SOUTH TARANAKI POWER

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1931, Page 10

SOUTH TARANAKI POWER

REPRESENTATION OF PATEA. ANOTHER MEMBER SOUGHT. The appointment of a second representative of the Patea County on the South Taranaki Power Board was mentioned at the board meeting last night. Mr. R; J. Watt, Kakaramea, was mentioned as a possible member. The chairman, Mr. J. B. Murdoch, explained the position resulting from only one nomination for the two' Patea seats.: There was not provision in the Act for recommending suitable niembers, and he considered that if Mr. Frank Parsons, the other Patea representative, could suggest someone suitable the board would be justified in forwarding his name, perhaps through the Patea City Council, to the Public Works Department..

As ho was from Whenuakura Mr. Parsons thought the other representative should be someone from the north end of the county. Though he had not approached him he considered that Mr. Watt, a member of the Patea County Council, would be an excellent member. Mr. A. J. Gibbs, Alton, he knew had refused nomination.

The chairman said they wanted the other member as soon as possible as the reticulation proposals should be submitted to Patea county ratepayers in the near future. If, the .Patea people wished to have the reticulation it would he cheaper and better to take advantage of tho summer. Should it take some time to secure another member they would have to go ahead with only one Patea representative. The Patea borough was “right up against it” and wanted the power as soon as possible. The more people who used the line to the borough tho better. ' ■ ; Mr. Parsons asked whether failing Air. Watt he should approach someone else. This was agreed to. An increase of 47,990 units generated and 108 k.w. in the maximum demand in the comparison of May, 1930, and 193.1, was reported to the board by the engineer, Air. T. R, Overton. The increase in 'connected load for the month was 26.62 k.w. J..." ' '

Five new consumers had been connected, bringing the total to 2796. New light points numbered 53 and heat pointe 40 and - one zwaferheater had been connected. In the A'uroa district work had'commenced on the upper Auroa’Road and the connection between Skeet and South Roads. At Normanby township 23 chains of new low tension fine had been erected. On Goodson Road a 10 k.v.a. transformer and three isolating switches had been erected and the high tension line extended three chains. A number of service lines had been completed. On Glover Road from the factory to Ketemarac Road the line had been re-arranged, poles extended and wires re-strung for 65 chains of high tension and 22 chains of low tension. At Ohangai Road 13 poles had been laid out to replace silver pine poles, extensions fitted and double circuit 11,000 volt lines erected for’ a distance of 45 chains. The railway crossing at the corner of Ohangai and Waihi Roads had been completed. Along the Ketemarac Road from Ohangai to Mawhitiwhiti Road 20 poles had been erected and fitted for double 11,000 volt lines, completing 45 chains of the latter and 55 chains of new low tension. On the Ketemarae Road from Whenuku Road to Glover Road the line had been re-arranged, 50 chains of 11,000 volt line being re-strung and 20 chains of ' low tension wires doubled, a transformer structure fitted and, isolating links for Whenuku Road lino completed. The double circuit line between the Government, sub-station site and the power house had been connected through. The stretch between Normanby and Austin Road was now under way. A short stretch on Waihi Road was being rc-insplated for 11,000 volts. WIRING REGULATION. AUCKLAND PROTEST SUPPORTED. A decision to support the Auckland Power Board’s, opposition to making the proposed electrical wiremen’s regulations mandatory and without exception wasmade by the South x Taranaki Power Board last night. Thp Public Works Department forwarded a draft of the proposed electrical .wiring regulations which, it was stated, should be perused carefully to see that they were reasonable and could be complied with in practice because they would be enforced. The Auckland board wrote noting with apprehension two items. The first was that the registrations were to be mandatory and without exception. It was impossible to make a set of regulations mandatory without exception, the board

claimed,, as so many sets, of conditions and. circumstances arose. The /second was the holding of inspectors responsible to the. registration board. This Was an encroachment' oh the supply authorities’ control. to which the Auckland board could never agree. It was essential that the boards combine to combat these objections. ; ; The engineer, ,Mr. T. R. Overton, thought the objections were reasonable. The regulations would hot .always apply, ha said. In one district the system of, supply might be such as a certain type of wiring would be suitable while it might hot be under other' conditions. He did not think they could enforce regulations without common-sense. At any rate they could not get justice if they did. . ■ The chairman, .Mr. J. B. Murdoch: We should have discretion. ' It Was decided to support the Auckland board. ■ .'.;■/. ■■■■ hawera entertainments, “CITY LIGHTS” AT OPERA HOUSE. Charlie Chaplin in “City Lights" will appear at the .Hawera Opera . House today at 2 p.m., to-night at S pan., on Monday afternoon and finally in the evening. The action of the play is in any metropolitan city. And from the populace Chaplain has drawn three individuals and around them ■ woven a story. As usual he is the tramp, while the main supporting. cast are the characters of-an eccentric millionaire and a blind girl. - At the Grand Theatre, Hawera, tonight and finally on; Monday -night JZane Grey’s “Last’ of the Duanes” and “Soup to Nuts” will be shown.