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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1323, 30 June 1883, Page 2

The lapsing of so many meetings advertised to take place with respect to the forraingof the proposed Has Com pany has had the effect of damping the hopes of many who are ardently longing for the time when they can banish that foul smelling and imper feet illuminator —the kerosene lamp. Who is there in this town but would hail with joy the introduction of gas —let it be coal gas, oil gas, or any other description that would enable us to obtain a good light without the danger, trouble, and inconvenience attendant upon the use of kerosene oil The occupiers of dimly lighted and foul smelling office, store, or bouse would bail with joy the advent of gas, which would give them the greatest amount of illuiuina ion at the least possible sacrifice of comfort. Our streets again would assume quite another aspect The well lighting of these becomes more and mure necessary, as it appears to be an impossibility to keep them in any sori of decent or reasonable repair. We are perfectly certain that sufficient in formation has been obtained on this question as to place beyond a doubt the success of a company under proper manrgement. The spirit of speculation must beat low ebb indeed im Gisborne if this company is nol quickly floated Why it has, in the face of most encouraging opinions of well k nown practical men, been allowed to languish, we cannot con eive. Is it to opposing interests, or to what? that we are to attribute this indifference on the pari of our shrewd business men to whai must prove eventually a good investment. Let the Company be formed, prospectuses issued, and the Company thoroughly set afloat, and we have no doubt whatever as to itsuccess. What we would advise is to first begin with coal gas, and should we fortunately “strike oil,” then we could, at a small cost, adopt the retorts to oil gas producing. As will be seen by reference to our report of a meeting held yesterday afternoon, in Mr Adair’s office. Mr Ross, a gentleman from Melbourne, strongly advocated oil gas, but he mad -o .>e mistakes when, in going into the cost of material., he assrrte I that “221 gallons of oil at 6d per gallon,” &c. Now, water goes 191 b to the gallon,

which would give 224 gallons to a tonj j but ( oil, being of r much lighter specific gravity, averages less than 91b to the gallon, and thus gives about 250 gallons to the ton Ibis would enhance the cost of oil gas considerably above that stated by Sir Ross. Again, he stated that shale oil in Sydney could be obtained at a cost of 6d per gallon. This is a very low figure, which would be quickly proved it we had to import oil. Another thing we are enabled to assert from experience is that petroleum products are by no means the most suitable for the production of gas, and that certain seal and animal oils are far more economical.