LIGHTING A TOWN.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 431, 17 January 1912, Page 5

LIGHTING A TOWN.

• MEETING AT TE KUITI. In view of the poll to be taken tomorrow as to whether electric light ; should be adopted for the lighting of 1 the town, a meeting of ratepayers 1 was held in the Town Hall last evening. His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. Boddie) presided. The attendance was fair. The Mayor in his opening remarks said he had been before the ratepayers on two occasions as regards loans which he had advocated, but in this instance he was placed in a peculiar position, and said "I am not in favour of electric light, and make no bones about it" He thought it necessary and desirable that the true facts of the finances of the borough should be put before them before they should go and vote for further money for this proposal. The finance of the borough, as far as loans were concerned, showed a total liability of £31,780 bearing an annual rate of £1589; there was also the general rate for maintenance purposes which amounted to £897, making a total of £2,486. The rates at the present time were £573, but the people had not yet been called on to pay towards the special rate. However, after March 31st, they would have to face it. He did not think it was wise, considering the state of the .town and its population, to add still further to the present amount. The question, therelore, to be decided was, would elecrici'ty further increase their liability? 'here were a number of private people [ho had various installations of their ton, and who might not be readily in Lced to go in fur electricity, which liuld therefore mean that it would lie some time before the light could Imade remunerative. With regard I Messrs Niven and Co.'s report, Rich the Council had paid for and acas expert advice, he had to deal with the figures as he found them. The basis taken of the estimated costs was £IOB3 10s for electricity, £1390 coal gas, £784 petrol gas. He considered the various lights should stand on their own merits. What he was mostly concerned about was the question of £ s. d. He maintained that it would be years before a revenue could be got from electric light. Another point was that expert labour would have to be provided, besides many other contingencies. He would rather see the people recover from the burden of taxation and the lighting business put aside than see the Council saddled with the loan. The speaker went on to refer to electric light v. petrol gas, and mentioned Cr Young's report on the Eketahuna lighting ssytem, which showed that it was not a good business proposition. The report showed a loss of £254, whilst the petrol gas at Waipukurau showed'a profit of £164. He considered that any scheme brought before the ratepayers should be a sound business proposition, and that the money to be invested by them shown that it would pay. He was anxious to see the town lighted. In the face of facts he would conscientiously be compelled to vote against the proposal. Cr Finlay said, as mover of the resolution that electric light should be adopted, it was incumbent on him to reply to the Mayor. There had ' certainly been some sharp conflicts on the Council regarding the question, but there had been nothing personal. When the matter of lighting came up there were three systems before them —coal gas, electricity and petrol. The former had become eliminated from the argument because it was considered to be too expensive. Theqque- t tion had then resolved itself into ; either electrical or petrol lighting, " ( He proposed to prove that electricity would not call for the imposition of a £ special rate. He t.hv,n proceeded to j quote from Messrs Niven and Co.'s report with regard to the comparative ( cost of the schemes, also for the cost of consumption, which, he said, ac- j cording to expert advice that he had rceeived. would cost as follows: —Coal ( gas per 1000 feet Bs, Dreadnought gas J 10s (taking 2000 feet Dreadnought to ( equal 1000 feet coal gas), . electricity 4s BJd. He quoted Stratford, which had allowed a company to acquire the i monopoly of electric lighting, and the , people were now negotiating to buy ', the goodwill at £4OOO. Stratford was ] one of the best lighted towns in the ( country. The company had been paying a 10 per cent, dividend, and were also writing off fur depreciation at the rate of 12J per cent. He had re- , liable information that a perfect elec- , trie plant could be installed for ] £4400. He proceeded to compare ( electric light and Dreadnought gas, as } far as the report wag concerned. The ( day was coming quickly when electric ( power would be required in the King Country. He concluded by saying £ that it was not the question of the cheapest light that the ratepayers 1 had to consider, but the best. ( Cr Young referred to the Mayor's j statement as regards his Eketahuna j report, and was at a loss to know how the figures had been turned. They had manufacturers of petrol gaa in the town, and if 't was a case of petrol lighting then he would support local industryr When he had visfted Waipukurau he did not see any cooking done by Dreadnought, l It was also no use for power. Wifh | regard to the £6OOO on the loan it J was i n connection with a hydro- I electric plant and the tapping of the < Mokau Falls, hut for the present the < requirements would be met by deriv- i ing power from duplicate suction gas i producers and dynamos. The fact of 1 takin ß electric light along the wires i would be a mere bagate]le in compari- | son to the cost of laying mains for SS?-„ms' E,ectr}c IJ g ht was safe!"s™ t uJ°, a minimum. He was cerTJn 51: e n ectri «ity was the best system tor 'Pp v.--i- L •>.,•. ,-taoif t n Kuiti, becau°e it lent 111 Pvn a L-° Wn of thia ki nd which rr LuS d "? in all Erections, assertions t he m.„y bald believed H WouW y C f Fmlay : He muchi money to ? LT u M '

twice as much. If the loan was carried it would mean a very dear rate. Cr Forsyth said that he had seen a large number of the business places in the town, who would only be glad to install electric light. Another matter worth consideration was that the laying of mains for Dreadnought gas would cost £5 10a per chain, whilst provision for the carrying of electric light would cost £1 19s per chain. He quoted several places where electricity had proved a success. Cr Hardy advocated the benefits of petrol gas in preference to electricity. The Mayor replied to criticisms of the previous speakers, and concluded by stating that the cost of installing electric light would be secondary to the cost of working.