HYDROELECTRIC POWER

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1927, Page 7

HYDROELECTRIC POWER

OPERATIONS AT TAR!KI CUESTION OF TARATA EXTENSION. MEETING OF THE BOARD. (From Our Own Reporter.) Eltham, Oct. 16. The monthly meeting of the Taranaki Slectric Power Board was held at El sham to-day. Present: M ssrs. H. G. Carman (chairman), W. H, Were, C. E. McGuinness, T. R. Anderson, C. Foreman, J. T. Belcher, J. Dobson and R. J. Knuekey. The resident engineer (Mr. B. 11. Goldsmith) “The number of consumers to date is 1362. Twelve installations are waiting for connection and 121 further authorities are signed. The majority of these applications are for lighting and heating, although a few milking motor installations are still being authorised. These are being given preference. The number of units generated during September was 369,000, the maximum of 790 kilowatts occurring on the 2nd, 6th and llth.

During the recent dry spell, power has been supplied to New Plymouth on six days, the demand rising on occasion as high as 1100 horse-power, thus exceeding the load in the board's own district, ft is interesting to note in this connection that, in spite of the dry spell, very little water has been required from the Maunganui River, water not being required from this source for the full 24 hours on any day. In spite of the big loads experienced at the power-station, there has always been a considerable Sow over the weir at Tariki, and from measurements taken it appears that less than one-quarter of the available water has been used during this period. No call has been made on the reserve water in the lake. This must be looked on as a very satisfactory state of affairs and indicating that there is a very big margin between the quantity of water required and the amount available. HEATING ELTHAM -SCHOOL. The experiment recently carried out xt the Eltham school has not been a success. The maximum amount which the jommittee could pay for the service was xtated, and it was found that the biggest elements which could be installed So keep the cost below this maximum, Were insufficient to heat the building rdequately. As the system was treated an the same basis as w-ater heating systems, the charge for which is approximately one-third of a penny per unit, it loes not appear that the heating of Jhis school is a practicable proposition ’ unless the committee is able to considerably increase the amount of money available for this purpose. Poles have been erected on the-Jdaii-»uha Road as (ar as Mr. Baker’s, and on Toko Road to Mr. A. Martell's, both from the Huinga factory, and on the eross road from the main line to Mr. Maseheski’s. Pukengahu Road has been started and should’be finished at an early date. Wire has been erected on the Douglas line as .ar as Douglas (low pressure to Douglas hall), on the Old ®hura Road to Mr. Bredow’s, and the eross road. An adjustment has been made of line at Mr. Rankin's. Preparations have been made for one transformer on Hastings Road. A start was made laying poles on Standish Road Jo-day. Thirty-five service connections were returned and 21 go in next reek. Reporting in connection with the proposed Tarata extension area, the engineer stated:—The canvass and general survey of this area has now been completed and from the results obtained it does not appear probable that a loan for this area would be carried, if placed before the ratepayers. The number of ratepayers who have signed the petition is nine and the number of possible consumers in the area is about 25. None of the settlers who did not sign the peti--,ion are willing to eign agreennnts for installations of any nature, although tome would doubtless do so if the lines were actually erected. The fear of a •"te is the reason for the opposition diown by those who are not in favour if the proposal. •SERVICE TO COUNTRY SCHOOLS. Mr. Were: “I see there has been a fair tmount of power distributed t> New Plymouth during the month.” He went »n to complain of the light being uniteady of late. The engineer said that tests had been tarried out during the week-end and they would be responsible for the Irouble. Mr. Were said he had heard several tomplaints previously, and the engineer laid the trouble must have been local. He would investigate it. Mr. Were asked if the experiments tarried out at the Eltham School were n connection with tjie heating of the building. The engineer said this was so, but ao pointed out that the school was of concrete and was somewhat cold, while the amount of mcney the committee was able to spend was limited and was not nearly sufficient to heat the school satisfactorily. As it was he understood She system of heating with the use of wood and coal fuel had not been too satisfactory. The heating of the Mahoe School was quite satisfactory. The engineer said that in his opinion, In wooden country schools electric heatng was going to be quite satisfactory. To Mr. McGuinness the engineer said die Hastings Road would be livened up that afternoon. Mr. W. M. Williams, of Ratapiko, wrote stating that he had spoken to most of the farmers on the Mana Road ind they seemed desirous of taking electric power, having asked him to" write for information, on the receipt of which they would hold a meeting. If, in the event of their agreeing to take sufficient power to warrant the board running c Service line up the Mana Road, the writer asked what procedure should be ■aken to bring them within the Power Board area.- —It was decided to suoply the information. The chairman and mgineer were appointed to attend the meeting.