Thames Valley Power Board

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6233, 6 July 1922, Page 2

Thames Valley Power Board

The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Board waiheld on Tuesday it Te Aroha. Present —Meesra TT B. Claxton (chairman), J. 8011, C. A. Arthur, J. B. Thomae, J. W. Auder Ron, J. Price, J. McCormick, J. Pohlen, J. Miller, F. E. Flatt and P. Grace. The tirst business was the election

of a cba’rman in succession to Mr F. M. Strange whose seat has become vacant £as a result of receut Court proceedings

On the nomination of Messrs Flatt and J. W, Andorso-, Mr Claxton was unanimously elected to the position

Mr Claxton was declared elected amid applause, and in taking h : s seat ho said he did so with some trepidation, as he lived some distance from headquarteis and he was a busy man in other directions. He was confident he would have the full and hearty co-open.tion of his fellow m mbers, and he would do liis best for the balance of the term. He had been keenly interested in the development of the area with electric power. Concluding, Mr Claxton paid a tribute to the former chairman, Mr Strange, who had done great work, giving his time, ability and euergy in the pub’ic interest. In recognition of Mr Striuge’d great service?, he then moved that the Board places on record its deep regret at the loss ii had sustained in the resignation of Mr F. M. Strange, its late chairman, and places on record its appreciation of his continuous and unstinted elfoi ts ou behalf of iho Board and distiict, realising that the Board’s p e;cnt proud position is in a great measure due to the foresight, energy acd enthusiasm of Mr Strange. Mr Grace seconded.

Mr Thomas, supporting, referred briefly to the initiation of the present Board, aud gave great credit for this progressive move to the late chairman, who had proved himself a very capable chairman aud a publicspirited miu,

Mr Miller siid he was coufideut there was no suspicion of wrong practice on Mr Strange's part. He applauded the resolution proposed by the chairman.

Messrs McCormick, Flatt and Price added their quota to the tribute pa : d Mr Stiaage. Mr Flatt, sdd Mr Strange bad made a sacrifice i 1 tho public interest, and ho (die speako l ) hoped that some steps would bo taken bjr iutorestod bodies to have the disqualification re moved.

Mr Puhlen suggested passiug a resolution i:a the direction of having the disqualification remov-d

The chairman said that whi'e he had every sympathy with the suggestion, it would be a daugerous precedent to create. The Audit Departmint had ix ended every consideration in its action, aud plainly were only acting in accordance with the law.

Mr Pohlen said he had hoped that Parliament could be moved to remove the disqualification by November next, so that Mr Strange could contest a vacancy.

Mr Anderson said he would like to know if it were possible t> achieve the object desired ; he feared not.

The ehairmau said it was obvious there was need for somo such regulation as applied to Power Boards Personally he would like very much to see Mr Strange back as a memb?r of the Beard and chairman of it, but he thought the chances of having him reinstated were small.

No action was accordingly taken, beyond carrying Mr Olaxton’s motion. The Coromandel Couuty Council wrote asking the prospects of the Board extending its reticulation to the Coromandel peninsular. It was pointed out that the peninsular is outside the Board’s area

The engineers were instructed to report to next meeting, and meantime to supply C3rtain information to the Coromandel County Council.

Members : nd?cated that there is little likelihood of the peninsular being reticu'ated for some years to come.

Mr A iderson asked for some information bearing on a newspaper statement that the peak load at Horahora occurred one night nee itly after 11 o’clock. If this were so it seemed to him that it would be useless lrakiug up any more milking plants. The opinion was expressed tlia L the statement was incorrect. In a few mouths’ time a lurther 4000 h.p. would be available at Horahora by the addit'ou of two more tu* bines, thus practically doubling the available p. wer. It Wii> decided to support the proposal for holdiug a coufernico of all power boards with a view to discussing several matters of policy affecting the whole of the boards.

A deputation from Walton, beaded by Mr W. McLean, waited on the Board seeking information as to when that district would be reticulated.

Mr Moroney stated the cas”, asking which route the Hue would take, and when the power would be available. Mr McLeod, engineer, said it was proposed to extend the line from Ngarua to Walton and then along the Richmond Downs road. So tar the cauvas3 for consumers was very satisfactory. The line np to Harris’ corner should le ready for supply to. wards the md of September. Mr McLean anticipated a satiofac tory demand for power on all roads within a radius of, say, five miles from Walton. The lino, when to link up at Waharoa, would servo a good district also The p alicy was to er<ct lines along all roads where there ato approximately four consumers p’r mile of lino.

Mr McLeod exp’aiued the method of charging for power used for dairying on the butterfat basis. A producer of say 10,0001bs of buttorfat would pay about £25 per yea*. Mr Moroney thought the producer of 25,0001 bs of butterfat suffered a hardship by having to pay at the rate of one-third of a penny per lb. oyer a production of 70001 b of butterfat. Tho ehairmau said the Board was i not allowed to make a profit on its

operations, aud if it were found in practice that the prices charged f >r power were giving a better retu 11 than required, an adjustment wou d be made, providing for lower charg s all round

Mr Attwood said his butterfat p odaetion last season was 29,613'h. His berzine charges were £3O 13s 9 l “ over a'l.” The charge for electncity would be £39 If the Bom l could reduce its charges to the lev l of that for benzine or any other o' iversal power, every farmer in t! e wholo area would linkup.

The chairman slid at present tlfcei.o were no prospects of a reduction i i chargep. The Board members ffofo in the position of directors and the ratepayers wero likened to shareholders. The Board’s endeavors were all in the direction of successful almitiistratiou. If the revenue does not meet expenses then a rate would hav i to bo struck and collected over the whole of tho lauds in the Board’d area.

Mr Moroney understood that tl e Te Awamatu Power Board was installing meterp, and dairymen there were finding the cost considerably loss than benzine.

To a question, Mr Marouey said ha was not aware that the To Awamutu district consumers had al?o tojiay a rate. This may make all the difference.

Mr Wallace asked that a canvasser be sent to his locality, particularly on the Ngatua.Piakoiti aud Kiwitahi roads

This was promieed for au early date, and the Farmers' Union branch will be asked to co-operate.

The deputation then thanked the Board and withdrew. It was decided to advise the Tokoroa Progress League that there is no immediate prospect of being able to reticulate that dis riot.

The Te Aroha Town Clerk advise# that the Power Board offices wete valued for rating purposos at £450 . Heceivtd. It was decided to canvas? the Maugat paru distric’, 12 miles from Murrinsville, and if sufficient indue ra *nt offers, a power Hue will bo taken into that distrii t. Applicatiou was made by the BiPis?h Dominions Insurance Co. for a, renewal of the accident risk policy.— Agreed to, as tho company has been called upon ou several occasions last year to pry claims Complaint was made by the. Thames County Couu il that poles 5 had been elect'd too close to the roadway.

Cr 801 l said ho understood the Board's engineers wore to confer with the county eugiueer respecting tho pole line*, so as to avoid the cost of erecting poles twice. The engineer said there was a patch of very rotten peat swamp to cross, aud in doing so the giug had put up poles too close to .the road. The troublo had siuce been rectified.

The chairman said at present Hauraki Plains County ha 3 no direct representation. Ohinemuri has only one member.

Mr Anderson —By any readjustment Ohinemuri will only have one. The chairman sugg -sted members devote son\e thought :o a more equitable adjustment of representation, Mr Arthur queetioied Ihe valuition of Te A ohi Borough. It seemed to him that a big mistake hid been male. He thought each county should have two representatives aid other local bodiei oue representative.

Mr Price qno'cd figures that he claimed were up-to-date. Thames Borough, valued 1921 3670 acrep, pipulatioi 4765, ra‘epayers 1050, capital value £777,460. To Aroha Borough, 1916—2965, acres, population 2109, ratepayers 412, capital value £304,420. Paeroa Borough. 1920 acres, population 1645, ratepayers 400, capital value £363,120. Morrinsville Borough, 1921—970 aces, population 1327. ratepayers 362, capital value £518,985

Matamata Town District, 192 L— T 950 acres, population 816. ratepayers 228, capital value £408,200. Hauraki] Plains County, 1917 202,240 acres, population 3360, ratepayers 835, capital value £1,709,400. Tham's County, 1917-19—264,320 acres, population 1780, ratepayers 726, capital value £582,198.

Ohinemari Couuty, 1917.19 156,010 acres, population 2643, ratepayers 841, capital value £688,513. Piako County, 1917—297,105 acres, J population 6095, ratepayers 1398, capital value £5,532,110. Matamata County, 191 S-602.000 acres, population 4982, ratepayers 1007, capital value £2,940,935. Proceeding, Mr Price said there was a doubt whether tho Board could carry on for long without striking a rate. Ho was glad to kuow that the South Auckland Power Boards League had rejected a proposal to striko a non-cousumera’ rate.

Mr Arthur said the figures quoted by Mr Price showed that Te Aroha’s valuation was made six years ago. The town had grown in that period quite as fast as any other centre. Ho thought it hardly fair that if tho ceutres had one representative, (hen, on the capital value basis, the couuties Tshould he restricted to only two meube’-s. He suggested that the Board should appoint a special sub committee to invest : gate aud report to next meeting. Tho matter was important, and should bo dealt with very care'ully. The chairman agreed, adding that some dissatisfaction seemed auavoidable. * Mr Anderson thought tro Finance Committea should repoit to next meeting ou tho whole question of representation. He moved to this effect. Mr Pohlen seconded. Mr Miller wauted the matter dealt with at once. Ho suggested the same lopreseutatiou as at present except to give one of Thames County’s represmtatives to Hauraki Plains Couuty. Ou the capital va'uo basis, Piako Couuty would probably bo entitled to threo members. Morriusville and Matamata (was well represented by one member for tho two centres. Mr Pohlen thought the population basis would not bo equitable. Mr Thomas' motion was carried.