THE LIGHTING QUESTION.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 389, 23 August 1911, Page 6

THE LIGHTING QUESTION.

To The Editor. Sir, —Sonic time ago, when the lighting question was before the Borough Council, it was decided to send three members of the Lighting Committee to investigate the dilTerent lights under ordinary working conditions with a view to their reporting to the Council as to the best and most economical light for the Borough to adopt. Councillors Lusk and Young went together and Councillor Sims later. Atfer viewing the different systems and going into all the aspects of the question, two of the delegates. Councillors Young and Sims, considered electric light the most suitable, while Councillor Lusk favoured Dreadnought gas. When the Lighting Committee met. after discussion, it was put to the vote and the Mayor declared the voting in favour of Dreadnought gas. However. Cr Sims called for a division, which proved that the voting was equal, and eventually Dreadnought gas was recommended on the easting vote of the .Mayor, the voting being: For. The Mayor, Crs Hardy and Lusk; against, Crs Young, Sims and Julian. Between that meeting and the special Council meeting, Cr Hardy wrote a letter to the "Chronicle"'" in which lie made certain assertions. Not being an electrical expert mvself, I put that letter before a practical electrician, who stated that the assertions in the letter were altogether wrong. Cr Hardy stated :

''Eketahuna has a 35 kilowatt installation. A dynamo of this capacity will effectually light 720 sixteen candle power lamps,'' or a total ot 1J,520 candle power. The electrician who has installed many such plants —stated that after making allowance? for all losses in transmission, the above installation would give 35,000 candle power. Cr Hardy admitted at the Council meeting that he had not allowed for metallic filament lamps. Surely he did not suppose that the Council proposed using a lamp that is altogether out of date? Cr Hardy makes statements, and if you take his bare assertion as proof he can prove anything. He has stated in reference to the breastwork at the end of Rora street, "The breastwork was built on the latest scientific principles for such work, and was right up to date.'' Now, he is a much wealthier man than I am, but I make him the following oiler: —That we get a competent engineer, to be agreed on between ourselves, to report on the following questions: First:.--Has the widening of the road at that point been carried out in the best or most economical manner from an engineering point of view. Second.- Has the work been carried out. in a workmanlike manner. Third. Have the ratepayers got value for their money. If the decision is against me I will pay the cost of the report and also pay £lO to any deserving object he may name. If the decision is against him. he to pay for the report, and £lO to an object named by me. But to get back to lighting. He states in his last letter that lie s?conded an amendment, which he did not understand. Well, it is hard to understand a man who does that, and goes on to state,"My object was to delay matters pending expert advice." How Cr Hardy can say now that his object was to delay matters after having voted in committee for Dreadnought gas, is beyond my comprehension, as, had, the Council adopted the recommendaton of the committee, wheh was carried on the casting vote of the Mayor, the Borough would have beer, committed to dreadnought pan. The whole of the opposition or shall I call them the progressive party—has been endeavouring to keep the Borough from being committed to anything until the whole matter has had mature consideration. What, was done by a previous Council has nothing to do with the point. The decision is in the hands of the present Council and until six weeks ago no other light but Dreadnought got a hearing; and while I did not agree with the Mayor, I could not but give him credit, for the strenuous fight he put up for it backed up by sheaves of correspondence bearing the heading oi: the company who on the patent, handed to him sheet by sheet by the Town Cleric. It is only natural that Councillors want to knowmore about a gas that won't explode one day and will drive an engine the next. There is no great hurry for lighting. Let us get all the information we can on the subject first. We do not want any more temporary jobs. I am, etc., W. M. FORSYTH.