ELECTRICAL POWER

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6572, 5 February 1925, Page 4

ELECTRICAL POWER

REPORTS TO THAMES VALLEY BOARD MANAGER’S REPORT The report of the manager (Mr R. Sprague) to the Thames Valley Power Board on Tuesday was as follows: — The schooner A. K. Hall and the steamer Kawatiri arrived in Auckland at the beginning o fthe month with 501 and 438 poles respectively. Owing to the shortage of railway trucks, and the necessity for carting from the wharf to the rail, all of these poles were forwarded by water to the dump at Kopu. The “Louis Theriault” arrived at Kopu with 1205 poles on the 22nd. These have now been discharged and the “Theriault” sailed on Sunday, Ist February.

There are now ample stocks of poles to last for some months and a further charter of the boat was not made.

On the 20th December the official turning on of electricity at Waihiwas performed by the Hon. J. G. Coates, Minister for public works, the Board being represented by the ••• chairman (Mr F. H. Claxton), and Messrs Strange and Grace. There are now practically 70 consumers connected in the Borough to the Board’s mains.

Non-consumers Rate: Quite a number of rate notices have now been posted to ratepayers and strong exception has been taken to the minimum of £1 as set out in section 4 of the Power Board Amended Act, 1923. I have explained that the Board endeavoured to reduce the minimum to 5/- at the last Power Board’s Conference, which was endorsed by the delegates, and to date no amendment to this section of the Act has been made. I would suggest that further representation be made to the Power Boards’ executive asking the Government to reduce the minimum to 5/-, and also to adjust quite a number of anomalies, any alterations to be retrospective. A number of rate demands have been posted to consumers in error, owing to owners of properties having tenants in occupation, and the supply of electricity being taken by the tenants, and paid for by them, and not by the owner whose name appears in the Valuation Roll from which the rate book is written up. However, upon being notified that the properties rated are using electricity, adjustments are made, and a memo, is now attached to each rate demand, to the effect that if electricity is used on the property for the year ending 31/3/25, same will be supplied free to the amount of the rate, and if the supply is not available within 10 chains of the property boundary, the rate does not apply. McCardle v. the Board: The court case McCardle v. the Board for loss of horse through eating washing soda at Kiwitahi was hard at the Magistrate’s Court, Mordnsville, on December 16th, McCardle receiving judgment for £63 0/6. Meeting: A special meeting of the Board was held on Monday, 22nd December, at 7.30 p.m.. when the rate for the Availability Rate whs made and levied. Consumers: The total number of consumers connected to the Board’s mains to 31/1/25 is 4646, which includes the boroughs of Te Aroha and Thames. Lighting and heating consumers to the number of 166, and 58 farmers’ motors, qf which 47 are 2h.p. milking motors, have been connected since last meeting.

The total number of motors connected and running on farms is 1160, of which 1038 arc 2-h.p. milking motors. There were also connected one 5-h.p., one 3-h.p., seven 2-h.p., one 1-h.p. and two l-h.p. motors on meter rates.