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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3886, 3 January 1884, Page 2

"We presume something , will bo done in the Council to-night to ensure the continuance of street lighting , . At present, we understand, the Gas Company is continuing - the service on the terms of the old contract until other arrangements can be made. It will bo remembered that the Council rejected the terms otforod by the company on the ground that they were exorbitant. We hear that some correspondence on the subject has ensued, and that to-night a letter fium the oompn-nj- bo Tciul Lv UlO Couu''il in which it will be shown Unit tho Corporation lias been obtaining , its gas supply on better terms than are to bo had elsewhere in towns of a similar size. We can at all events give tho folio wing instances: — Slie-t T.rvn, To f!onpurn"r». lii'iii*, fVm Stovftß ' • jipi. r .. H- p.jr 10U0 Hβ l(j< 10 fier !U(.O OHinarii .. 1/1 ~ 13/4 ( ).=r hsOl 13/1 „ •fimiru .. If'/- ~ 8 Id* lti/ij „ 17/) ~ l'V-1 por 10t0 11.-kiuki .. \".l .. 12/- ---— It will be seen from the above that without a single exception tho Corporation has had tho streets lighted on cheaper terms than could be had in tho other towns mentioned. Wo should pay, for the information of our readers, that Napier has 56 street lamps, Oamaru 7-1, and Timaru 6.3. Tho prices quoted above are those for last year. For tho new service tho Gas Company has increased its charge by 10s per lamp, or has offered to supply tho street lamps at lls Sd per 1000. The increased charge is to cover the extra labor entailed by additional lamps, and by the Corporation insisting upon all tho lamps being , lighted at a certain time. Tho consequence of this last provision is that many of tho lamps liiivo to be lighted long before the contract time, while it follows that many are burning for more than an hour after midnight. This is of course inevitable until somo system in invented for the simultaneous lighting and extinguishing of the lamps. It is nevertheless tin; cause of a largo consumption of gas, which has to bo taken into consideration. There is another point that should not be overlooked, and it is this: the eompuny, at tho instigation of tho Council, extended its mains down Carlvle street to supply two lamps, there not being a singlo private consumer along the whole of the extension. Again, the Council more recently required a lamp near the upper reservoir, to reach which the mains were extended in that direction. It stands to reason that extending the mains for t.ho supply of a solitary lamp or two cannot pay the shareholders of the company, whose interests the directors are bound to protect. We have always been the advocates of economy in tho administration of borough affairs, and we should be tho last now to oppose the Council in its effort to get a better bargain. But there is reason in all things, and tho real question at issue is, are tho streets to be lighted, or are they not? Our opinion is that the company has always treated tho Corporation most liberally, and though possessing a monopoly, so far from abusing its position, has actually been performining the service at cheaper rates than can, be had in other towns less scattered and more favorably situated.