ELECTRICAL FITTINGS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 901, 22 August 1910, Page 8

ELECTRICAL FITTINGS.

sale by council. : opinionS'OF Made. ~ ' Thbro' is only one • opinion among electrical firms and dealers in electrical fittings as- to the- action of tho City Council in embarking on that business. It is felt that a most unfair competition is occasioned..by tho:council's.-action. A representative ■ of The Dominion obtained detailed statements' from twoleading representatives of the trade on Saturday, and members of other firms mho were seen .expressed tho; strongest opposition to the council's attitude. '. "People who aro. in business' as electrical contractors aro entitled to just ,the; samejprotoctipn.a.s .tljo members'of any,other trade," urged the head of a leading electrical-, firm. It ■was quite right, he considered, that the council, should supply electrical current, but if the ratepayer's money was going to be used against the ratepayer himsolf that was.at once the thin edge of the wedge of Socialism.; It meant hurting one section of the community .for the supposed benefit of tho rest. It ■ ! did not at : all follow, .that ~thO: rest of the community would : . be' : really benefited. Suppose the council indulged in "wiring," it was well' kiibwu-that Governments and 'corporations'' wore unable to work as cheaply as private firms. It had been demonstrated lin Wellington., that in regard to installa--tioiis it would pay the council .better to call for-tenders-thai) to-do'the work itself by day (labour. The cost of installations'was'already 'down to tho lowest, point as the result of com-, petition, so that nothing , could be gained by ■'-'. the .council doing this work. No credit was duo to the council ; for bringing,-down the ■ price of llamps,"'because, when'they .began, to sell ; cheap lamps - these-goods -were- ■on a falling market,in .England.". The council could not .have brought down the price.'before, 'and- when they brought ; it down all the private firms were! able to do the same.- Fittings^were sold just as cheaply by the - retail firms as by the council. 1 Any big firm that had gone,into the electrical hot expecting this competition", 'arid had sunk thousands of pounds in it, would be badly hit by; the council's action. The best way for the council to get additional consumers of electricity was to'.. bring , down the price -per'unit to the- lowest possible point that would allow a profit. The council might as well sell boots' or groceries or any other'commodity used by the ratepayers as electric fittings. He would not be so. concerned about the council selling fittings and appliances if they sold them at a fair profit: on 'the landed cost. There was nothing to prevent tho council, selling irons or cookers Jbelow cost.price in ordpr to obtain the consumers for current, and if that, were done it would be most unfair competition. He .thought that the council should not,perform installations at all, because on the day labour system they could-not do the work so cheaply as ■private.'firms. Another:leading tradesman said that, if the .council sold fittings they would have to do'"wiring", also in time, because no' private firm could :pxist. on .'.wiring ■by itself. .It meant- that tho '.electrical business would bo in:-'the council's hands eventually. Tho council' could 'not '■ supply, fittings 'more cheaply.than private firms. Owing to the council's, competition, oho firm which had opened a shop for tho sale 76f lamps had had to give up its business. • He believed -that the council: had no legal right to sell fittings, and any .new. Bill which gave them this right, would,, if-it. .were logical, .give th.em.Hle' right also to' enter .'into' any '.other retail business. . A display of. electric lighting appliances by the council's lighting 'department will bo opened in a show-room-in Harris Street next week;: ■ /. -