ELECTRIC POWER

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6596, 7 May 1925, Page 8

ELECTRIC POWER

MEETING OF THAMES VALLEY BOARD The ordinary meeting of e the Thames Valley Power Board was held on Tuesday. Present: Messrs F. H. Claxton (chairman), F. M. Strange, P. Grace, W. E. G. Willey, Geo. Howie, J. Pohlen, E. W. McCormick, G. Price, G. W. Andrews, J. Thomas, C. A. Arthur, R. Sprague (manager), and N. G. McLeod (engineer). The chairman said he was very pleased to see that the old members who had to go before the ratepayers had been returned. It showed that the ratepayers had confidence in the policy of the Board.

Mr Price said he was quite satisfied that the ratepayers could not be better served than by the members who had been returned unopposed. A complaint that damage had been caused to a roof in installing electricity by the Board’s workmen led to a discussion in which one member stated that he himself had seen the dints in the roof of a house caused by the workmen.

The engineer said that the iron on some roofs was so thin that it was almost impossible to avoid damage.' In the case before the Board an offer had been made by the manager to supply five new sheets of iron to replace the damaged sheets, the owner of the property, to place them in position. No reply had been received to this offer.

Correspondence was read showing that a complaint that a certain consumer was not paying th§ increased rate Was without foundation. The Public Works Department forwarded a form which the Board was asked to fill in showing the unit consumption and the maximum K.W. occurring in connection with the supply of the Department to the Board for the year April Ist, 1924, to March 31st, 1925. —Received. The Department wrote asking for figures of the expected revenue from Waihi. The maximum charge of £lO per month, the letter stated, corresponded roughly to a demand of 10 K.V.A. or 2400 units at Id, that is 10 K.V.A. at 33 1-3 load factor. The minimum charge was equivalent to a higher rate on a smaller demand than the above. In the case of Waihi it was thought that there would be a revenue of £240 to the Department apart from the minimum. Altering standard rates required a good deal of justification and the first point that required to be shown was that in this particular case the load would be so small that the minimum would mean some degree of hardship. The Department wanted to know the Board’s general practice, that is, what was the smallest demand at points of tapping the 11,000 volt lines. The engineer said he had sent a clear explanation to the Dpartment. The Department worked upon a different basis to the Board. The Board wanted a minimum revenue for a certain expenditure, but the Department wanted a minimum revenue irrespective of outlay. If the 11,000 volt line was tapped a return payable to the Board would be obtained and the Department would gain also but would not receive the minimum they required. The Board could construct an 11,000 volt line themselves, but it would be waste of money to do so when such a line was already there. The Public Works engineer, writing with reference to the broken 3000 volt wire on No. 7 road, Waitoa, on April 13th, asked whether the protective device on the circuit had operated.—lnformation supplied. The Te Aroha Borough Council wrote agreeing to sell to the Board a section next to the Board’s buildings for £3OO, all costs of transfer to be borne by the purchaser.

The chairman said the section was indispensable to the Board and he did not think the cost excessive, especially as they had had the use of it in the past free of charge. On the motion of the chairman the offer was accepted. Mr Pohlen moved that the Borough Council be thanked for the free use of the section for a number of years. This was carried.

Cr. Willey said he understood that the local authorities had demanded a deposit of £3 from candidates for election to the Board. He questioned the right of a local body to demand sucn a deposit. Comment was made on the fact that in the letter from the Thames town clerk notifying Mr Claxton’s return it was stated that he was the representative of the Thames Borough Council instead of the Thames Borough. The notice from the Te Aroha Borough Council was in the right form and stated that Mr Arthur

had been returned to represent the Borough. The Australian Mutual Provident Society forwarded cheque for £SOOO, instalment on loan. The interest would be due at their head ofiice, Sydney, on June Ist next. —Received. Mr A. Jagger (Wairere ‘Settlement) wrote stating that he had learned that he could not proceed with his installation because Mr J. Scanlon had cancelled his installation. He had seen Mr Scanlon, who had stated that he had merely postponed his application for eleven months on account of the heavy loss when he should change the i-h.p. motor for a larger one. Mr Scanlon would be quite willing to let his application stand if it only cost a difference of £9 or £lO, or a loss of say £4 on the i-h.p. motor in the case of exchanging for a 2-h.p. motor at the end of the season. In an attached report it was stated that the estimated revenue was £2B 17, and the revenue required was £36 10/-. Mr McLeod said he understood that the letter was not quite correct in that Mr Scanlon would not be prepared to put in a larger motor for two. years. It was decided to grant a service line.

-Mr Geo. Smerle, flax miller (Kaihere), writing with regard to the hours fixed by the Board for using power at flaxmills, stated it was not very convenient to start work at 7.30 and finish at 4.30. He asked the Board to agree to a guarantee he had given the chairman and engineer, and asked if it would be possible to supply him with current by August next.

The chairman said the minimum the Board would accept had been stated, and it was for Mr Smerle to say now whether he was agreeable to their terms.

The private secretary to the Prime Minister telegraphed thanking the members of the Board for their kind expressions of sympathy and good wishes contained in their telegram of April 16th, which had been gratefully appreciated by Mrs Massey and her family.—Received. Mr J. J. H. Wilson wrote accepting the position of assistant engineer.— Received.

Mr E. Fielder wrote accepting the position of distribution engineer.— Received.

The secretary to the Rising Sun Goldmining Company wrote stating that the new company had been registered and when share closed on May 7th he would be in a position to advise when arrears for electric current would be paid off. r • : •• In a letter to the Company the manager had pointed out that the arrears were very large, dating back to the quarter ending September 30th, 1924. The Company undertook to send £SO weekly and this had ceased for a considerable time. The Board considered that it had treated the Company exceedingly well and a cheque within seven days was demanded.

The following resolution was forwarded by the Hauraki Plains Chamber of Commerce, with the request that the Board make a statement on the matter: “That this Chamber protests to the Thames Valley Power Board against the levying of £1 minimum rate on separate sub-divisions occupied as one holding, and that this Chamber considers such levy to be contrary to the spirit of section 4, or in particular sub-sections 3 and 4 thereof of the Electric Power Boards Amendment Act, 1923.” The chairman said the Hauraki Plains Chamber of Commerce were on the wrong track. The Board did not levy the rate on separate sections held as one holding. The Electric Power Boards’ Association advised that the annual conference of delegates from affiliated Boards and lighting authorities would be held during the first week in August next. Remits for inclusion in the order paper should reach the secretary before May 31st. Mr Willey thought they should endeavour to get the power to force owners to cut trees.

The chairman: They tried at the last conference and failed.

Mr Strange: It was thought arbitrary and unjust. The engineer: County Councils have the power to cut trees.

The manager said that the Post and Telegraph Department had the power also.

Mr Strange said that in the first place the Boards had the power to cut trees but the representative of the Southland Board had stated a case against it and the Minister had sided with him.

On the motion of Mr Willey it was decided to forward a remit to the conference asking for a restitution of

the powers the Power Boards had lost.

In reply to a statement that any property owner who allowed a tree to fall across the wires throwing the lines out of action was liable to damages, it was pointed out that the Board could not sue on behalf of its ratepayers, and each ratepayer suffering injury would have to sue for damages himself. Mr D. Leach (Paeroa) -wrote in conection with the charges levied on a 3-h.p. motor installed in his bakehouse, and sought a reduction on the minimum charge for the reasons that the motor was not in use during the peak hours. The average time the motor was running was five hours a day. On the meter he would pay £3 18/- a year, but on the Board’s minimum he would pay £l9 a year. He considered a fair charge would be £B. —The secretary had replied that if a guarantee was given that the motor would not be/used between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. only £4 10/- would be charged. In any case the minimum charge was not £l9 but £l6.

The chairman questioned whether the Board should accept a written guarantee that the motor would not be used between certain hours. A man may, without intending to be dishonest, use power when he wanted it, irrespective of the guarantee. He saw no hardships in complying with the Board’s regulations. He had two motors himself and paid on the basis to which Mr Leach objected. It was decided to inform Mr Leach that he must pay the ordinary minimum charge or go on a time switch for which £4 a year would have to be charged if the switch was not purchased right out by him. Mrs M. A. Cornes, Mataura Road, Waihi wrote submitting the names of ten settlers on that road who were willing to take electricity for power and lighting if the Board would erect the lines at a reasonable cost and in time for the milking season. —lt was decided to make a canvas of the district.

Mr Herbert P. Bathe, Puketurua, wrote asking that, as some of the farmers in the district contemplated putting in new engines, could the Board give any definite answer as to whether they c.ould expect the power for next milking season. —It was stated that power would be available for next milking season. The report of the special Finance Committee was adopted as follows: Transformers and Lighting Amesters: We recommend that tenders for the purchase of transformers and lighting amesters be called.

Mr Fielder’s Car: We recommend that the purchase of Mr Fielder’s car be deferred until inspected by the Board members. Tirau Truck: We recommend that a half-ton truck be obtained to replace the present truck at Tirau. Re Accident at Wardville Road: We recommend that the wireman in charge be suspended for one month for not making the line “dead,” and that any employee from this date not carrying out the safety regulations will be instantly dismissed, and that in the case of any accident, that the engineer notify the nearest available member when making inquiries.— Adopted. On the motion of Mr Strange it was decided that the Board purchase a new car for Mr Fielder.