POWER BOARD

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 241, 10 September 1929, Page 2

POWER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting of rho Mana-watn-Oroua Power Board was held yesterday afternoon, Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., presiding. Also present were Messrs Hodgens, Small, Hunt, Guy, Campbell, McLean, Roberts, Perrett and J. Linklater, M.P. CORRESPONDENCE. From the Feilding A. and P. Association, asking if the hoard would make a donation of £2 2s as a special prize for cooking by electric stoves. — Granted,- provided that there are three entries in tho class at the show. From the Cheltenham Dairy Company, stating that the reason for not paying their current account was that the matter had been referred to the Public Works Department. —It was decided to ask for payment of the account immediately. From the Wairoa Electric Power Board, advising that the official opening of Waikaremoana would take place towards tho end of November and stating that it was proposed to ask all boards receiving a.supply therefrom to make a donation towards the cost of the function which it is proposed to hold. —No action was taken. From the Pohangina County Council, asking permission, on behalf of Mr T. Simpson, to run electric wires across a road from Mr McEwen’s house. —Granted during the pleasure of tho board and provided that the Government regulations are complied with. REVENUE ON LINES. A special report was submitted by the engineer on revenue on lines as follows:—“For many years it has been tho custom of this Power Board to erect a line if it showed 121 per cent, return on capital invested or just below it in a few instances where the settlers do all they can to help us,” he stated. “At the time we adopted a 121 per cent, return, it was an arbitrary figure from existing statistics of country power boards. Later data covering a large number of schemes show that the true figure is somewhere between 14 and 17 per cent, where the cost is computed over the whole capital expenditure. Against this is the fact that adding new lines does not increase in the same ratio, the existing fixed capital expenditure such as offices, stores, buildings, plant, sub-station, etc., or even the cost of existing trunk linos until they become fully loaded. We are one of the very few boards in New Zealand that build a line on 12j per cent, return, most of them insist on 15 per cent., and the Loans Board insists on 17 per cent. Electric power gross revenue, after stable conditions are reached, usually increases 15 per cent, per anni*m and, provided that the settlers on an extension are progressive, the revenue on a line invariably tends to increase, so that 12£ per cent, is a good starting point, which should increase in tho future But in case of an extension where there are (say) only half a dozen consumers, and they put in all the devices they want to build I the estimated revenue up to 12i per cent, return, there is less scope for increase than on an extension where there are 20 to 60 consumers who, at the time, cannot afford the full installation, ari example being the Rangiwahia and Waituna lines. The Spur Road and Stanway-Tokorangi lines were built as experiments to ascertain what will ballpen as the settlers are capable of using much moro electric power. With certain settlers we have met the problem of where they put in a range and do not use it in order to induce us to build the line. On the facts, the per cent, return seems to he the minimum starting point, except on large extensions, where the settlers are keen and progressive, where a good annual increase can reasonably be expected.” An attached schedule showed what had happened on eight lines which were built after extensive canvassing. In the ease of the Cheltenham-Beacons-field-Waituna line, the result was remarkable, as the original canvass only returned about 6 per cent. To-day it is 17.4 pei; cent. REPORT ON POLES.

A special report on poles was also submitted by tbs engineer as follows: “As previously reported, we are nearly out of stocks of poles and at the present rate of progress the job will absorb all we have in hand for alterations and existing work in hand in a few weeks. Our stocks of poles for service lines is down to a precarious level and, from investigations of positions, the only poles for this work are cither natural round ironbarks, or silver pines. The Manawatu County have some tram rails which are to be quoted. Prices have been obtained for four types of poles that are likely to fit our requirements. The Gisborne tram rails are for sale at £5 per ton in yard at Gisborne, but as they are only 601 b rails., their strength is low for h.t. lines and, as they are in 40ft lengths, they would cut to waste, while freight may be a big item. The last tram rails were £4 10s per ton Auckland f.0.r., in lengths of 33—35 feet and they are double the strength of the Gisborne rails.” Mr Waters placed before the meeting quotations received for various kinds of poies and commented upon them as follow: Bates steel pole: Largely u6ed in South Island and Hutt Valley Power Board. Makes a fine looking line. Wo have ten in stock which are being erected in the Halcombe-Sanson tie line for experimental test, but they are too costly at present prices. Truscon Copper and alloy pole: This is a pole of greater strength and lighter in weight than Bates. _ Now being used in the South Island in increasing numbers. Concrete poles: During the week I went to Hawera to see these poles, as the firm quoting are manufacturing them on a commercial basis. They are the identical pole used by the Taranaki Power Board. The workmanship and manufacture are excellent, and I saw a pole that was tested to 13001bs with slight permanent deflection at ground line but without damage to the pole. Desapped ironbark poles: Same as the big poles we have been using. Owing to the strikes in Australia, we may have trouble in getting them. The comparison of weights of poles for cartage is as follows: —Bates ?071bs, Trusqon 3831b5, concrete 1232 lbs, ironbark 16001bs. The haulage costs on the Truscon pole are obviously the cheapest, especially on long hauls while tho costs of concrete and iron bark poles would be about equal. In practice, owing to greater care required, concrete would be higher cost. The lines that are to be built to finish tlm 6cliemo from an operating point of view are : —Livingstone-Ohin-gaiti, 3 miles; Halcombe-Sanson tie, 2£ miles; Eitzherbert, 2 miles, Aokautere, half a mile, total 8 miles (approximately 200 poles). Probable lines: Waituna extension, 3J miles, Te Awa extension, 4 miles, north of Apiti (loop) 4 miles, Karewerewa, 1 mile Pahiatua Track, 2 miles, total 14J miles (approximately 356 poles). Summed up, the position is that 1 feel that, in order to get data for future guidance, we should dp a little experimenting with the quotations, and try out some concrete and Truscon poles. We know what the iron-bark pole will do, but both the concrete and Truscon poles are worthy of a trial. If we do this, we will then have on the job, ironbarks, tram rails. Bates poles, Truscon alloy steel and concrete poles.

There is going to be a difficulty in a short while to get good ironbark poles and a substitute will have to be used.” GENERAL. Reporting on the proposal to raise a loan of £IO,OOO, the chairman stated that the best terms he could obtain were at- 5J per cent, with one per cent sinking fund. The meeting decided that it might be possible to obtain the money at 5J per cent and to again make efforts to obtain it at that price. Mr Guy considered that it was not right that anyone should be unable to have the power supplied to his premises because the board was short of transformers. There should be an adequate supply of transformers for all connections.—The engineer stated that, in normal circumstances, the board had ample transformers, hut there had been a phenomenal rush of work which had created the shortage. Discussing the question of future pole supplies, the chairman stated that, if the board decided upon using concrete poles, it could manufacture them as required. Messrs Linklater and Hodgens considered that the concrete poles were the best proposition and that the board should consider manufacturing them. The chairman stated that the Marlborough Power Board had made and erected concrete poles and they had been quite satisfactory. An order is to be placed in the meantime for 100 concrete and 250 ironbark poles,- and the Marlborough Power Board is to be written to for particulars of its pole making plant.