SHORTAGE OF CARBIDE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, Page 8

SHORTAGE OF CARBIDE

SUPPLIES ALMOST UNPROCURABLE* Hundreds of suburban and country, storekeepers and householders are experiencing great difficulty in securing supplies of carbide to keep, their Acetylene Gas Plants going, and the small quantities available are sold at a price that makes the miming cost prohibitive, up to .£lO being asked for 'Jcwt. drums of carbide. Acetylene Gas was expensive to use in pre-war times when carbide sold at ,£2 ss. per drum, and the present high price has forced many people to go back to kerosene lamps for house-lighting. The most fortunate people m New- Zea. land, so far as lighting is concerned, are those who are using the famous "Wizard Lighting Svsl.ein." Tliey are not hotherea hv gas or coal strikes, and the cost of vfiiwing a "Wizard" Plant is so low that the saving soon pays for Iho initial cost. When carbide was sold at .62 ss. pec drum, Acetylene Gas was about four times a<i expensive to use as "Wizard das, and; now the running cosls cannot be com-, P Nearly three thousand "Wizard" Light* ing Systems have already been sold in New Zealand, over a hundred of which.' are fitted in Wellington suburban homes and the demand has been so great that the. a"-onts have been unablo to obtain supplies fast enough in spite of the fact that over six hundred complete Wizard • Lighting Systems have been fitted during; the. past three months. The "Wizard is superior to all other Hol!o»-wire Lighting Systems, in that it lights with an ordinary wax match, has an automatic needle to clean the the lamps are fly and moth proof. Some peoplo have been induced to purchase lamps which require a torch dipped in methylated spirit to start Iheni going. The torch must be hung on the for about a minute before turning' the light on: if the spirit bottle is empty: the house must remain in darkness. Conh pare this .antiquated method with the; up-to-date "Wizard" Matchlit Lamps; just apply the flame from an ordinary wax match, and the lamp is alight in. a few seconds. During the past week Messrs. Early Bros., the N.Z. agents for the "Wizard" Light have filed three patents covering improvements in their svstem, and will shortly be able to fit any) "Wizard" Plant with Gas Irons, Gas Fires, Bath Caliphonts, or Hot Water. Systems, Gas Rings, Gas Stoves, and. Ovens, etc.—in fact, the "Wizard' is the only plant that can he fitted with all of these important features. Countryresidents should write to, and suburban residents call on, Early. Bros., IS7 Featheislon Street, Wellington, and see the "Wizard" Light before being persuaded that somo other light is "just a3< good!" Over 400 "Wizard" Lighting Sys-. terns are due to arrive by the incoming 'Frisco boat, so interested people should write at once and make sure of a plant. Complete plants from £15 upwards.—Published by arrangement.

Eight thousand eight hundred and fiw artificial limbs have been supplied to soldiers in Great Britain by the Ministry.