GAS COMPANIES' POWERS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 53, 26 November 1907, Page 7

GAS COMPANIES' POWERS.

.. « MR, HISLOP'S STATEMENTS CRITICISED. Questioned last night concerning the position created'by the clause (clauso 25) of tho Reserves and other Lands Disposal and. Public Bodies Empowering Act, which provides for the issuo to gas companies of certain powers in respect to- the opening up of streets and roads for the purpose of connecting with neighbouring districts to which they have been empowered to supply gas, Mr. J-\ 11. B. I'isher, M.H.R., last night dissented from tho opinions of- the Mayor, as expressed in interviews published in [The Dominion and other local journals yesterday. "One would-judge," said Mr. Fisher, "from the number of times and the inordinato. length at which Mr. Hislop had himself interviewed that lie had performed what was little short of a miracle last Saturday afternoon. As a matter of fact, what was in the. clause of the Bill? Tho,Wellington Gas Company lias purchased land at Miramar for the purpose of manufacturing gas. The clauso in the Bill gave the Company power to carry its mains from the proposed new site, which is beyond the city boundaries, to tho city boundary, past which point the Company required no i'urtlifr statutory authority. Then the clause went on to' say that 'in the execution of the powers thereby conferred the Company shall do as little damage as may be, and shall make compensation for any damage done.' 1 "Peisonally, I should bo very glad to see the, Gasworks moved out of .the city. It would" not prejudico the position of the city in tho least, should it ever desire to municipalise tlio gas supply. Parliament would as : readily grant us power to buy the Gasworks at Miramar as at Courtena.y Place, and the bogey- raised by Mr. Hislop, in his three lengthy interviews, is so much flapdoodle. The amendment secured by him, which will now necessitate an Order in Council, will probably .have the effect: of keeping tho Gasworks in Courtenay Place, and, if such is his desire, then he may certafnly claim to have succeeded. The Miramar Council, 1 am informed, objects to the Gas Company moving to Miramar, unless tho company lays down reticulation to tho value of JCIO.OOO, a proposition that, with the scattered population of Miramar, tho company is hardly likely to accede to. Under tho circumstances ■ it' is extremely improbable that the company will move to Miramar, as' the local, council will object unless tho .210,000 is spent within its boundaries. Those-are the circumstances of tho case as 1 understand them, and I can only say, in reference to the attitude taken up by the .Mayor, that it is a case of much ado about nothing." llis Worship tho Mayor of Miramar (Mr. A. Crawford) has given notice that he will move at next meeting of tho Council—"That this Council emphatically enters its protest against tho passing of Clause 25 of tho Reserves and Other Lands Disposal and Public Bodies Empowering Bill, which gives gas companies power to break up streets without the consent of tho local authority being first . obtained. This Council is of opinion that gas companies already have sufficient powers under' the existing enactments, and that this further concession is far from being in tho best interests of the community. That a copy of this resolution be sent to tho Right Hon. tho Premier, asking that no consent, no given by His Excellency, the Governor in Council to gas companies to do works under the powers of this clauso without first communicating with the local ' authorities concerned." _ V