WHICH LIGHT?

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 391, 30 August 1911, Page 5

WHICH LIGHT?

AN EXPERT'S OPINION. Mr W. Butcher, of Wellington, an acknowledged authority on coal-gas lighting, was in Te Kuiti on Monday, and a "Chronicle" man took the opportunity to have a chat with him on the somewhat vexed question of lighting.

Do you know Cambridge, Mr Butcher? asked the pressman.

Yes; I was recently in that town, and was informed that their municipal coal-ga3 plant had paid its way, after being installed 12 months, though the population is no larger than that of Te Kuiti, and the town is not growing very rapidly. They charge 10s per 1000, less a discount I believe. What do you think of electric light? Your Council would make a great mistake, in my opinion, if it adopted electric light. I cannot put my finger on any small borough where electric light is a success. Have you seen the Waipukurau petrol gas? Yes: There are several kinds uf airgases, which only differ on minor points. Taking them as a whole, I should say that, outside of coal gas, there is no system that has been so successful as" the Dreadnought gag. They have a gas-holder for holding the town supply, unlike the other airgases, which are single installation systems. If I were here I am quite certain I should advocate a similar light to that at Waipukurau. But is that light quite perfect for every purpose? I understand there is some "weakness, so far as cooking stoves are concerned? The patentees admitted to me when I 3aw them that they had not been quite successful with cooking _gtoves, but explained that what was was not the light, but the burners of the stoves, which for petrol gas should have very minute perforations.

One advantage of electric light is that streets may be lighted by turning a switch.

Yes, that is so, buc we now have automatic gas lighters, which, on a slight increase of pressure from the gasometer, automatically lights the street lamps, and there is every reason to suppose it could be done with a petrol light. The co3t of Waipukurau gas is 4s 6d, I believe. If I got a concession for coal gas here I could not charge anything less than 9s a 1000 feet. I have discussed this petrol light with the acetylene people, and I told them I had seen nothing, even in their light, to equal it. Many thanks, Mr Butcher, for your interesting views.

To The Editor,

Sir, —I notice that electric lighting is being further discussed in your correspondence columns, and as Mr Forsyth got his figures from me, I beg your permission to explain several point 3 which appear somewhat mixed. In the first place, the 35,000 watt example should not be confused with the 44 kilowatt installation proposed for Te Kuiti, which will be mentioned later by me. Secondly, Mr Forsyth's statement in your last issue should have been "35 kilowatts after all losses had been taken off," i.e., 35,000 watts at the lamp points, that being a fair comparison against Mr Hardy's figures for carbon lamps. As regards the consumption of metallic lamps, no less than four makers quote one watt per c.p., and all others except one guarantee 3.1 watt. The difference is slight, but even allowing the higher figure we get the following hard and fast comparison:—3s,ooo watt equal 31,818 c.p. (metallic 3at 1.1 watt per c.p.); 35,000 watts equal 120,000 c.p. arc lamps; 35,000 watts equal 8,328 c.p. (ordinarv carbon lamp 3 at 3.8 watts); 35,000 w'atts equal 12,160 c.p. (special high efficiency carbon lamps). Mr Hardy' 3 remark that the extra light from metallic lamp 3 would be lost, is scarcely justified, as, if only 16 c.p. is wanted, then 16 c.p. metallics can be used. All other cities and towns, including Auckland, use metallics, -jo why not Te Kuiti? The lighting 'available fiom a generating station with an output of 44 kilowatts (all engine room losses allowed for) may easily be calculated by simply subtrating the loss in distribution. In a town like Te Kuiti where the wires would be ample, and the major part of the current used close to the power station at a very small loss, the average lo3S may be estimated at !\ per cent. Therefore, 44,000 watts, minus 7| per cent equals 40,700 watts at lamp points; this gives 40,700 c.p. using metallic one-watt lamps, or c p using metallic one-point-one watt lamDS, or 45,000 c.p. using 8 arc lamps and 1200 25 c.p. metallic lamps. jf 5 95 watts were allowed per c.p., as proposed by Mr Hardy, the loss allowed would be 200 per cent! It would be somewhat interesting to know what the losses in pressure and leakage on a similar gas system would amount to. In conclusion let me say that it would be a great pity to see a progressive town like Te Kuiti going back to gas,when all up to date towns, and even American towns alongside the oil fields, go in for electricity in preference to oil gas.—l am etc., T. DRUMMOND.

To The Editor. Sir —ln reply to the Mayor's letter, in which he complains of not receiving generous treatment the only Ungenerous statement made soiar in <the discussion is contained in his -letter where he says some Councillors -"have doubled on their tracks." His • statement, "I shall continue to stand bvit, even if I stand alone" only .proves my contention. Personally. I •am not so bigoted in the matter, and -will support whichever light proves ■ after full investigation, to be the best ■ and most economical for the Borough 4as a whole.—l am, etc., M. W..FORSYTH.