were used to dodge paving' the fail rate, a number of which he instanced. Notice of Motion. . . i A notice of motion was given bv Mr. Vincent. “That it be afi instruction to the engineer when presenting aa estimate for a ue» line that itSa gwjpe'. . . v;