TARARUA POWER BOARD.

Wairarapa Age, 16 December 1924, Page 3

TARARUA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. At the monthly meeting of the Tararua Power Board there were present: Messrs J. D. Wilson (chairman), F. C. Turner, P. Pike, R. Judd, Purvis Hay, S. Bolton, J. G. Brechin, H. Cornelius and J. B. Carruthers. Treasurer’s Report. The Treasurer reported: Receipts Eketahuna, sales of energy and meter rents £llO total £l7O 5/7; Pahiatua energy and meter rents £195 12/11, total £205 2/11. Installation work and conditioning defective installations debits to consumers to date amount to £839 11/9. The pass books show: Hydro-electric- 1 loan, account cr. £5586.12/7; Power fund account cr. Pahiatua £5O, Eketahuna £936 9/10, total £986 9/10. Advances to consumers’ account dr. £2227 12/1; Accounts to £3753 6/wcre passed for payment. Engineer’s Report. A shipment of 32 poles under the new contract has been received and a further lot of 100 has arrived at Wellington. The whole' of the 2 h.p. motors supplied by the contractors have now been unpacked. There is no information as to tho whereabouts of the 39 h.p. synchronous motot, which was supposed to have been shipped about the end of September. A 25 K.V.A. alternator has therefore been ordered from Sydney for £2lO immediate delivery.

Pole Erection.—The main line has been completed to Mauriceville with the exception of the terminal poles and transformer station. Poles have also been erected along West Mauriceville road. Several days’ pole erecting work remain to be done at Mauriceville. Poles have also been erected on the old coach road south from Eketahuna. The 116 poles erected during the month make a total of 3137 to date. The polo crew have also laid the underground cable from Mangamaire sub-station to the terminal poles and placed the 11,000 volt switch gear in position. Service lines have been completed at Mangamaire and are being erected along the main line from Mangamaire to Pahiatua. The 3300 volt lines and services on the Newman-Hamua section have been completed. The main line from Parkville to Kaiparoro has been run out and completed to about half way.

Three tenders were received for installations in the Pahiatua block. Messrs Turner and Evan’s tender at £1258 2/6, as being the lowest was' accepted. Tenders have been invited for two more blocks. The contractors for the Nireaha block are making satisfactory progress. An application has been received for a supply to the North Tiraumea Dairy Co. The estimated cost of extending the line is £312 and the estimated revenue £9O. The extension will be proceeded with. Rongomai Reticulation. —By omitting long lines for the supply to two consumers the capital cost can be reduced to £5770. On the basis of a2O per cent return and deducting tho revenue from the factory, it means that an average of £29 per annum is required from 37 consumers. This matter was held over.

The chairman mentioned that some consumers in Eketahuna and Pahiatua who were on schedule rates at the time the board took over, were objecting to the metre rate, holding that they were covered by t>he terms of the purchase agreement that there should be no increase on existing rates for three years. A legal opinion was to the effect that the board had the right to transfer consumers from schedule rates to meter rates at its discretion.

The Minister’s consent to payment of 6 per cent interest on the new £lO,OOO loan was received and formal resolutions were passed.

The chairman stated that the board would shortly have to go into the matter* of striking a rate—the • availability rate was suggested. He thought the borough councils might be asked to collect the rate in the boroughs and that the board might collect' from the reticulated areas in the countries. A letter was received from the Valuer General that the local bodies had tc provide the board with thu necessary tools. our producers in their fight for prosperits and national supremacy in the worlds dairy markets. New Zealand producers pay 2 J per cent, on the sales value as selling comission alone, whereas tho Fruit Growers Exchange for the same percentage cover full sales and advertising costs. There seems no reason why with proper organisation, the adoption of a national brand adequately advertised and the most effective arrangements with distributing organisations, New Zealand daily produce should not gradually win a place in its field as dominant as that of the Sunkist oranges of California in theirs. Whether the rate of progress towards that ideal will be quick or slow will of course depend, upon tho nature of the Delegation’s report to be presented in the near future.’’