Truth THE CITY LIGHTING.

NZ Truth, Issue 92, 23 March 1907, Page 4

Truth

THE CITY LIGHTING.

Published every Saturday morning AT-LUEB'S LANE (OPIF MANNBRSSUBSCRIPTION (IN AfiVANOE), 138. PER ANNUM. ■

SATURDAY, MARCH, 23, 1907,

A month hence the rate-payers of Wellington are to be: afforded; an oppqrtunty of calling for an account 6f the stewardships of the Mayor and Councillors of the Wellington Gity Corporation. Not m the-wild-est-flights of the richest imaginations can it possibly be supposed that the fact of an impending municipal election of Mayor or Councillors is likely to disturb the blissful day dreams of a body of civilians whose apathy and begone-dull-care attitude towards civic affairs is scandalous if not criminal. This want of decent regard for .municipal government is certainly not alone confined to Wellington and perhaps some day, when it is too late, when they have been rooked, robbed and hoodwinked from every quarter, the somnolent citizens will wake tip ; but as it is now, the very idea of'( those fools-^-the ratepayers — ever being roused or electrified into activity is laughed at and scorned. The fact that a municipal election is pending is regarded, if thought of at all, as a novelty, the enactment of an annual iarce. What is wanted is new blood m the Corporation veins, and it is only the ratepayers themselves who have the power m their hands. How on earth anybody can expect citizens to interest themselves m municipal matters m face of the recent referendum on the proposed purchase of the Electric Light Syndicate's rights and plant m Wellington, is more than " Truth " can understand. Out of a- roll vote of nearly 10,000, 651 votes — 413 for and 238 against— were polled on a matter involving the outlay of £160,000. Mayor Hislop, certainly did express his deep regret and disgust at this abject apathy, yet neither he nor any City Councillor deemed it expedient to tarry a moment and consider whether m view of this damnable dereliction of duty on the part of ratepayers, it would not be advisable to allow them another opportunity to go more fully into the question at the proper time viz. that of the elections. That £160,000 should on such a sparse /vote be scattered " among the needy," the nifty, shifty Houndsditch Hebrew crew, who seem to pull the" strings m Petticoat Lane, while the Municipal Marionettes prance and dance m Wellington, is nothing short of a grave and suspicious municipal scandal, being suggestive, of rottenness and corruption. Indeed, what misgivings Mayor

Hislop entertained on this criminal carelessness of the citizens seems to 1 have been consoled by, the specious arguments of a plute-loving daily press which saw nob apathy on the • part of the ratepayers, but a silent and solemn acquiesertce- of the ratepayers m whatever their " trusted representatives " saw fit to do m their interests. Anyhow £100,000 is £o change, or has changed, hands for a, concern certainly not, .on the estimates made from time to time, worth anything like that figure. The Corporation, through the ratepayers have granted concessions almost unheard of m any honest business deal. Though ' the Corporation has taken over the plant, though it supplies street lighting, the Syndicate, up till the end of June, the most profitable period of the year, are to supply private lighting and to receive the profits, which are said to be about £11,600 net. What sort of a sop is this ? Is it not redolent of graft ? • • • This much however can be said m favor of the purchase, the plant installed by the. Syndicate is modern and perfect, but the over-head gear m the streets constitute a menace to the lives of the public of Wellingtpn, and are liable to prove a constant source of annoyance and inconvenience to consumers. A great deal of the over-head wire is what is known as Oallender wire. The ordinary life of this or other wire — Vulcanite — is 10 years, but under the Syndicate's regime it has been up over 14 years. Having the deal m view the bosses of this concern have not deeoae'd it necessary to effect any change. Laughlin, the over -head superintendent, knows 1 this. Yet he has never suggested any change. I Expert electricians will give as their opinion that Callender wire is unsuitable for the purpose for which' it is utilised m Wellington. It is dangerous, especially m view of the over-loading with electric power, of the over-head gear. It is covered with a certain composition, more like tarred tape than anything else. This tarred tape gives an imperfeot insulation, because where it is necessary on some angle' ipoles to erect cross arms to bring a strain on the termination, the effect* is to render the insulating composition cracked and ragged, and m many instances, nothing but a bare, death - dealing ' wire remains. Carrying as they do 200Q volts, these wretched, but very, live wires rtre a distinot menace to the lives and limbs of the men who have- to mount the angle-poles. The result ''.of. a contact with such wires is instantaneous death. . The- emplqyees, know this ■ complaints have been made without av^aili- vlfcere are men employed; by th^ Syndicate who are maimed for life.;- There are men :emplqy9d-vid"?the -Post- and Telegraph Department Who have also suffered by this criminal pegligence on the part of the. Syndicate. The possibility of onp of these heavily charged wires falling to the ground is dreadful to contemplate. Again, the transformers, are m a shocking' and ' sad, state of ti£g|ect. These transformers distributed the current from primary to secondary consumption. They reduce for private light- '' ing, the 2000 to 100 volts. The majority of these transformers are faulty. Owing to a wrong - calculation of consumption the transformers become over-loaded and the result is that the fusing becomes defective, and dwelling and business houses stand the risk of being momentarily left m darkness, such as has frequently occurred m Wellington. The danger to the men employed On the over-head wires is sufficiently serious to warrant the assertion that if no move is made by the City Council to minimise the risk the men run at ordinary times it will be held responsible for the lives and limbs of their employees. With the approach of winter, the danger is doubly intensified. Electricity is never more lively than m damp, weather, the least leakage of electricity wilt find its way to earth and a human frame won't bar its progress. There is the ever attendant danger of one of these heavily charged wires falling to the ground and woe betide any living object that touches it. The cost of replacing these wires will be considerable, and of course the ratepayers must foot the bill.^ They have by their negligence assented .to ;the purchase of the Syndicate's rights, and the first duty of the Council must be to their employees and the public generally. • • • While however considering the question of the City Council successfully managing the ' concern it would be interesting to see how far the Council have succeeded m controlling its electric tramway plant. Mr. Eichardson, the* superintendent, is credited with the possession of qualifications eminently fitting him for his onerous and , responsible position. But Mr. Eichardson has far too much to do, and is therefore uriable to give his best attention to his multitudinous duties. ,He is hampered and handicapped m that he has under him, men, pitchforked with the aid of influence, into lucrative and responsible positions: A number of these "bosses" are entirely devoid of a technical acquaintance with the intrisaeies ,of electrical work. One has been a bank-clerk, another served his time at carpentering, another for a brief spell worked on some tramway system m one of the Australian States, while another's

eleotifical blunders m one New Zealand town called for Government intervention. Were it not often for the 1 knowledge and experience and common-sense of the " common" workmaii, some of whom have had 18 and 20 years, experience m electrical, work, it is hard to imagine What sort of calamities would befall Wellington. There may. have been a complete disorganisation of the tram service and perhaps great loss of life m the past. The " common " workmen employed can buy and sell their " bosses " m the work. These booby " bosses " practically makes Eichardson's official life a burden to him. What is tne use. of complaining when influence has such a pull. The Council's service is m a state of thorough disorganisation. Though the articles of employment stipulate that employees must belong to a Union, it connives at black-legism by refusing to enforce the stipulation. This remark applies to the linemen, the majority of whom are nonunionists.

Having; taken over the whole lighting concern the Council must thoroughly re-organise its service. iFirst by improving matters m the tramway department, and secondly by a wholesale rooting out of the rotters employed on the*" staff of the Electric. Light Station. Common humanity calls for xan immediate refitment of the over-head gear m the city. It is a menaoe to life and limb of working-men and the public, ltd cost will certainly be considerable, hut is cost .to be considered where human /life is m jeopardy? The citizens by their abject apathy, their criminal, carelessriess to their own interests have, voted £160,000 into the greedy coffers of a grab-all London 'Jew-bossed concern and must accordingly take the consequences. By awakjnig to their interests when the Mtiiiicipal elections are held the ratepayers can do much towards making ;the 'most of what tooks a bad bit of jobbery. Whether the ratepayers , will dp anything at all is problematical.