THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1030, 15 August 1911, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. At last night’s Council meeting the Mayor submitted a report on the recent canvass for new consumers. He said the result was : 63 new house consumers, three parts of which could be connected from the present lines of mains, 16 gas cookers and one 42 b.p. engine. He thought they had reason to congratulate themselves on the success met with. He had got from the manager of the works an estimate of the cost of the extension of mains in the various streets, which was as follows : Lady’s Mile, ,£ll2 ; Purcell Street, ,£52 ; Jenks Street, £42 10s; Norbitou Road, ,£22 10s ; and Franees Street, ,£l3 16s. These amounts were for the laying of mains and did not include services. For each consumer it would be necessary to make the necessary connections, including meter, which would cost about £4 each, or a total of roughly, ,£2BO. For this amount there would be no return outside of the gas sold. To supply say 20 gas cookers would cost £lO, making a grand total of about ,£6OO. Of course the amount expended on account of gas cookers would subsequently be repaid. In addition, it must be taken into consideration that a number of the new consumers would want time payments for the fittings, so the Council would have to provide for the outlay in this connection, say another £3OO. In round figures, practically ,£IOOO was required. The question before the Council was how to provide the necessary money. A further loan would undoubtedly be the best solution, but personally he was doubtful whether the ratepayers would sanction one. Then again, there was the question whether the A. M.P. Society would advance a further £ 1 000. He wouldn’t like the ratepayers to have an opportunity of throwing a loan out, as the Council might find other ways of getting over the difficulty. He suggested economising in the general revenue, and at the end of the financial year, reviewing the position and seeing how they stood. They could then possibly raise the rates to provide the amount necessary. This course would come to the same as collecting a rate to pay the losses as at present. He considered that was the best way to finance the scheme. They expected to get an additional £2Uu in rates this year, on account of the new valuation, and then there would also be the profits from the Town Hall. Personally, he was iu favour of seeing what could be done out of the general fund. He suggested putting on two or three fitters straight away, and thus get the extra consumption required. As the Councillors were aware, they were not going to get much, if any, profit out of the fittings ; but by putting them iu they would be increasing the consumption of gas. Another matter was in connection with gas stoves. In Levin, where a consumer was using a gas cooker and his consumption of gas was over 20U0 feet per mouth, he was only charged the cooking rate for both cooking and lighting. This course was followed in order to induce consumers to instal gas cookers. He thought this method could well be tried in Foxton. The first work to be undertaken should certainly be along the present lines of main.

Cr Gibbs said that according to the number of new consumers in each street the cost per consumer for mains would work out us follows ; Rady's Mile, ,£ls ; Purcell Street, £,'l2; Jenks Street, ,£2l ; Norbiton Road, ,£o ; Frances Street, ,£1 10s. They should make a start with the cheapest first. He was pleased to hear the Mayor say that he was in favour of endeavouring to meet the losses out of general revenue, and he could assure the chairman that he (the speaker) was with him every time. By paying the money out of general revenue, they would be sure to see that value was obtained for every penny spent. On the other hand, if they had another loan the money might be spent less carefully. If they hadn’t got much money to spend they would see that it was only spent where it was found to be absolutely necessary.

Cr Chrystall favoured making a start with the connecting up of new consumers straight away. Cr Coley said he was not in favour of taking the money out of the general revenue. If that was done what was to become of the roads ? They were not too good at the present time. The Mayor said he was quite prepared to go to the ratepayers with a loan proposal for another ,£I,OOO. He considered they had a splendid case to put before the ratepayers. Cr Speirs asked if the money were paid out of rates could the Council repay it when the works were a paying concern ? The Town Clerk said that the Act provided that any surplus from works of this kind could be paid into the general fund. Continuing, Cr Speirs said that the Mayor’s proposal was a good one. He favoured connecting up on the present lines of mains first. It was decided on the motion of Cr Gibbs, seconded by Cr Carter, that the gas manager be instructed to engage what fitters are necessary to counect up consumers on the present lines of mains who are wailing, and that the present roadmen be engaged, where possible, to dig the trenches, and that the work be pushed on with all [ possible speed.