WAITOMO POWER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16338, 12 May 1927, Page 2

WAITOMO POWER

COMPLETION OF CONTRACT.

SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION

The engineers to the Waitomo Power Board have practically completed thencontract with the hoard, and last week a final inspection of the whole of the work was made by the board, the engi.ueers and Government officials. Ihe dWaitomo scheme was .started on April 1, 1925, with a canvass of the district, After tests the board decided to use concrete poles. . The actual work was commenced m November, 1925, when the first pole was made. In the interim the line from Waitomo was taken over from the Government, which had already imported ironbark poles for the work. The line was completed and the power was turned on at the caves at the end of Tho work of manufacturing the concrete poles was pushed on, and as soon as sufficient wire was available the reticulation of Otorohanga was undertaken, a temporary supplv being obtained from a station at the Waipa Bridge. On March 22, 1926, the Otorohanga people had light and power. with the work at Otorohanga the country reticulation was put in hand and as each section was completed it was passed by the Public Works Department and "livened up." The electricity is obtained from Ilorahora, about 65" miles from Hangatiki, where the Government's mam station is situated. VERY FEW BREAKAGES. The total length of line within the hoard's area is close upon 200 miles. That the board's us e of concrete poles was justified is borne out by the fact that in spite of the rough country over which these have, been carried there has been less than 1 per cent in breakages. The difference in cost between ironbark poles and concrete poles is £3500, but it is estimated that the future cost of maintenance will lie reduced to a minimum. In the evening a social gathering was held. Mr. F. W. Furkert, UnderSecretary of Public Works, who has just returned" from a world tour, said the rural distribution of electricity was more advanced in New Zealand than in America, which practically meant that New Zealand headed the world in that respect. If the present demand for .electricity 'continued it would only be a matter" of 15 years before the Government would have 'to double its power stations. TRADING OPERATIONS. In proposing the toast of the staff, the Mavor of Ta Kuili. Mr. H. Rothery, paid a tribute to the work of the ward's staff and of the secretaryananager, Mr. John Kiernan. The latter, referring to the financial position of the board, said that when the board started operations, it had to be realised, as in the case of any large concern, that there had to he a. loss. With the sanction of the board he had gone in for trading and announced that the board now had a surplus of £3OOO from this source in Te Kuiti alone. The number of consumers " a< * increased from 550 to 675, while the demand from country districts had far exceeded expectations. The board was in a sound financial position. This was largely due to the board insisting upon a 20 per cent, guarantee before undertaking any reticulation.