THE FOXTON GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1090, 3 September 1912, Page 3

THE FOXTON GAS WORKS.

■ (To the Editor.) Sir. —With your permission I would ouce more trespass on your space re the above. Now sir, on the figures issued in the monthly report of Lsviu, Woodville and Foxton, on analysis Foxton com- * pares more than favourably with either Levin or Woodville, the figures are as follows in the month of July of this year: Levin’s make of gas was, 432,900 ft., Woodville, 307,700, Foxton, 330,000 ; the gas accounted for was Levin, 399,000 ft, Woodville, 381,600 ft, Foxton, 322 600 ft; gas not accounted for and leakage, Levin, 33,00011, Woodville, 26,000, Foxton, 7,uoott ; thus the percentage ot leakage works out as follows, Levin, Sp.o., Woodville, B*p.c, Foxton, 2#p.c. Then sir, take only 481 ft per lamp the average of Woodville instead of 1214 ft as used in F'oxtou tor 28 lamps will work out 13,468 ft. Add this gas which has already been accounted for to Buxton's leakage would bring it up to 20,368 ft, thus less leakage than Wood ville. The works compared with ours gives Foxton the benefit still of 5,232 ft. The percentage then would be for Foxton 6}'2p.c. Now, sir, to bring Foxton on a level with Woodville peicentage oi leakage, we must do the following ; Take 7,000 ft. already used in the works and 20,500 ft. of street lamps and still add to Foxton’s leakage account, when we shall find the percentage thus : Foxton 8%, and Levin and Woodville still as before, viz., 8 and 8)-L Now, sir, according to the figures from the boroughs brought forward in comparison with our own, Foxton very favourably compares. One thing must be lemembered: neither Levin or Woodville use a gas engine in the works, iu fact, Levin uses water power. Yet, to make ;u the c nuparisous, we find that FT\ion cost approximately ,£5,000 more than either Levin or Woodville. And whose fault is this ? You say, the ratepayers. I say, no; it was the borough Council, as it was constituted at that time of the shareholders of the proprietory, or, in other words, a system of log rolling, and thus the Council has to pay a special gas rate, not through the manager of the works, but through the cost of interest and sinking fund. Now, sir, I would like to see the gas works making a small profit, and any municipal undertaking properly managed will do this. It a report is necessary, let us have one, but let it be by an expert who can act without bias, not by a man who is not an expert, but is evidently a biased man. If Mr Stuuell is to blame, nobody will be harder on him than I shall. Thanking yon v tor your space,—X am, etc., H. W. Richmond.