ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2610, 18 August 1882, Page 3

ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY.

An adjourned meeting of the promoters of the above company wag held at Messrs H. Matson and Co.'s office yesterday at 3 pm. Mr Walton was voted to the chair, and about ten gentlemen were present. Mr Walton said that ho had to bring up the report of the committee, which was to the effect that the committee considered the project of forming an electric company at present premature. Mr Hobbs said that, from Dr. Siemens' evidence before tbe House of Commons,_ it would require eight centres to light Christchurch, and he might say also that it wai estimated that £200.000 would be the cost of lighting one mile. The engineer of the Mauipouri (Mr Danny) had told them that it took twenty-five horse power to drive 170 Swan inoan ascent lights, and two aro lights. So far as he could see, they could not provide light at lees than four or five times the price of gas. Dr Siemens said in his evidence that the town of G-odaltning was the only town in England lighted by the electric light, and they had to give up the water supply because it was not sufficiently regular. Mr Denny had pointed out to them that the working of the light required a very powerful head of steam. The committee had considered the matter very carefully, and had come to the conclusion that it was premature at present to introduce the electric light. The fault was that it took such power to send it through the dynamo, which at present was not sufficiently perfected. Mr Barrett suggested that they should adjourn the consideration of the subject until the arrival of Sir Julius Yogel, when they might obtain some valuable information on the subject. Messrs Coker and Mcßae also agreed with Mr Barrett on the subject. The Chairman thought that it would be as well to have a small committee prepared with certain questions to ask Sir Julius Yogel, such as the relative price of gas compared with the electric light. It would be a pity to allow the matter to drift into the hands of a foreign company. After some further discussion, it was agreed to appoint a committee, comprising Messrs Walton, Hobbs, MoEae, and Coker, to wait on Sir Julius Vogel with certain prepared questions on the subject of electric lighting. The meeting then terminated with a vote of thanks to tbe chairman.