Electricity for Clifton

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 45, 19 September 1930, Page 5

Electricity for Clifton

TOWER BOARD'S PROPOSAL. AN ALLEGED OFFE.S FROM NEW PLYMOUTH. OFFICIAL DENIAL. At this mornfag's meeting of the Taranaki Power Board there was SDiue ciscussion on the question of tiie iroposal to reticulate Clitton County. Tne following letter from !the BOiii':] was sent to the New Plymouth Borough Council: At a P uD * lic meeting of Clifton County ratepayers held at Urenui last Friday a statement was made that the New Plymouth Borough Council had offered to supply electrical energy to that County and would reticulate tac c!:Lirict without cost to the ratepayers or rate. I would appreciate your reply as to whether such an offer has heen made, and, as Clifton Cou'nty is part of, the inner area of the Board, under what Act tbe New Plymouth Borough Council claims the right t 0 enter and supply e'ectricity in that district. If, on the other hand, such a statement was made wtihout authority I would he pleased to receive a reply that the New Plymouth Borough Council had Dot authorised a<ny member of the Council or any officer on its staff tc make such an offer.

To this the Mayor of New Plymouth replied that the New Plymouth Borough Council had neve r offered to supply electricity to the Clifton County area nor had the Council authorised amy of its members or ffihers to make such an offer. The Council, however, had been asked for particulars of its charges for e:c fricity for farm purposes. This iul..."nation, being of a public nature was supplied in the ordinary way. Telegrams to and from Mr C. A. Wilkinson, M.P., and the Minister were read, the replies being to the effect that New Plymouth had no power to supply in Clifton County. As a member of the Clifton subcommittee, M r Moss asked to be disassociated with the sending of the telegrams to Wellington, which were quite unnecessary. The action of the chairman in sending the telegrams was confirmed. Mr Foreman moved that application be made to the Local Government Loans Board for sanction for the raising of a loan of £32,000 for the purpose of reticulating a special rating area in Clifton County as well as an outer area consisting of part of the Waitara Borough if deemed expedient. Mr Marchant said that nothing had given him so much uneasiness as the Clifton matter. It seemed to him tb&s fcbfi? 6 y™ a a solid ' body of op ~ position to the proposal. Mr Foreman said that despite his assurance that the area could not be supplied by New Plymouth, many people still believed to the contrary. Mr Dobson said the people of the district were keeri on having electric current. He thought that many people did not vote at the public meeting because tney thought they could get current from New Plymouth, and that when they knew this could not be done they would favour the Board's proposal. Mr Marchant questioned if the amount of the loan was sufficient. The amount proposed to be applied for seemed small compared to the amount previously proposed. Consideration of the matter was deferred till the afternoon, in order that details of the work proposed to be done might be supplied. ENGINEER'S REPORT. Tne Resident Enginee r (Mr B. H. Goldsmith) reported that the number of consumers at August 31st was 2064. Units generated during the month totalled 927,000. The largest daily output was 35,000 units on the Ist, and the maximum demaud of 2664 K.W. occurred also on the Ist. New Plymouth drew supply on thirty days of the month. Installations connected during August were as follows (the figures for the corresponding period of last year betag given in parentheses): Milking motors 29 (35), other motors 10 (S), stoves 3 (1), pumps 6 (1), lighting and heating 67 (62). Line work during the month con- ' sisted largely of the running of short low-pressure extensions on existing lines and the erection of services. The extensions included IS chains on Bird Road, 4 Chains and transformer structure on Cross Road, Wharehua, 20 chains on Denbigh Road, 6 chains oh York Road (railway crossing), 12 chains on Brecon Road. Two railway crossings were erected on the Toko ltae.

of his letter he said: "The amount of construction work in' view by your Board is not sufficient to warrant my retention of the position, now that I have removed to Wellington." Mr Moss moved that the resignation be accepted, the effect of which would be to terminte all contracts between the Board and Mr Climie. The total amount paid to Mr Climie was £17,355 Is lid. The motion was carried. FINANCE. The Finance Committee's report showed that in the Power Fund Account accounts to pass totalled £7016 18s 6d. The bank credit at last meeting was £359 9s Id. At date the bank overdraft was £1977 19s 4d, call deposits £3007, and the Stratford loan stood at £255 18s sd, so that the debit at date was £5240 17s 9d. In the account the credit at last meeting was £63 14s 10s. A sum of £1423 16s was received since, and after paying accounts there was a credit of £37 8s 6d. The committee confirmed the extension made on. Brecon Roa d and" authorised a further extension for the benefit of Messrs Neal Bros. It was decided to ask for a return of the number of telephones used by members of the staff, the users thereof and the annual cost. GENERAL. The Resident Engineer reported that there had been no trouble f.rom falling trees during the heavy wiu'd o n Wednesday and Thursday. Two guineas was voted to the Cancer Research Fund. present at the meeting were: Messrs H. G. Carman (chairman"), N. H. Moss, H. J. Marchant, M. Gernhoefer, C. E.' McGuinness, R. ,JKnuckey, J. Dobson and C. Foremap.