THE GAS WORKS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2127, 13 May 1920, Page 3

THE GAS WORKS.

LOSS ON YEAR’S WORKING. PRICES.OF COKE AND TAR RAISED. "■ At Alonday night’s Council meeting Cr. Coley moved, and Cr. Hunt seconded, that the price of tar be now one shilling per gallon, and that coke be two shillings per bag, or £2 per ton; general maintenance account to be charged at tire rate of one shilling per gallon for tar, the same as the ordinary consumer. The Mayor' sflid that the end of the financial year Avas the only time that a correct account of the operations of the gas works could be obtained. The Town Clerk had prepared a profit and loss account for Ihe year ended March 3.lst last, and the Mayor said the account was in a worse position 1 him he had expected, a loss of £l4O 18s 9d being shown for that period. In November the price of gas had been increased on account of the extra cost of production, so that' in the year under review (here Avas only four mouths in which the higher price had obtained. Iladlhe increase operated for the whole , period the work’s Avould have come out about square on the year’s operations. With the increases now suggested in (he prices of tar and coke the increased revenue in a year Avould amMini! to about £lO5. Cr. Coley contended that as £4OO had been collected by Avay of gas rale, the works really shoAved a loss of over £SOO, instead of £l4O.

The Mayor said that £220 had Ik-on set aside for the sinking fund, and lids was provided partly out of. rales collected. Cr. Coley said that they must show 1 lie £4OO odd collected in. rates, and in Ids opinion the loss on the year was over £SOO.

(>. Thompson said that the £4OO collected in rates should he shown. He wanted to see the works selfsupportin'?. The morion on being' put was carried unanimously.