POWER FOR OPUNAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 13 July 1929, Page 9

POWER FOR OPUNAKE

MEETING OF THE BOARD. DEPARTMENTAL ACTIVITIES. The Opunake Electric Power Board met yesterday, Mr. George Goodwin presiding. The secretary (Mr. J. N. Stephenson) reported that revenue for April and May was: Light, £857 15s; milking power, £478 3s 3d; industrial power, £2BB 13s Ud; stoves, £169 18s 4d; water heaters, £94 Ils 3d; penalties, £3l 6s lOd; total, £1920 Bs.7d.

Owing to restricted services during these months last year, a true comparison between the two years could not be made, but a satisfactory increase would be shown. The meters were being read this month.

Without much encouragement being offered, there was a very steady demand for power of all descriptions, inquiries being received almost every day for milking motors and stoves in particular. The time appeared to be approaching when all-electric homes and farms would be universal.

The engineer (Mr. T. B. Mereon) reported that the total units generated for June had been 11,100, as against 103,100 units for the same month, 1928. The demand made on the station was 320 k.w., as against 290 k.w. for the corresponding month last year. Due to the extremely violent weather during the month it had been difficult to maintain essential services, even without bein<r able to attend to construction or other works. A pole had broken at the ground line on the Waitino Road, fortunately doing no damage to anyone. A ten k.v.a. transformer had also been destroyed during the recent storms. Poles had been laid out on the Opurapa Road. No construction had been commenced on the section, as practically the whole of the staff were laid up with influenza. The following connections had been made during the month: Lighting points 12, heating 2, water pumps 1 i h.p., ranges 2. The report was adopted. The action of the committee in procuring a new motor for transport purnoses was approved. In reply to a letter as to whether the society would reimburse the Opunake Power Board for the cost of erecting notice boards at the board’s reservoir, warning trespassers against interfering with the birds on the lake, the secretary of the Taranaki Acclimatisation Society (Mr. Vai. Duff) stated that as the lake in question had already been declared a game sanctuary, the society felt the question of checking trespassers was a matter for the local police. Furthermore, every license-holder was deemed to known of the existence of all sanctuaries, and it would be no defence for a trespasser to plead that he was not' aware that 'he lake was a sanctuary. The board would understand that if the society agreed to the erection of notice boards it would be besieged with similar requests from other parts of the district. An advertisement drawing attention to the existence of the sanctuary should be all that was necessary, although there was no reason why the board should go even to that expense.

The chairman was appointed the board’s delegate at the annual conference of the New Zealand Power Boards to be held at Wellington on July 24.