The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1878.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1461, 22 October 1878, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1878.

Again we hear grumblings about unduly largo gas bills, bad light, and so forth, but while these complaints are freely uttered, no one seems able to assign any definite reasons for assuming that the gas company and their servants are to blame in the matter. Not long ago wo referred to the subject, and explained that as far as the illuminative power of the ya,> produced at the Christchurch works was concerned, it Avas of a really superior kind, and much more so in fact than was the case in other places. As to the question of heavy gas bills—heavy at least, from what wo can hear, when compared with payments made in previous years —the only check which consumers can have is by watching the indices of their meters, provided of course that these instruments be in good working order, as wo believe is the case here. Our neighbours in Dunediu have been plunged into a sea of troubles in regard to this gas question, and for many months past the grievances of the consumers have found vent, far and wide, :'u the columns of the local prints. Tlu Corporation, which lias the control of the gas motors there, has apparently taxed all its municipal onergies to discover what was at the bottom

of tlio whole thing, but, so far, quito fruitlessly. And with tho civic authorities in Dnnedin it is a not inconsiderable matter, as their undertaking of supplying the community with gas has been anything but a profitable ono. Tho result of their inquiries into the modus operandi adopted by their officials iu carrying out tho dufies out mated to them, failed to throw much light upon the causes which led to tho popular clamor against tho gas management, and at tho same time to nil financial • returns to tho Corporation. Lot that bo as it may, the question of unprecedentedly large gas bills, which more than any other touched tho ratepayers' pockets, and which no ono could be found to explain away, continues to puzzlo the public mind in tho southern city. Some few days ago, Mr. E. Gonevor, the gas engineer lately in charge of tho Dunedin gas-works, and who, by-the-byo, had come in for tho largest share of animadversion on tho part of- tho Corporation, sought, late in tho day as it was, to place boforo tho public his final viows of the case. In a lengthy communication to tho Mayor and tho members of tho City Council, ho pointed out that ho had. long recommended consumers to take daily note of tho registrations of tho indices of their meters, and to carefully record them. This suggestion had been ridiculed on many sides, tho local journals and members of the Council even deriding tho idea of thus chocking their gas expenditure. Then he relates how a largo establishment in Dunedin had adopted his recommendation which had proved highly satisfactory to the proprietors. On a given day for instance, the usual reference, to the meter had showed that tho ' consumption of gas had suddenly become greater' on a Sunday night than on tho previous Saturday night, thus' proving at onco tfiat something was; wrong. A test took place, and a leak at the rate of no less than 37,000 ft. per month was proved to have started. Under tho engineer's guidance, a close overhaul of all pipos, &c, which could be got at, was instituted. The chimneys, partitions, and all outlets into the roof were examined, iloor-boards taken up, but not the slightest indication of tho leak could be found for some hours, and no one had smelt the escape during tho previous twenty-four hours. Eventually it was discovered by a light being applied low down near some brick-work. From the position of the leak it could not be found by smell. This was stopped, and the meter ceased registering. Here Mr. Genever points .out that had the firm in question not taken the indices of their meters regularly, they would indeed have been considerably astonished at the end of a month, when their gas bill showed an increase of twice the consumption of tho month previous, knowing for certain that they had not consumed any more gas during the latter period. What seems to give weight to the suggestion of keeping a close watch upon the registration of meters is incontestably the result of the singular case heard some weeks ago in tho Dunedin Courts, when no less than 32,000 feet of gas were proved to have been registered through one meter in forty-two days, while it was sworn by competent witnesses " that such enormous escapo would have been smelt miles away." A lengthy examination into the facts loft the case precisely as it was, and all parties concerned not a whit wiser than they were before. For our part, on this question of disputed consumption of gas, wo do not see that a better remedy than that pointed out by tho Dunedin engineer could be devised. "Without a doubt gas fittings and fixings generally are not unfrequently put in their places in a more careless way than should be the case, and economy pushed to its extreme margin is perhaps unwise in tho long run, in matters of the kind. The subject of the quality of gas light is one which hero can bo disposed of easily. Cheap and inferior burners will nover give good light, and furthermore it has been tho habit with some people, whon extending their premises, to produce tho connection of their pipes without at the same time changing their meter for a large one. Like many other things in this world cheapness often involves nastiuess, and is the case especially, wo believe, with gas arrangements.