D.—l

BROKEN WIRES AND POLES. There were 2,006 broken wires reported by electric-supply authorities, with 108,249 miles of conductor erected. The corresponding figures for the previous year were 8,290 broken wires, and 104,499 miles of conductor in use. The large number of breaks recorded for 1936 was due to an exceptional period of violent gales. Falling trees were again the principal cause of the breaks, and accounted for 28 per cent, of the total, as against 47 per cent, for 1936. As regards broken poles, 574 instances were reported for the year, of which 303, or 52-8 per cent., were New Zealand blue-gum. For 1936 the total number of broken poles reported was 451, and it is still evident that electricsupply authorities who experimented with New Zealand blue-gum and nondescript Australian hardwoods during the past decade are now being called upon to make replacements sooner than the anticipated life of fifteen years for poles used on distribution-lines.

Actual Mileages and Sizes of Overhead Conductors in use at 31st March, 1937.

No returns of conductor mileages received from Auckland and Ohristchurch.

7—D. 1.

97

Copper. Aluminium. S. Size of Total Conductors ; : : Break(S.W.G.). Break . Break- Break- Mi , iBreak- Mi| Break- [Break- Mj , Break- ages - ™ lea ' ages. ages. alue8 - ages. mIJes - j ages. Mlles ' ages. Mlles - ! ages. m,les - ages7/20 . . 6,959 378 378 7/18 .. 11,917 439 439 7/17 .. 2,655 52 52 7/10 .. 22,325 206 18 7 120 1 141 177 214 7/15 .. 109 166 7/14 .. 11,714 35 8 1 49 894 36 7/13 ..1,143 4 .. .. 5 2 4 7/12 . . 493 4 153 1 3 5 .. 3 5 7/11 .. 4 .. 1 ! 2 | 7/10 .. 33 .. 204 j .. .. 11 .. 51 2 I .. .. 2 7/9 .. 76 .. 15 .. 5 .. .. 7/8 1 640 19/18 .. 400 5 5 19/17 .. 590 24 24 19/16 ..1,739 17 17 19/15 .. 173 19/14 .. 625 3 3 19/13 .. 2,999 4 4 19/12 .. 223 2 .. .. 2 2 19/10 .. 370 .. 1 37/16 .. 57 37/15 .. 400 37/14 .. 91 37/13 . . 23 37/12 .. 151 227 66/13 .. 2 12 . . .. 2,546 197 .. . . 9 .. 94 .. 12 197 11 .. .. 4 10 .. .. 9,030 330 .. .. 417 .. 223 2 432 332 8 .. 13,223 173 .. .. 4,338 8 5,320 67 537 1 249 7 .. 770 5 128 .. 91 5 6 .. 310 5 .. .. 110 .. 154 .. 206 5 5 .. .. .. .. .. . . .. .. .. 6 4 .. 599 79 2 2 .. .. 67 0 .. .. 79 2/0 10 7 .. .. I 59 7 3/0 I 399 3/12 .. 71 4 15 4 3/11 5 .. 3/10 .. 24 .. 5 30 3/9 .. .. .. 8 ; 3/8 6 ..!...... M,. ........ 4/16 .. 13 : .. ! 4/14 253 1 1 5/14 209 6/144 ' 19 7/136 .. 54 Miscellaneous .. 46 20 8 1 .. .. 2 12 .. 41 • .. .. .. 21 Totals .. 92,1071,907 457 17 15,520 10 6,084 69 1,391 1 2,680 2 30 .. 2,006 Grand total, 108,249 miles.