THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1090, 31 August 1912, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

THE COUNCIL INVESTI-

GATES

For some time past the Mayor has .been obtaining information, for purposes of comparison, in connection with the workings of gas works at Levin and Woodville and the information gathered was laid before the Borough Council at Thursday night’s meeting. The following comparative table of the workings for the month of July at Levin, Foxton and Woodville, was sent to each Councillor ; —Gas carbonised : Levin 35 tons, Foxton 31, Woodville 30; gas manufactured : Levin 432,90011, Foxton 330,000 ft, Woodville 307,700 ft; gas produced irom each ton of coal; Levin 12,1x1ft, Foxton 10,645 ft, Woodville 10,407 ft; gas sold to consumers : Levin 354,900 ft, Foxton 254,600 ft, Woodville 262,000 ft; used in street lamps: Levin 40,000 ft. or 755 ft per lamp, Woodville 15,400 ft. or 481 ft per lamp, Foxton 34,000 ft. or 1214 ft per lamp ; used in manager’s house and works: Levin 5000 ft, Woodville 4200 R and Foxton 34,000 ft A letter was read from the manager of the Woodville works, in which it was stated that the manager and an assistant, at 2S/6 per week, did the whole of the work there. A coal yard was run in connection with the works the profit on this branch being about £IOO per annum. The whole profit last year was something over £3OO. A letter hum Mr Gardener, Mayor cf Levin, stated that with the exception of a little casual labour, aggregating no more than one mau for 14 days in a year, the whole of the work was done by the manager and a stoker. The price charged for gas was 9/2 nett for lighting and 7/6 for cooking. The interest and sinking fund on their loan was ,£550 per year, and the whole of this amount was paid each year out of the revenue, it not being necessary to collect a rate and last year there was a credit balance of on the manufacturing account. Mr Stunell first hauded in a letter received from Mr Norwood, chairman of directors of the Foxton Gas Company, written at the time the company disposed of the works, which was as follows : “I am directed by my board to convey to you their best thanks for the skilful and business-like manner in which you have carried out your duties during the time which elapsed between your appointment and the period the gas works was taken over by the Foxton Corporation, there being not a moment's anxiety during the whole time the works was under your control. If at any future time myself or members of my board can be of any assistance to you, should you be seeking employment elsewhere, we shall most certainly assist you/’ Dealing with the management of the works, Mr Stunell said that when the Council took the works over the consumers numbered 135. Since then he had succeeded in getting a further 114 consumers, all of whom were now connected and with the ones at present iu hand this number would be increased to 130 —as many again as when the Council entered into possession. A great deal had been said about tke works failing to pay their way, but it must be taken into consideration that during tbe past year almost £IOOO had been paid out of revenue for pipes, fittings, meters, laying mains, etc., whereas in Levin and Woodville this class ot work was paid for, as it should be, out of the loan. When the money so expended was allowed for it would be seen that the works were showing a hand-

some profit on the working ac-

. count. Another thing that should / —not be lost sight of was the fact that the full benefit from the large number of new subscribers had not yet been received, and would not be until they had been connected tor twelve months. A comparison had been made of the amount of gas manufactured from a ton of coal in Foxton, Levin and Woodvllle. In any case this was purely guess work as it was impossible, under existing conditions, to state definitely what amount of gas each ton of coal was producing. He had always over estimated, rather than under estimated, the amount of coal used-each month, and at the present time there was in the yard between 70 and 80 tons of coal more than was stated iu his last report. If they took this amount into consideration it would be seen that Foxton was producing far more gas per ton of coal than either Levin or Woodville. The amount of gas used in the works had also been questioned and Levin and Woodville quoted in comparison in this connection. At neither Levin or Woodville was

there a gas engine used in connection with the works. Levin used water power and at Woodville T there was no necessity for an engine. Then, again, the amount used in the street lamps had been questioned. In one of the letters read it was stated that each lamp

would burn eight feet of gas per hour—that was perfectly correct, and if the Council reckoned up the time the lamps were alight at the rate of eight feet per hour for each light they would find his estimate for last month —34,000 feet was, if anything. under that ready burned. As regarded the leakage in the mains he could not be held responsible for that. The mains were very small and everything had’ to be worked with a very high pressure consequently if there was a leak in the pipe the gas would escape much faster than would be the case if they were working with a lower pressure. Also to take last month’s leakage was not a fair comparison, the loss in this connection being greater on account of the fire and the opening up of mains. Ail work in connection with the establishment had been carried out by himself and his assistant, with the exception of the large number of new connections and the extension of the mains, work that it was absolutely impossible to carry out without extra assistance.

The Mayor said there was certainly about double the amount of coal in the yard than the amount staled in the last report. In regard to the amount ot gas used in the engine at the works, Mr Shaw, of Levin had stated that no more than 12,000 feet per month should be used. Mr Stunell said that a gas engine used about 20 feet per horse power per hour and when the time the engine was working was taken into consideration it would be found that his estimate was very accurate. As regards Mr Shaw’s statement iu this connection he didn’t think Mr Shaw knew much about engines, and as a matter of fact he had approached him (Mr Stunell) for imormation re same. The late Mayor and the Town Clerk were always fully aware ot the fact that there was more coal in the yard than stated on the monthly reports. Cr Greig asked if the manager’s other estimates were as inaccurate as those in connection with the stocks of coal. He contended that the reports submitted to the Council should be as authentic as it was possible to make them. He considered also that a capital account in connection with the works should be kept entirely separate from the working account. The cost of mains etc., charged to the working account should have gone to the capital account. It was purely a matter of bookkeeping, but if this course were followed the actual profit or loss on a year’s working would much more easily be ascertained.

Cr Speirs, referring to the reports, voiced the opinion that tbe Council should get a plain straight forward statement each month.

The Mayor said that all the work at Levin was done by two men and the manager had informed him that it was all done between eight and five o’clock. The two ot them also carried out about 75 per cent of the new connections and fittings. The casual labour employed would not average more than one man for 14 days in the year. Mr Stunell said that if Foxton’s reticulation had been as complete as that of Levin when the works were constructed he and bis assistant would have had no difficulty in doing all the fitting and connecting required in Foxton. It was impossible for the Levin man to do all his work between eight o’clock and five. On his own satement the retorts were charged at eight and five and someone would have to be in the works tor several hours after this was done to attend to them. It was not practicable to leave the works immediately alter charging the retorts. He said that if the money expended on pipes, meters, laying mains, etc., had not been paid out of the revenue from the works a credit balance would have been shown.

The Town Clerk said that something over had been paid out of the working occount for the year ended March 31st, 1912, for new connections, mains, etc. If this had not been paid the works would have paid all expenses and interest and sinking fund except Mr Stunell also pointed out that at the enu of the year there was a good amount of stock—pipes, coal, etc. —on hand. It was moved by Cr Coley, and seconded by Cr Speirs, that the Council obtain a report from Mr Shaw, gas engineer, of Levin, at a cost not exceeding 011 the Foxton gas works, and the most economical manner of working same, and that the Mayor be requested to visit Marton for the purpose of obtaining information. Cr Greig asked if Mr Shaw was an expert, and competent to furnish a report. Cr Richmond said that Mr Shaw was a bricklayer by trade, and was not a gas engineer. They must give fair play, and if a report were to be obtained it should be furnished by an expert. It was not fair either to the Council or to Mr Stunell that anyone but an expert should be employed. Cr Speirs said Mr Shaw was a first-class man, and had been connected with gas works tor many years. On the motion being put, it was carried, the voting being ; —For: The Mayor and Crs Coley, Speirs, Stewart and Chrystall; against: Crs Adams, Greig, Richmond and W hibley,