THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1412, 17 June 1915, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

THE ADDITIONS LOAN. TO BE DROPPED FOR THE PRESENT, It will be remembered that some time ago the ratepayers sanctioned a loan ot tor additions and extensions to the local gas works, and that a tender from an English firm for machinery required was accepted subject to the necessary financial arrangements being made. The ratepayers authorised the raising of the loan at 5 per cent, but the Council since found that it was unable to borrow the money at this rate, the best offer being at s)i P er cent. To borrow at a rate above that authorised by the ratepayers it was necessary to first get the sanction of the Minister ot Finance and application for such permission was made by the Council some time ago. After considerable delay a definite reply has been received from the State Guaranteed Advances Office as follows : “With further reference to your Council's application under section 14 of the Local Bodies Loans Act 1913 I have to inform you that the Crown Law Office advises that as the proceedings in connection with the loan were not taken in reference to a specified lender section 14 does not apply and the Minister of Finance cannot approve of the proposed increase in the interest payable thereon from sto 5 % per cent. I regret to say therefore that there is not authority contained in the section under which your Council’s application could be considered.” A letter trom the Solicitor of the Public Trust Office stated ; “The position now is that your Council will have to take a fresh poll. Should it decide to do so I shall be obliged if you will submit to me the proposed advertisements before anything is done in the matter.” The Mayor said that personally he thought it would be better to let the matter drop for the present for two reasons. Firstly, the cost of gas machinery was increasing and it would not now be possible to carry out the work for the amount previously allocated. Another'poll would be a further expense and it was very doubtful if the ratepayers would again sanction the loan, and even if the loan was carried there was the probability of further increases in the price of machinery to face. The second reason was that he did not think the work is urgently required. It would be quite possible to carry on under existing conditions. When the late manager ol the Levin works furnished a report on the local works be stated that two men could do all work required at Foxton with the existing plant for xo years to come. In Levin two men did practically the whole of the work including new services etc. He thought it would oe better to let the matter drop, at least for the present. Cr Bryant agreed with the Mayor’s remarks and said he would support a motion to that effect. Cr McColl said it was no w the middle of winter and there had been no trouble and he saw no reason why the present machinery should not suffice for some time to come. Cr Coley thought the preseutwould be a very bad time to go to the ratepayers for a loan. Cr Stevenson considered it would be a waste of time to put another proposal before the ratepayers. The following motion proposed by the Mayor and seconded by Cr Coley, was then put and carried : “That the proposed loan for additions to the gas works be dropped for the present owing lo the inability of the Council to raise the loan at the rate authorised and the excessive rise in gas machinery in Britain.” The Town Clerk pointed out that the previous loan proposals held good for two years and could be taken up at any time during that period. MANAGER’S REPORT.

The manager of the gas works furnished the following report : “I have to thank you for permitting me to submit a monthly report on our working, During the month of May the output of gas has been very good. We fixed three new suppliers, aud have others on hand at present. Eighteen tons thirteen hundredweight of coal was received during the month. Our coal supply has not been satisfactory for some time, and a supply just received was completely saturated with water. To obtain the usual results this coal has to be dried In small quantities at the works. The retorts and carbonising plant is working well, but our holder is small lor the heavy week-end demand on our gas. We send ont 20,000 ft. now on Saturdays, and our holder is io,oooft. capacity only. The most serious risk is in case of fire at one of the halls or flaxmills, where large services are Installed to supply gas engines. These ought to have bad stop valves fixed outside the buildings, so as to close off at once in case of fire. To replace the brass stopcocks now iu use at these large meters with castiron main cocks would very greatly reduce the risk of our small holder falling us if an accident occurred ; the brasswork melts very rapidly in case ot fire. In reference to the duties of the manager aud assistant, I would point out that when two only are employed it is necessary lor some ope to be on duty'very long hours, apd we are not free from the works till io p.m. and Joften later, so that to be able to maintain the

high quality of gas that we now send out it is necessary for the manager to be on duty at least 12 hours out of 24. The success of the work, however, is of greater importance to a manager than a lew hours extra duly performed. I note it was stated in Council that I send out work to be done by local tradesmen that ought to be done at the works. Such is not the case and if a better system of check was introduced and all accounts for work done by local tradesmen were passed iu for me to examine I think it would be profitable to all concerned. In regard to gas fitting and attending to the requirements of our customers in their private homes I am of opinion the success of the works depends almost entirely on the attention we give to keeping the lights in order aud pushing on with a systematic canvass right along the present line of street mains now in use. Daring my term of office we have gained some two dozen new customers and we ought lo double this daring the present financial year. As the conditions of my employment hamper the natural progress of the work I am pulling a statement before the lighting committee for consideration.” The Mayor said he did not know what the manager meant by the last clause in his report to the effect that the conditions of his employment hamper the natural progress of the works. He did dot know what conditions were referred to. Cr Henderson said that pipe screwing work was still being sent to local tradesmen to do. Cr McColl said that there was no large die at the works and it was necessary therefore to send the large pipes to Messrs Ross and Signal to get threads put on them. In any case it was cheaper to do this work by machinery than by hand. The Mayor aud-Cr Coley said it was quite reasonable to send this work out. Cr Henderson said he noticed that the manager in his report referred to the extra work entailed on account of the small gas holder installed. It was only a short while ago that the manager said the present holder was quite adequate and now he was complaining. At this stage the manager’s conditions of appointment were read. Cr Henderson referring to the amount said to be used in the street lamps said it was absolutely ridiculous. The lamps that had meters installed had been burning for 14 nights for 5 O hours per uight and one registered 475 feet and the other 550 feet, an average of between six and seven feet per hour, yet the mauiger’s figures for street consumption worked out at about 12>4 feet per hour. Cr Whibley : What does he mean by a proper system of check ? The Town Clerk said that all accounts in connection with the works ot which he had no knowledge were submitted t > the manager before payment. The only exceptions to this rule were a couple of small accounts from Mr Podmore, so small that they were paid out of petty cash. Soon after the manager was appointed he took up the stand that he (Town Clerk) should submit to him a monthly statement in connection with the works aud wanted the books explained to him which he (Town Clerk) refused to do.