WAIRARAPA POWER BOARD.

Wairarapa Daily Times, 14 December 1927, Page 3

WAIRARAPA POWER BOARD.

MONTHLY MEETING. (Special to ‘‘Daily Times. ”) The monthly meeting of the Wairarnpa PoAver Board Avas held at Carterton yesterday, there being pre-’ont;-Messrs J. W. Kershaw (chairman), A. C. Pearce, W. Benton, W. A. Tate, rr \ V. Moore, 11. B. Hugo, K. J. King and I) McLachlan. The Pinanee Committee recommended: (1) That the chairman and secretary be authorised to sign and affix thereto the common seal of the Board, the agreement relating to guarantees between the Board and Mr S. Darcy, of Hemebiish, Air .1. X. S. Cole, of 11 omobush, and Air A. L. AlcKenzie, of (,'pper Plain. (2) That the account of £lB2 4s !)d, covering cbmponsation payaide to Air Booth for land taken at Kourarau be passed for payment, and that the common seal of the Board be atlixed to any documents in connection with the transfer .and compensation. (3) That the common seal of the Board be atlixed to memorandum of transfer and any other documents in connection with Hie transfer of a portion of Hinewakc 221 from the natives to the Board, and further that compensation lie paid on a basis of £22 per acre apreviously agreed. (4) That the Board’s regulations regarding the payment of accounts and the allowance of discount be strictly adhered to. —Adopted. The engineer reported that on the 21st- ultimo, between 5.30 and 9 a.m., Xos. 1 and 2 south feeders cut-out at the sub-station, and temporary repairs were made to a trunk pole on the main line at Clareville, caused by a H.T. line

during the storm breaking a binder

and coming into contact with the crossarm. This pole was replaced, and during the period the lino was fed through the Alartinborougli loop-line to the central and southern areas.

The Board placed on record its appreciation of the interest taken by the •staff in the very fine display of electrical appliances made by the staff; at the recent Wairarapa Industrial Exhibition at Alastcrton.

The engineer reported that at 12.22 p.m. on the 13th ultimo, Mangahao power failed, and was available at 12.30 p.m.; also at 9.24 p.m. on the 28th until 9.31 p.m., Kourarau carrying the load without-interruption. The load factor has increased 3.5 per cent as compared with November last year. The statistics show that for every hour during the month the Board is taking 75 per cent of the total power available from Mangahao, and that an average of 48 per cent of the total power available was being utilised by the consumers throughout the district.

Both plants at Kourarau have been running continuously and in parallel with Alangahao during the month. Arrangements are well in hand for work to be undertaken during the lower plant shut-down period, from midnight on the 24th instant until midnight on the 31st instant.

The total connected load, April Ist to November 30th, 1927, is 937,578 k.w.’s. Estimates accepted number 3144, and those connected to the mains are: —Mastcrton 1392, Carterton 071, Grevtown 229, Feathcrston 410, Alartin■borough 395, total 3097. The showroom sales from April to October are as under: —Cash sales (1920), £440 13s I6d, (1927) £940 15s sd. Credit sales and repairs, (1920) £1489 17s Sd, (1927) £1512 8s 9d. Totals, (1920) £1930 13s 2d, (1927) £2459 4s 2d. The engineer reported that at 0.30 a.in. on the 15th instant, Air Hubbard, of Ilikinui Road, South Feathcrston, had seven cows electrocuted by coming into contact with a fence which was livened with a 230-volt T.B. wire lying across it. Air Hubbard dismantled a milking shed not being used, and left the wires lying on the ground across the wire- fence, .at 3.30 p.m. on the ■day previous to the accident. During the night, owing to the phase wire rubbing on the fence, the insulation was chafed through, and in this way made contact with the fencing wire, which bccaine alive. In the morning, when Air Ilubbard drove his cows into the milking shed, seven cows became entangled with the fencing wire and were electrocuted. The line foreman at Feathcrston was .on the scene 25 minutes after being advised by a neighbour of the accident. He found the low tension safety fuses had operated, and that the three phase wires were then dead, due, in the engineer’s opinion, to a short circuit between phases and

neutral on the fencing wire. At no time had Air Hubbard notified the Board that lie wanted the service line dismantled from the building. The engineer was of the opinion that this was a case of gross carelessness. The chairman said that a claim had been received from the Lands and Survey Department for the loss of the stock, and the Board disclaimed all liability. There were regulations governing the lines, and the penalty for interference with them was £2O. In this particular case, when the installation had been removed after the previous owner left, the wires had been cut dead. The shed should not have been dismantled with the wires attached without giving the Board notice, and they had no legal liability. The man was liable to prosecution for interference with the wires, but in view of his severe loss, the Board should let. the matter rest, and see what action the Lands and Survey Department take. The Board only becomes liable if negligence is shown on its part. Air Aloore pointed out that this man, in violating the regulations, had endangered the lives of the public, as the fence was on a road boundary. A serious lire had been narrowly averted recently due to unlawful interference with the electric installation, and these actions created uneasiness among eonsu mers. No action was taken in the meantime.