CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 282, 28 November 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

(FaiDAY, November 27.) Presmt: all tbe members. The r ..port of tbe Committee on the gasworks was read as follows:— "Rowrtof the Public Works Committee upon tne Gasworks of the City. "Y. ur Committee heard Mr Mirfin, the Managi. r, in explanation of the disparity in the q mutity of gas produced as compared with otlier gasworks. The Manager handed in a report extrautei from ths printed annual staten.e-.its of several gas companies, which npon we append. It will be observed that our g-isworks have yielded the smallest aven.ge quantity. The reaeoi s given by our Manager are as follows: — "l«r. The works have not been supplied with an exhauster, thereby causing a greater pressure upon the retorts which ctacked several o( them, and allowed a large escape of gas to go up the smoke stack. There was only one of set retorts supplied with the plant, co'igequenily the Mana. or had to work wiih .'au:ty ones, until others were supplied from Mi .bourne. " 2 .j There were 12,000 t > 15,000 feet of gas ;on through the breakage of the main pipe in Waimea street, caused by a landslip dming the construction of the sewer. '-3rd. The smallness of the gasholder. The Manager wrote to the Provincial Government on the 10th of April last requesting

them to order nine flrrclay retorts, wbich orcer the Government decline! to forward " Alt i a cartful investigation into the facts placed before them, your Committer, taking into consideration the newress rf the works, and the difadvantaj.es the Manager was laboring under, do not think he is to blame frr the small pircentsge of gas produced per ton of ci.al. Hegardinß the station meter, vre cjii*i''cr a record of the pas ina-le every day should have been ktpt. The Manager in explanation Mated he had in-struction-«trcm thi Provinciil Engineer not to use it bb it would cause too great a: pressure upon the re' ort s " Your Committee consider the Provincial Govenment who unlertook the erection of the works are to bia mo in not provi ling a duplicate s- 1 of retorts with the eas plant, and in not getting a larger gasholder than t-e one in use, ar.d n ore especially in neglecting to pr.. cure the retorts as requested by the Mutineer in April. " The Manager informed us that the three r.ew iron retorts lately paced in position were workii g well ; thty are doing more work with thf m tban was done with the six faulty ones previously in use, which had effected a great saving in fuel. Tne Committee passed the following re solution unanimously-.—" That the Manager of the Gasworks weigh all the coal and coke and take a record of the station meter twice a day from the 24th day of November till tbe 22nd day of December, yiz,, 28 days consecutively." Launeeston Gasworks— Year endingJJune 30, 1874. 808 tons coal carbonised yielded— Feet. Ordinary consumption at 1 7s 6d 5,102,000 Lamps, at 13a 1,537,000 Total feet 6,639,000 Or an average of 8,217 feet per ton. Hobart Town Gasworks— Half-year ending Decetnbor3i, 1873. 928 tons coal carbonised yielded— Ordinary consumption, at 16s 5,552,900 212 street lamps, at 12 000 each 1,272,000 7 private lamps at I>,ooo each 84,000 13 wharf lamps at 12,000 each 156,000 Total feet 7,064,900 Or an average of 7714 feet per ton. Greymouth Gasworks— Year ending Sept. 30, 1872. 407 tons coal yielded — At 20s 2,636,900 Coke sold equal to (at 20s) ... 25,000 j Total feet 2,661,900 \ Or an average of 6,540 feet per ton. Greymouth Gasworks— Year endingJSept. 30, 1873. 493 tons coal yielded— At 1 7s 3,131,800 Coke sold equal to (at 176) |... 4,000 Total feet 3,135,800 Or an average of 6,370 feet per ton. Greymouth Gasworks— Year ending Oct. 1, 1874. 480 tons coal yielded— At 16s 3,529,600 Coke sold equal to 9,000 3,538,600 Or an average of 7,372 feet per ton. Nelson Gasworks— Year ending Sept. 30, 1874 281 tons coals yielded— Ordinary consumption 1,385.000 Coke sold equal to 133,500 ... 133.5C0 2 street lamps at 6,000 each ... 12,000 Lost by main breaking in Waimea-street 15,000 In stock 20,0u0 1,565 500 Or an average of 5,550 feet per ton. The question of adopting the report of the | Committe was discussed at some length, and it was ultimately resolved that the resolution ouly be sdopted, and tbat at the expiration of the time the report be further CimsMcred t'r. ntrwijer called attention to the fact that a Utt-r from Mr B. Short, relative to the assessment of his prop' rly dated October 12, had not bea answered. Some discission ensued thereon, and Cr. Haddow moved tbat the C'erk be directed to write to Mr Short expressing regret tbat bis lttt«-r had not be j n replied to, and stating that it would be taken into consideration by the Council. Mr Yoonoer stated that a reply had been sent to Mr Short since the last meetingof the Council. Cr. Haddow said that enquiry had been made into the application of Mr A. Richmond to havo the water laid on to hia house at the Cliffs, ani it was found that tbe cost would be £45 and the revenue to be derived therelrom £7 p r Hnnum Resolved: That the Manager be^instructed to h-ive the water sfrvice laid on. Applications for the office of City Surveyor were read from Messrs Younger, Beattie, , Tatton, Ltghtfooi and Mirfln. On the first vote being trken, the names of Messrs Tatton and Beattie were struck out, ! and on the second that of Mr Lightfoot. The number of candidates being reduced to two, the following was tbe result of the election:— For Mr Younger 6 : Crs. Fell, Burns, Thompson, Wright, Burn, and the Mayor. For Mr Mirfin 8 : Crs. Stringer, Haddow, and Hooper.