NECESSARY REFORMS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 229, 29 January 1876, Page 16

NECESSARY REFORMS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —Among the many reforms needed in Welington is that of the inspection of weights and measures. The present Inspector, an old servant of the Provincial Government, is, no doubt, zealous as ever, but age and infirmity prevent him attending to the duties in the manner to be desired, and he ought to be pentioned off, although as a rule I object to pensions. The duties should be entrusted to the Inspector of Nuisances who is not over worked, and a slight addition to his screw, or a moiety of the fines inflicted for deficient weights and measures, would keep him up to the mark.

In all well-regulated towns in England the Corporation, if not the owners of the gas works, appoint an inspector of gas meters. Could not that duty be advantageously undertaken by the officer before named. The cost of the apparatus would be trifling, and the fee of one shilling- per meter would repay the interest on its cost. Very few of your readers are aware that a meter has a greater tendency to go wrong than any other machine, and it has often come to my knowledge that meters have registered 10 per cent, more gas than has been consumed. They sometimes register less, but very seldom. The gas manager says he has a great contempt for the opinions of the Press, but perhaps his directors are of different mould, although I heard the chairman, who is also a member of the City Council, previously express the same views. Does the manager take the cue from the boss.

On looking over the valuation roll a few days since* I discovered that this company, who enjoy the monopoly of supplying the city with gas, are assessed at £630 annual value only, having two acres of land for their works and the use of all the streets in the city in which to lay their supply pipes. And the company actually pays the enormous sum of £2O 15s. 6d. this year for city rates ; while if the valuer had understood his business and the Home system of valuation, he would have assessed them at some £SOOO or £6OOO, and the Council would be receiving some £250 per annum from the profits of the monopoly their predecessors were weak enough to connive at "or assent to. —I am, &c. O. S. D. January 27.