SUPPLY OF POWER.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1924, Page 3

SUPPLY OF POWER.

TARANAKI SCHEME. THE PROGRESS OF WORK. MEETING OF POWER BOARD. I . The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Power Board was held at Eltham yest.tr day. Present: Messrs H. G. CarmJn (chairman), W. H. Were, J. L. Campbell, C. E. McGuinness, T. R. Anderson, V. Harkness and G. Songster. The Public Works Department, replying to the board’s request that power boards be placed on the same footing as the public Works Department in regard to exemption from tolls under the Public Works A<jt, advised that tbe request could not be acceded to. To exempt power boards would require an amendment to the Public Works Act, and, as local bodies are not exempt, no such amendment could be considered. — On the motion of Mr. Campbell, it was deaided. to recommend the Government to abolish toll gates as soon as the Motor Vehicles Bill comes into operation. The Eltham Borough Council wrote agreeing to give the matter of asphalting the footpath in front of the board’s new premises favourable consideration when the estimates were being dealt with for the current year.—’Passed. The secretary of the Taranaki branch of the New Zealand Society of Civil Engineers wrote accepting the board’s invitation to members of his society to visit the board’s works at Tariki and Motukawa. The society further wrote inviting members of the power board to attend a meeting of the society at Tari'ki and Motukawa on Tuesday, September 23.—The invitation was accepted and six members signified their intention of attending. The engineers were authorised to secure trees for planting in vacant sections at the head works. REPORT OF ENGINEERS. The engineers (Messrs H. W. Climie and Son) reported; — Contracts. —The contractors for No. 2 adit, after driving 160 feet have struck the same consolidated sand as was found in the first adit. The contractor for the supply of gravel for metalling Motukawa Road has now quarried over 400 yards, which has been spread by the board’s workmen. The road is now in very fair order.

Main tunnel.—The engineer for the contractors has been watching the operations of the tunnelling machine and correcting defects during the past four weeks. The resulting improvement was so great that the official tests of the machine were carried out at the beginning of the month. The average speed of advance throughout the test was three feet three inches per hour. The cutting time included all stops required for laying rails in front of the machine, replacing picks and for shifting up the transom which takes the thrust of the machine. The greatest advance during any single hour was five feet. The test may be considered very satisfactory, as the grey papa in which the machine was working was considerably harder than the sample material on which the guarantee was based. It is to be regretted that the full fifty hours run could not be completed, as the machine ran into boulders after completing half this period. During the past week further boulders have been met with, one about every five feet, and progress has been slow, as considerable delays occur when removing them by hand. Similar boulders were met with in No. 3 adit, which is now about 200 feet ahead of the machine. Once the boulders are passed it is expected that working three shifts on the average half a chain of tunnel can be driven each day. It is intended to commence worthing a - third shift next week. A tiphead is being constructed at No. 3 adit, and arrangements are being made to transfer to there the smithy and machine shop as well as the battery charging equipment. A comfortable camp has now been established up the hill near the tunnel entrance. RETICULATION WORK. The engineers reported upon the reticulation as follows:

Overhead lines.—Two pole erection gangs, one cable erecting gang and one small gang erecting services have been employed during the month. The pole line has been carried south via Midhirst, along the Mountain Road to the Pembroke Road, and northwards from Tariki to the Norfolk Road. It is proposed to carry this line on to the Maketawa Factory, and pick up a load of 30 h.p. there as soon as possible. It is proposed to commence with another cable erection gang at the north end at the beginning of October. The foreman in this case will provide his own lorry at 10s per day. The balance of the poles and special structures have been erected in Eltham with the exception of a few ii Conway Road. About half the cables have been erected in Eltham. Failing a supply either from Opunake or Kaponga it is proposed to push ahead with the line via Cardiff to couple up the Tariki with the dairy company’s hydro supply at Eltham. Concrete Poles. —The gang making concrete poles at Tariki has been doubled and the output correspondingly increased. With fine weather an output of 450 poles per month can be. expected. If this output is maintained the total cost of poles will be about 63s each. This is no greater than .the cost of equivalent natural round ironbark poles in the ships slings at main port. During the month the lorry and trailer has delivered all poles over a month old. The first consignment of bluegum poles has just come to hand and appear to be of good quality. It is proposed to ring these at the top to prevent sun cracks. No further supplies of ironbark poles are in sight. The lack of these poles which are required for transformer and other special structures is causing some concern. Temporary supply.—The Eltham Dairy Co has completed the erection of their new 135 h.p. turbine, and the concrete is now being tested out. The foundation for the board’s generator is now being placed, and the erection of the gen erator commenced at once. 'Chis plant should be in operation in about a month’s time. The reports were adopted.