PETONE GAS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 17, 15 October 1918, Page 7

PETONE GAS

DEPUTATION TO THE COUNCIL. A deputation from the. Petone I'iogrcisivo Association waited on trie L'ctone Borough Council last evening respecting the dispute between tlie I'ctouo and Lower Hutt Borough Couucils concerning the gas undertaking. Mr. G. T. London said that if the council thought it would get any legislative relief it was relying on a broken reed. The war was not the whole cause of the present unfortunate position Petone found itself in with regard to its gas undertaking.' Since- he vas Mayor of Petone (in 1907) the niacin" expenses had increased from j.300 to £900, and ho thought there was room lor the deputation to say that tlio council was extravagant in that department at least. Other gas undertakings still showed a proht. Ihe remedy was that ketone's biggest customer shou/d be invitee! to share tlie business, lt might bo suggested u\r.t Pctono Jiad a good thing, but. even it it }intl, there >y.\s iw jwsttfvcaUon Vot Potoue to exploit its iieigfi/joiir. Councilbr K Tovey asM n .wt. liOttdovi considered it a sound business propositi to go on supplying the gas to the Hutt svt a loss. Mr. London: Wβ are losing (m n sense) by supplying tho Hutt. but wo would lie losing more if you lost your best customer. . The Jlayoi', replying, s:\id that everything the undertaking now touched liad gone up 50 per cent. .Some things had gone up 150 per cent, lhe price of making gas had gone -\p-ly Is. aid. per thousand feet. A tribunal such n3 n board of trade could quite easily settle the dispute.