THE LIGHTING QUESTION.

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

THE LIGHTING QUESTION.

- ♦ THE ELECTRIC SYSTEM

In view of the poll to be taken on the lighting question to-morrow, a Chronicle representative took the opportunity of interviewing Mr R. 11. I Cameron, chairman of directors of the [ Stratford Electrical Supply Company, I who was in town this morning. j On being queried by the reporter, jMr Cameron said that he had been chairman of Directors for six years, I although electric light had been inI stalled in Stratford for seven years prior to his taking office thirteen I years in all. When electric light was first installed there was only a population of about 1200 people, and his company was the second in New Zealand to light up a town. The first installation was a 45 kilowatt generator driven by a GO horsepower turbine. Two years after that a duplicate plant was installed. A 200 horsepower Deisel engine coupled to a Brown Bowry alternator at a cost of £3500 was about to be installed, and, in fact, the plant had arrived. With the exception of power supplied to the Stratford Evening Post and power for smoothing irons the company up to the present had not provided for a day lode, but with the new plant they were making the necessary provisions. The income of the company at the present time was about .£2OOO per year and with the additional plant, j they hoped to increase it by another £IOOO per year. The gross profit for last year was £IOOO, and the last six months of the company's year was the best since the beginning, and had increased to the extent of £SO per month for lighting alone. The people of Stratford were very sitisfied with the electric system, as was instanced by the fact that the Rorough Council had decided to municipalise the plant and were going to pay to the company £4OOO goodwill. The arbitrators have fixed the valuation and the total cost would amount to about £II,OOO. A poll was about to be taken on the matter at an early date.

The prices for current was !>d per unit, continued Mr Cameron, subject to a discount of 2d per unit for prompt payment. For motor power 3d per unit was charged. The cost of lighting during the last three years owing to tne advent of the metal filament lamp, had been reduced to consumers less than one-half. This at an estimated consumption of 61 units at 7d per unit, would work out at 3s 7|d for an average house lighting per month. There was still another lamp, which had been patented but not yet on the market, that would reduce the cost by one-half of the present cost. These new lampß were doing for electricity, as regards consumption, what the mantle had done for gas. Mr Cameron pointed out that the boroughs of Hawera, Inglewood and Patea had gone in for an electric system. In the vicinity of Hawera milking machinse and factories were driven by electric power. Factory managers had informed him that they preferred electric power to any other for steadiness and the keeping of up of speed. Factories in the vicinity of Stratford were making negotiations for electric power. Mr Cameron concluded by saying that he considered electricity was the coming motor power of the country, and that it was absolutely the finest light procurable.

PETROL GAS. The Dreadnought Gas Company during this week have been giving an exhibition of the benefits to be dorived from its use the shop of Mitt. Jane, the local agent. The building has baen brilliantly illuminated for several nights, and the gas can be soundly termed as a good illuminant. An exhibition of cooking has been given by a representative of the "Rapid Fireless Cooker," the radiators of which were heated by Dreadnought gas. In conversation with a reporter, Mr Chambers, one of the patentees, said that Dreadnought, gas had proved a success in VVaipukurau both for lighting, heating and vulcanising tyres. The dentists there had found it perfect for work and was better in every way than coal gas. All the private plants that they had installed were giving the utmost satisfaction. They were at present negotiating with eleven towns. Last year in Waipukurau the installation showed a profit of .£l(s-1. There were now 125 consumers, and they hoped to show a profit of £.'?oo this year. Mr Chambers said that petrol gas was a long way better than either coal gas or electricity.