THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1736, 10 July 1917, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

jcxe vagi; king. Daring tlio month >ii' June 52-1,000 fi. of gas wns manui'aHui'rd, which with the amount in holder on Juno Ist, 3.000 I'!,, made a total of 527,0(10 li. Of this amount 20 1,700 ft. was sold for lighting-, 153,000 ft. for cooking and heating 1 , and 77-1,000 ft. for |tower, 23.700 ft, was used in the street lamps, and 20,100 ft. at the works, and there was 3,000 ft. in the holder on .July Ist, leaving 1 1,500 ft., representing 81 per eenl., of the output nnaeeonnted for. Forty-seven lons one ewt. of eoat was carbonised, yielding 11,150 li. per ton. MAXAGER'S REPORT. The gas manager reported as lidlow-; :—■ "I heg to report Unit the ainounjj of gas niannfaelured for the month of June siiows a slight deerease a.s against May. Comparing (he gas -.old la-t menih against May, lighting shows an inerease, while cooking, healing and power a decrease. Taking into consideration the past month’s weather, we must expect a deerease on cooking gas, and unfortunately we have not a great number of gas tires in use to counterbalance (he consumption, and as regards the power gas, it is used in most eases as a stand-by. The carbonising plant is working satisfactorily since (he repairs, to chimney. As reported last month re W’e-tporl-Stoektuu coal, 1 am still working it at limes owing to it being covered up with Westport, Mr Breakspeare, the contractor for the erection of the holder, is making excellent progress, and with line weather will have it completed in about three weeks time. STOKER'S WAGES. At last night’s Council meeting the Gas Committee submitted a recommendation. that the stoker's wages should lie increased to £4 pe« week. In reply to a question by Cr Coley as to whether the man had asked for a rise, the Mayor said that the stoker had not made any application. Cr Coley said he did not think it was hardly the right thing to grant, an increase until it was asked for. If anything was worth having it was worth asking for. Cr Thompson said he understood that when the man took the job ho. got an inerease over what was previously paid. Cr Henderson said the stoker was working overtime, and it was better to pay him a good wage than have to employ two men. The stoker was a thoroughly good man, and worth the money. Cr Stevenson said that the Gas Committee in making the recommendation was acting on the manager’s advice. The man was at present receiving £3 10s per week, and was working 07 In 70 hours a week. He had to star! at 5.30 and 0 o'clock in the morning, and also had to work four or live hours on Sundays. He considered that, when (hey knew tin' man was working these 'hours it was only right that I hey should, increase his wages without waiting lo he asked. The Mayor said he considered the inerease fully warranted. The stoker in question was one of the best men they had had at the works, and he didn't think £4 per week was too much to pay him. Cr Hurley: “Xot a bit!’’ The reeommemhition was unanimously adopted on the motion of Crs Hurlev and Brvant.