THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1397, 13 May 1915, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL

MORE INFORMATION WANTED. 1 1 At Monday night’s meeting of the Borough Council, Cr Wbibley moved “that the gas works manager be instructed to furnish the Council with a monthly report showing the mains laid, number of new services put in, amount ot coal received, and a general state- ; ment of ail work done by the gas works staff.” In speaking to the motion, the * mover said this report would be in addition to the monthly statement already furnished, to be read by : the Town Clerk at each monthly ; meeting. At the last Council 1 meeting a letter was read from a , ratepayer, complaining that she : had made repeated applications to ; the manager to have the gas laid 1 on to her house, and the replies : she got from him were that he hadn’t had time to attend to the ( matter, and he at last told her the ■ Council would not allow him to ! employ a man to assist him. ‘ These statements would give the ! impression that the manager’s J time was fully occupied, but at ' the recent cooking demonstrations 1 Mr Hamilton found time to be in 1 attendance every afternoon, when there was really no necessity for ■ him to be there at all. If be could find lime to do that he 1 ought to be able to find time to do ' a lot of the work that was at ' present being sent from the works 1 to tradesmen in the town to do. If the Council got a statement each month of the work done they • would know just how matters stood. Mr Hamilton was appointed as a working manager, and when he first took up his duties was seen about the works in dungarees, but apparently the dungarees were now worn out, as he had given up wearing them. The speaker considered also v tbat a working manager should be at the works before half-past nine or ten o’clock in the morning. According to the way things had been going lately, it was up to the Council to get a closer grip of matters in connection with the works. Cr Freeman seconded the motion. Cr McColl thought things were run a little on the slack side. No doubt the manager had a good deal to do inside the works, but he could find time to attend the cooking demonstrations, where he was handing the cooking and lollies round to the ladies. There was something wrong with the works as the speaker considered they should pay their way. The manager had come to him lately aud asked him to undertake the installing of - fittings in con- - Burners’ residences aud he wanted to know just how he stood with the Council in taking ou such work. Cr McColl said he was ‘ there to give the manager— or anyone else —a fair deal, but if matters iu connection with the works were not satisfactory he would “rub up against fairly solid.” The Mayor said there was nothing to prevent Cr McColl in'stalling the fittings, which were paid for by the owners ot the houses and not the Council. Cr Henderson agreed with wbai had been said. He did not think the manager was doing as much work as he should. He was appointed as a working manager aud there was work such as pipe screwing etc., being given out to other people in the town that should be done at the works. If this work was carried out by the gasworks staff it would be done much cheaper. Lately he had noticed some ot the lamps burning in the daytime and it was evident that matters were not being looked alter as they should be. He considered a report should be furnished so the Council would know what was going on because they did not know at present. The Mayor said he understood at the time that the Council’s object in making the new appointment was to get a man capable of doing a day’s work so that the the works could be run by the working manager and an assistant as was the case at Levin and Woodville. In view of this be was surprised to find that the Council appointed a man of practically the same age as the previous manager. As to the question of the time at which the manager started work in the mornings, it was quite possible that the hours were arranged to suit the working of coal etc., aud on these occasions the manager may have been working during the night. He knew that during the past few days two of the lamps had been burning in the day time and this was a matter that should be referred to the manager. The members of the Council were elected to manage the affairs of the borough aud they should look after them the same as they would their own business, and stop all leaks gas, or otherwise. Cr Coley: “1 don’t think the manager should be asked for au explanation about the lamps burning in the day time. What were we paying Knewstub for ?” Cr Whibley said Knewstub was under the manager’s control aud he was therefore responsible. Cr Coley contended that it wouldn’t be fair to hold the manager responsible lor somebody else’s neglect. The Town Clerk said that Mr Knewsub bad reported to him that he had put out the lamps in Fatter and Coley Streets at half past ten at night aud within a quarter of an hour they were alight again. He knew that people had relighted some of the lamps after the lamplighter had put them out.

Something should be done to bring the offenders to book. Cr Coley said according to the Town Clerk’s statement neither the manager or Mr Knewstub was to blame for the lamps being alight in the day time. The motion was put and carried. APRIL WORKING. The amount ot gas manufactured at the local works during the month of April was 3’ 1,500 ft., which with the 5000 ft. in the holder on April Ist makes a total o( 346,500 ft. The amount sold to consumers for lighting was 170,200 ft., for cooking and heating 51,600 ft., for power 01,500 ft., 31,000 ft. was used in the street lamps, 21000 ft. in the works and there was 2000 ft. in the holder on May Ist leaving 9200 ft. representing 2 : l per cent, of the output, unaccounted for. The amount of coal carbonised was 29 tons mewt 2 qrs, yielding n,500!t. per ton. The earnings amounted to A"i4s os 6d, made up as follows ; gas sales (lighting) lIC L (beat and power) £37 31 3L meter reuts ros, coke sales £1 2s 9 k l ar sales £1 ns, weighing is-> bJ, fitting account ,£l2 16s id. and miscellaneous 3s. The expenditure totalled ,£l9O 12s 3d, made up of coal /41 n nd, salaries and wages is Bd, labour ou mains £l 5s 6d, pipes for services ,£i ß 7s 2d, working expenses To 4 s id, printing aud advertising £7 s s . engine repairs and oil, £6 5s 3d, miscellaneous £2 10s and interest and sinking fund £59 lIS Sd.