H.—2

" Electrical Section. —The year just completed has been one of steady progress, and while no works of a major nature have been carried out, a number of extensions have been made to the lines, and reconstruction of the older lines has been made, where necessary, to meet the demands for increased supply to our consumers. " The most important extensions were as follow : — " Kawaha Point .. .. .. .. 6,600-volt line 60 chains. " Vaughans, 5 mile, Okere Road ' .. .. 400 ~ 20 „ " Goodwins, 2 mile, Okere Road .. .. 400 „ 20 ~ "Powells, Ngongotaha .. .. .. 6,600 ~ 60 ~ "Robertsons, Old Taupo Road .. .. 3,300 ~ 100 „ " Reconstruction of lines was done in Tarewa Road, Ranolf Street, Old Taupo Road, James, Eruera, and Peace Streets, Sophia and Amohia Streets, and at Mamaku. " The cooking load is steadily increasing, and the bulk of the reconstruction is caused by its development. As a result of the heavier mains and transformers, the service to all consumers is much improved. " Maintenance-work has been carried out on the remainder of the system as required. " In June of last year trouble developed at Arapuni, which resulted in the plant there being closed down. We were requested to run our generating-plants to help make up for the shortage in power, and since June we have been operating the Okere plant continuously at its full output. The only regret is that the plant is not large enough to carry a much larger load. " The Diesel plant was also brought into operation and has been run for six days a week, and five hours per day, since June. " The extra running on these two plants has called for extra maintenance. Repairs were made to the flume at Okere, and a new belt procured for No. 1 generator. " In connection with the building of the Baths, alterations had to be made to the supply lines. A 6,000-volt line was built from the substation for this purpose, and a bank of 3-10 kv.a. transformers erected to give supply to all the bath buildings. " Maintenance-work has been carried out for the street-lighting, baths, and Sanatorium, electrical equipment, the gardens, motor lawn-mowers, and the Department's motor-transport vehicles. " The following sets out the units generated and purchased for the year, and the new load connected, &c. : —

" New consumers — Number. Watts. "Light .. .. .. ..128 69,220 "Heat .. .. .. ..89 124,800 "Ranges .. .. .. ..36 178,900 " Extensions— "Light .. .. .. ..138 28,135 "Heat .. .. .. ..88 98,205 "Motors .. .. .. ..30 • 44,801 "New connected load for year, 544-06 kw. " Maximum load for year, 740 kv.a., at 5.30 p.m., 6th June, 1930. " Fishing.-—lt was decided to hand over the administration of acclimatization matters in this district to the Internal Affairs Department in June last, so that a full report on that branch will now no longer go forward from this office. The following is, however, a general description of the conditions of fishing and shooting to be had in the Rotorua district:— " The fishing this season has been excellent, a general improvement having been shown in the catches, both in numbers and quality. The average weight of fish caught in the Rotorua district is 1 lb. better than last year, and the general opinion of anglers fishing during the past season is that the fishing has been better than it has been for the past five or six years. In the Taupo district a similar improvement has been shown, catches of eight to twelve pounders being fairly common. " The completion of the road through Waikaremoana will be of great benefit to sportsmen in this district, opening up as it does excellent sporting country from both the fisherman's and shooter's point of view. " During the past ten days catches from twelve to twenty fish have been common at Tarawera, Rotokakahi, Rotorua, and Rotoiti Lakes.

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Purchased from Year. Public Works Okere. Diesel. Total. Department. 1930-31 .. .. 1,132,819 1,027,807 106,457 2,267,083 1929-30 .. .. 1,543,735 430,716 1,206 1,975,657 Increase for year .. .. .. .. 291,426