OUR CITY WORKS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 194, 12 May 1919, Page 4

OUR CITY WORKS

INTEREST IN AMERICA

"It is remarkable how citizens of Wel» lington are so prone to belittle the wonderiul undertakings <d our municipality." remarked Councillor L. M'Kenzie ;in conversation with a Dominion reporter "Wo have certain municipal undertakings which are standing out pre« eminently above anything.else in Australasia, but when one makes a statement to that effect very little notice is ever taken of it."

Councillor M'Kenzie mentioned that great" interest in some cf 'Wellington's municipal undertakings, particularly the electric lighting- department, was taken in various parts of the world, and he produced the following letter which had been received from Mr. W. D. Heydeelcor, associate editor of the "American City," a newspaper.,yhich deals entirely with municipal and county improvements: "Dear Sir,—We are very muck interested in the Press reference of 'Tha Public, , published in New York City, caning attention to the remarkable record of your department for the fiscal year of 1918. Will you bo kind enough' to prepare an article for publication m the 'American City,' showing how you accomplished the rather remarka'ble result of 13 per cent, profit on your totalcapital investment? Will you also be good enough to let us 1 know the rate, the number of services, the operating cost, and the distribution of both revenue and expenses? In other words, what we desire is an article which will bo helpful to the American municipalities who are confronted wth the problem of rising costs in the operation of their local utilities. If you will send us some illustrations whieli we may use in connection, with your article we will be deeply' grateful. Thanking you in advance for your courtesy, and assuring you that we shall be very glad to send you several copies of the issue in which it appeals— Wo are, yours faithfully (signed), W. D. Heydeckor, associate editor." This letter speaks for itself," added Councillor M'Kenzie, "and it is a great compliment to our officers when wo stop to reflwt upon the conditions that have ejentuated in the lighting establishment from the time it was taken over under Mayer Hislop. It was then considered that a good <)onl of the machinery, etc., had served its useful purpose, but the steady advance that we have made with the new machinery and the wonderful iwsition that our department now stands in, as shown in Hie laet balance-sheet art evidence enough of the capable, careful, and diligent work, both of the management and tha council, in controlling it. It is pleasing to think that the city users of this usofiil municipal facility ere getting such excellent treatment. Often one is charged with over-zeal, but it shows how caTeful we should be in in■vestieatinir from the business aspect' whether the hydro-electric scheme will really democratically improve the Consumers' position. And it shows how necessary it is that we Should have all data before us boforo we come to a final decision upon such nn important work, Had it not been for the war it is unquestionnblo that, by the introduction of •_ more up-to-date and labour-saving machinery, we could havo shown better results than we ho-ve done."