TARANAKI POWER BOARD

Stratford Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 68, 20 April 1926, Page 3

TARANAKI POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. PROGRESS OF OPERATIONS. Tlio Taranaki Power Board met yesterday, Mr H. G. Carman presiding’. Also in attendance were Messrs J. T. Belcher, T. R. Anderson, R. J. Knuckey, C. E. Guiness, V. Harkness, W. H. Wore. Leave of absence was granted to Mr T. R. Anderson. LOAN MONEY AVAILABLE. The Government Life Insurance Department advised that the loan of £35.000 was now available, and £lO,000 would be paid on April 8 and the remainder on April 28.—Received. ■ NEXT MEETING. It was resolved that the annual meeting and the next ordinary meeting be held on May 24. ENGINEER’S REPORT.

The Engineers, Messrs Climie and Son, reported as under: Main Tunnel: This .tunnel 7s now driven 8005 feet, and there remains about 1500 feet to bo done. The contractors who are driving and concreting the last 36 chains have driven

about 13A chains, but have concreted only £»• chains. From the MotukawN end about 1600 feet have been lined by means of the cement gun. This work has been suspended temporarily to permit concreting operations to be carried on between No. 1 and No. 2 edits. In this section, since Easter, 360 feet of concrete invert has been laid down, and three shifts are now being worked. Three concrete mixers are now in operation in the tunnel. About 1800 yards of shingle and sand have been delivered at No. 1 and 2 shafts. An endeavor is 'noing made to get the whole of the shingle required at the Motukawa end, delivered before the winter. The. tunnel has now been timbered around the tunnelling machine. The elevator, however, has not yet been uncovered. It is expected to complete the dismantling of the machine and elevator next month. The pressure in This section is very heavy, necessitating duplication of the timbering. It is proposed to commence, concreting this tad section as soon as possible, and arrangements have been, made to carry out the work.

Power House: With the exception of the end wall, which it is proposed to construct in corrugated iron, the power house will he completed next month, and a start made with the erection of the turbines, generators and switch gear. The overhead crane is now. being erected. The concrete roof will be placed in one continuous operation. The decking to support the slab is now being erected. Tail Race: Good progress has been made with this excavation. ff the I bne weather continues, this section should be completed next month. wITh the..exception of lining about 50.-feet of the tail race -tunnel.

I’ipe Line: - The pipe line is now being 1 filled. A number of small leaks have shown up.' These will be caulked the contractor .before the work is f takon over. Ratapiko Ram: This contract is now almost (completed. The cut-off trench on t.lijj east side has been completed and a seam of sand, some seventeen feet thick, replaced with d W. ( . .Ratapiko ijeviatipn: When the side slopes of thej, fillings are reduced, this contract vvilj, be completed. The metalling of it will thou he done, with metal from the Board’s crusher at the head works'.

Water Races Etc: Messrs. Litica and Co. have completed their contract. Mr] Maras, the contractor for the other section is making hotter progress. The contractor, Mr Lamason, has cleared out’the timber from the ton end of the Mako Stream and has commenced deepening it. A small gang is still employed clearing out the stream below Mr Lamason’s contract. The contractors. Messrs Lyons and Parker, have sunk a new shaft 25 feet from which to complete the 500 feet of tunnel in Mr Wilson’s property, Mangaotea. A peppett-head and elevated winchhopse and tip has been erected at this new shaft under Mr Jardine’s direction. A temporary tram line has been constructed across the swamp to this new shaft . - Reticulation: On the main;transmission line poles have been '-erected as far north as Ackland Road, land the wire has been erected as far as Mr Macltuy’s section. Wires havebeen erected on the Gordon Road] and on the Opunake Road and Miranda Street*in Stratford, 'transformers have been erected and livened up as follows:—Mangimiugi, two 10 K.V.A. and one 3 K.V.A.; Gordon Road, one <lO K.V.A. and one 3‘K.Y.A.