QUALITY OF GAS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 January 1925, Page 4

QUALITY OF GAS

NEW SCHEME OF CONTHOL. official tests and records. WELLINGTON Jan. 27. The Government lias taken an important step to control the quality ol gas supplied in the lour ehief centres, j tiis lias followed several years of agitation that tho price of gas should be in accordance with its actual heatgiving quality and that there should also be independent supervision of the quality, pressure and means of measurement. The whole scheme lias keen effected under the powers of the Industries and Commerce Act. regulations having been gazetted, and the following appointed as gas referees: — Dr J. S. Mehaurin, Dominion Analyst, who is chairman of the Gas I’eferees’ Board. Mr Archibald Dougall, a former engineer of the Wellington Gas Company now in private business yI r f{. W. Holmes, civil engineer, formerly Chief Engineer of the Bulllie Works’ Department. The regulations at present apply only to the four chief centres, but once the scheme is found to operate smoothily it will extend to all places where gas is sold, either by a municipality or a private company. Snell a system lias operated for many years in England, where there is a sliding scale, remitting the companies’ profits in accordance with the charge made for gas. This is not provided in the New Zealand scheme, which will cover three main features —heating value, quality and pressure. '[he regulations, however, speedy that if gas falls below a certain definite calorific standard, consumers must be given a concession in price during the year following the deficiency. -|-he Board of Gas Beferees, winch is constituted with the approval of the companies, and the Dunedin Corporation, will exercise independent oversight by means of calorimeters keeping continuous records, Pressure tests will he also applied, and the hoard will control the method of testing meters, one provision enabling any gas consumer who has reason to doubt the .k----euracy of his meter to appeal to the gas referees, who on payment of a lee of Of will conduct an official test, li the meter is found to register more than 2 per cent, in favour of the eomI puny, this fee will be refunded, otherwise it is paid to the company lor lemovat and testing expenses. Companies are required to furnish details of the total production of gas at their works and the total c-onsuinption shown oil consumers’ meters. The expense of operation of the scheme is to be met by a small charge for each million feet of gas produced. The scheme is now in force m Auckland, Wellington. Christchurch and Dunedin.