POWER BOARD.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18614, 9 July 1930, Page 10

POWER BOARD.

ORDINARY MEETING. An ordinary meeting of the South Canterbury Electric Power Board was held yesterday. Presentfe-Messrs JKennedy (chairman), C. J. Talbot, S. I. Fitch, W. Angland. W. E. Mills, H. a. Mathers, A. N. Oakey, W. hayman and G. Saunders. The Chairman’s Statement. The chairman in his monthly statement said that on the 7th inst.. with the engineer-secretary, he made a tour of inspection, covering extensions in hand at Pee; F'orest, Seadown, Gordon’s Valley. Pareora, and Bradshaw’s Road* Willowbridge. They also inspected the Four Peaks line and authorised the shifting of a pole which due to river erosion had become a menace to traffic near Barker's Bridge. During the month they were visited by the Deputy-Auditor-General who spent considerable time in the office. The usual matters were gone into, including the system of administrating six different areas, and he expressed his satisfaction with the system in force. The Audit Department did not look upon this Board’s business as being hived off into six water tight compartments, but treat the balance sheet with regard to revenue and expenditure from same, as being one large business. The engineer-secretary had been approached by two consumers to have their guarantees reduced—the guarantees in question both exceeding the consumption of electricity. They have, of course, many similar instances, and where guarantors had seen fit to leave unused, part of their guarantees, they had the satisfaction of knowing that they had assisted in the progress of the district, by making poSvSible the supply of electrical energy wheit otherwise it would not have been possible. One of the applicants had however, purchased an electric range, and the other was at present seriously considering a move in the same direction. Although the income from guaranteed lines considerably exceeded the guarantees, consumers must realise that the bulk of the work was carried out on a 12£ per cent, guarantee basis, and due to compulsory depreciation it was now necessary to have a revenue of from 15 to 16 per cent, on the capital expenditure. There wore no debentures sold during the month. Engineer-Secretary’s Report. The engineer-secretary (Mr G. W. Morrison), reported: When appointing the Boards maintenance staff, sufficient hands were provided to cope with faults at a maximum, and there were times when the staff was pressed with work. There were, however, slack periods ,and it was then that they were employed on constructional work. The expense of an adequate and efficient maintenance staff to look after the Board's vast and scattered network of distribution would be great, were it not for the constructional work carried out, and meter reading. The only inconvenience was that a new consumer might during a busy j period, be required to wait a day or two longer for connection. There had been an abnormal number of broken high tension wires on the Seadowu line, no fewer than seven breaks occurring in four days. The trouble was due to resonant vibration causing the insulators to wear away and weaken the wire. The breaks occurred generally between the hours of 3 and 4 a.m. The staff however, was successful in restoring continuity of supply before energy was required by consumers. Broken portions of the wires had been cut out and would be forwarded to the chief electrical engineer, together with a report. Due to increased demand in the northern section of Fairlie township, it would be necessary to increase the capacity of the cables in that area. This work would be put in hand this week. There was now very little of the original reticulation left in Fairlie. The static condensers for Temuka substation came to hand during the month, and when these were installed together with the voltage regulator which had been rewound, the supply in Geraldine district would be considerably improved. The voltage regulator for Waimate sub-station was at present being dried out, and it was hoped, . however, to place this machine in service next Thursday or Friday. The Board’s pressure of supply was being taxed very nearly to the limit, but after the voltage regulators were installed there would be a marked improvement all round. Tenders for the supply of a 350 k.v.a. transformer to 1 be installed at Coonoor Road, substation. had been received, but due to the uncertainty of an Industrial load which at present existed in that locality, he recommended that the tenders be held over until next- month, or if necessary that they be returned unopened. and fresh tenders called for a transformer to meet the altered conditions of load. The position of the Board’s loans to date was:—Geraldine area unexpended £1800: Levels nil; Mackenzie nil: Waimate Borough area £700; Waimate County £2OO. Mr Angland asked what was the amount of the Board’s salaries and wap-es account per annum. The chairman: “I can’t say offhand.” Mr Angland: “Does it run into £4n.000?” The engineer-secretary: “Certainly not. Maintenance and administration is approximately £BOOO. I will give you the exact figures after the meeting.” Mr Angland: “I don’t think vou will be able to do it for £BOOO. It is a big business.” The Board adonted the engineer’s report, and instructed that the tenr- » ers referred tc De sent back to the tnderers.