The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1874.

Evening Star, Issue 3673, 30 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1874.

The gas question is once more before the public, for the Corporation has received notice of the intention of the Gas Company to charge a higher price for lighting the City than has been paid for some time past. Mr Walter is of opinion that the period has arrived when the Corporation should purchase the Gasworks on terms settled by arbitration, and urges as a reason that the time is favorable, because the manufacture of gas costs so much that the low profit will lead to a low valuation for the works. The majority in the Council hold a different view ; and very properly, with the experience of the Waterworks purchase in their minds, hesitate to make a move towards buying them. There is quite as cogent reason for the Corporation supplying the town with gas as with water ; but fortunately, should it be determined to adopt that plan, there will be fewer difficulties to overcome than in. arranging with the Waterworks Company. Mr Walter, in bringing forward a resolution to remit the valuation to arbitration, made a mistake. The experience gained in the negotiations for purchasing the Waterworks showed that it will not do fertile Corporation to make an offer. It should come from the other side. The “shrewd men of business” in the Waterworks directory, time after time obtained clues to public feeling that led them to raise their prices after every successive offer to purchase by the Corporation. They took care to avoid committing themselves to an offer, and made use of every one made to them as a stepping-stone for something higher. It may be replied that the cases differ, and that arbitration, because of each side employing its own valuer, is tire fairest way of settling the matter satisfactorily. We think not. Arbitration must proceed on some fixed data, and cannot take into consideration the question of the comparative advantages of erecting new or purchasing the old gasworks, which becomes a fair element in arranging a private contract. The question that would be remitted to the arbitrators would be—what is the present value of works bringing in so much per annum 1 and, unless the arbitration be a farce, the Corporation would be bound to purchase at the price fixed. The really more important point to be decided is, whether it will be cheaper to buy the old gasworks or erect new? Since the last agitation on the subject of gas, the circumstances of the City have very much changed. On every side it has extended, and isextendrng. Works that would then have been ample to supplying the City would require enlarging in proportion to the expanding area to be lighted. At that time new works would have been more than were needed; now, and in prospect of increased demand, there is every likelihood of two gas manufactories not interfering with each others profits, while the works now in existence will very soon not be equal to_ supplying what is needed. Mr Fish said truly that Dunedin is one of the worst lighted cities in Australasia. We do not think the Gas Company altogether to blame for this ] the Corporation must bear their share of it. In many streets—say, for instance, George street, Cumberland street, and several others running parallel to and at right angles with them—the lamps are only sufficient in number to make darkness visible. This niggardliness of lamps is clearly a Civic vice, not a Gas Company's. The Company may be, and we think are, chargeable with shortening the time during which the lamps are kept burning. They are tempted to do this through having contracted to supply gas at so much per lamp, so that if they can shorten the supply one quarter-of-an-hour at end of the night, a pretty considerable saving accrues. Mr Fish proposes to meet this difiiculty by changing the system from a lump sum to paying according to consumption. The temptation will then be in the other direction, and, assuming there are sufficient lamps, there need be no fear of the time of burning being shortened. It will then be necessary for the Corporation to undertake lighting arid extinguishing the lamps in order to guard against unnecessary expenditure. Whether or not there will be a saving depends upon the manner in which the lighting regulations are carried out. Possibly the actual expenditure may not be lessened, but we are inclined to think we shall have a better supply of a better article for the same money, and that the change is, therefore, advisable.