ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 16, 19 May 1915, Page 7

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

MORE COUNCILLORS’ TALK. OLD COUNCIL’S RECOMMENDATION TURNED DOWN. MAKING A FRESH START.

| Cr. Hunter, speaking to liis notice of motion, at the llorough Council meeting on Monday evening, that the Council rescind the resolution of the old Council recommending that the necessary steps he taken to instill an electric lighting and power system similar to Feilding, said the lighting question had been threshed and rethreshed all to pieces. Still it was a

very important question. It was very unfair ol the old Council to tie up the Council on such an important question or that they should attempt to dictate to them a line of policy. It never should have been done, and was > entirely wrong. They had ordered j this Council to proceed to purchase an electric lighting system similar to Feilding. Cr. Hunter pointed out that 'a committee of the old Council had spent £IOO on a special report from what was considered to be the best engineers in the country, and after they got it, it did not suit them and was absolutely worthless; so they jumped on the train and went to l(eliding, and in a few minutes they fixed up their business and made the recommendation. They did not seem to know much about the Feilding business. Now, he did know something about the Feilding business, something which he had got in a special report from a friend who was an expert in these matters. Before they to purchase a lighting plant they should be quite sure they could get a license. He was well satisfied that the Public Works Department would never issue a license to a second lighting company until the time expired. Even if they could obtain a license, it would only mean a lawsuit, which might cost them between £14,000 and £15,000, as the Company would not lie down like a little lamb and allow their property to become worthless.

“1 don’t like to say these things,” continued Cr. Hunter, ‘‘but 1 have to explain my position. I could wish it would not be reported.”—(Loud laughter from members.) Cr. Hunter, continuing, said that as to getting a plant like Feilding, there were many things to be taken into consideration. Tt would be entirely too expensive, as he proceeded to show. The plant cost £11,500, and when the committee was down there, it was running just lovely, 'first-class! The works were all good! Everything was just all right! It was,special, and the most lovely plant ever seen! —(Laughter). Cr. Hunter said he knew something about the Feilding i plant from enquiries made. It was I twelve per cent, worse than the Stratford one. It was put in by tender, and therefore was done as cheaply as possible. The Stratford Deisel was put in by the original makers and was one of the best, although some thought it was one of the cheapest. The Feilding plant was 124 kilowats, and here it was 130, and was made so that it could generate and carry 145 withotu liability of burning out. Hero they had a plant capable of carrying 235 kilowats. They had nothing to spare here now. If they proposed to 1 have 235—(Cr. Young: “The Government standard.”) —they would have to have practically every bit of wiring done over again, and the motors would have to be chucked out. The life of a transformer was forty years, anl yet the valuation of those 1 here was' only £ls. The meters, which cost £2 IDs, and were also good for a great number of years, were put down at 15s. That would give them some idea of the way it had been depreciated. The argument all the time was Delay! Delay! But there was need, of hurry. If the Company had an extension of their license, Cr. Hunter said even then they could not decide whether the Council should buy it out or not. At one time the plant could he bought for £4OOO. There was a lot of wise men on the Council then (as now), and they wanted to give only £2BOO. Cr. Young: You are thinking of the goodwill.

Councillors to Cr. Hunter; You are wrong there! Cr. Hunter to Cr. Thompson: Tt was long before you were on tho Council or were thought of as a Councillor.

Continuing, Cr. Hunter said that whereas the old Council made out the Stratford plant was absolutely worthless, the report of two experts in 1911 said it was in good condition and lit for -many years’ service. Cr. Hunter said they should acquire, and everybody thought they should have, a plant of their own. He was sufficiently well informed to know that at the time the Minister was asked for an extension of the license the officials of the Public Works Department were all in favor of giving it, and that they considered the Minister did wrong in refusing it. If the Council was going to delay they did not know what would be the position. He quoted the case of the Wellington plant, which was offered for £40,000, but eventually cost the Council £130,000.

In reply to an interjection by Cr. Young, tlie speaker said : I am quite satisfied I know your position ; you are satisfied to have the delay! Proceeding, Cr. Hunter said the delay on the lighting question was stopping the progress of the town. The Council was all the time talking on the question of finding a plant. How could they blame the paper if it said the Council was a weak Council? “Let us do something strong,” concluded Cr. Hunter. Cr. Thompson seconded the motion, and congratulated Cr. Hunter on the knowledge of tho subject of electricity

which lie had displumed in Ids speech, and suggested that lie should Tie put ou the lighting committee. Cr. Thompson asked, for the better discussion of the question that the full report of

the old Council be read. The report of the special Lighting Committee read as follows The special committee appointed to attend to matters connected with the lighting of the town has already laid on the table the reports received from Messrs Climie and Son and correspondence therewith. Since that was done four of the committee visited Feilding for the purpose of inspecting the light installation recently completed there. The committee are well pleased with the Feilding installation, which is a standardised plant as recommended by the New Zealand Government, the cost being £II,OOO. Your committee is of opinion that the installation similar to that in Feilding would meet the requirements of the borough. In order to provide for possible breakdowns it would bo necessary to duplicate the motive power. The committee has considered various types of motive power, and is of opinion that the Deisel engine would prove most satisfactory. Your committee recom■nends that the Council takes the necessary steps to instal an electric lighting and power system similar to Feilding.

The Mayor said he was opposed to rescinding the resolution, as it was practically the work of two years on lie Council. It seemed strange to bin, that Councillors should wish to throw over the work ol the old Council. It was based on expert advice, md ho could not see how they were going to come to a decision unless they ook the experts’ advice. The present dtuation was that Stratford had a ■ompany which had certain rights and bad over four years to run. Morally ‘ hey had those rights, but according to law the Council had no right to give the rights of the. citizens away. Still, they must abide by what the Council had done in the matter. But the fact ,vas they wanted the light and more lights in the streets. It would be a dtort time only before the Company would pack up and go out. Were they, be asked, going to have a temporary structure or something substantial to stand by for many years? Were they going, to take over a plant sixteen years old ? It was a question of expenditure. Were they going to spend up to £IB.OOO and have more lights in their streets? Concerning Messrs Climie and Son’s ,report, Cr. Hunter oraotically said the Council got no good from it, but tbe information was there for all time. There was a recommendation that before altering the voltage they should test the houses, which' Messrs Climie and Son said would not be a serious matter. The principle of working at 100 voltage was the same as 230, only more copper was required. It would cost about £2OOO, but tbe same result could he obtained from 100 as 230. If they put down the cost of laying the wires down at £I2OO, there would still be £BOO, which could be allowed for re-wiring the houses. With 230.they,would get bettor results. It was recommended by the Board, of trade, and the proper tiling to do was to adopt a standardised plant. The question was, how were they going to get rid of the Company? They did not want to get into competition with them. Concluding, the Mayor said he considered it was not wise to rescind the resolution.

Cr. Thompson drew the Mayor’s attention to the fact that the report was the committee’s work, not the Council’s. It was a majority committee, and they could do the work as they chose and spend money as they

pleased. The Mayor: I would like Cr. Thompson to name any sums spent by the committee. Cr. Thompson: There was the expenditure for one or more members to Feilding; it was carried in the Council. The Mayor: Name one sum. Cr. Thompson: Oh, I can’t exactly name a sum. The Mayor; I will tell you. It was 30s. This was a matter for the full Council, and had nothing to do with the committee. Cr. Thompson: The Council did not 'spend it. The Mayor said ho did not think it was wise to make reflections. It was too late to make them. Cr. Lawson asked if there was anything to prevent them using the information of the old Council ? The Mayor said it would make, them look childish in the eyes of the ratepayers. They were turning matters down when they did not understand ; they should not touch them until they did understand.

Cr. Lawson : I take it wo are prepared to go over the ground ourselves.

Cr. Ruthorfurd said it did not concern them in any way. The new Council had not had an opportunity to go through the experts’ evidence. Jt might be taken as an indication by the people that the Council declared themselves in favor of the Electric Light Company’s faction. Ho suggested they did not want to identify themselves with either party. They should simply let it stand as a record of the past Council’s work. Cr. Young said it was a very important question, and he did not regret that it had not been settled. The Company was run by some of the smartest men in town, and certainly it was not paying them. He complimented the committee of the old Council, and he wanted the community to understand that it had prevented the jissue of a special license to the Comipany. They would have given away | rights they had no right to. The 'Council would require the ablest men jin the Dominion to value the undertaking. The fact that Messrs Climie j and Co, had condemned the whole plant excepting the Deisel engine was ■sufficient ground for them to look forward and get some lead to go upon. Cr. Young considered the Council would have two strings to their bow.

The Company might not come forward with a reasonable olier. Cr. Hancock: A throat! Cr. Young; A threat! Well, if yon wish to purchase a property and have the option over two, and one man won’t come to your terms, which would be the better position? To have the chance of one or two properties? Continuing, Cr. loung said he did not use his remarks as a threat. 1 hey were all, he took it. present in the interests of the Electric Light Company as well as in the interests of the ratepayers, and they should value the re- j commendation of the outgoing committee. it would be very mean on the part of the Council to pass over the evidence of the outgoing committee without fully considering the matter. They would gain nothing by it. They could rescind the motion, but would not have the opportunity to put it back again. Cr. Thompson said it was a resolu- j tion, not a recommendation. i Cr. Hunter objected to the Mayor’s remarks about their action being •hildish. He asked if the Council was going to delay, delay, delay, over and over again. He did not want to be I hampered by resolutions. j The Mayor: You are not being hampered. i

Cr. Hunter: “We are.” Continuing, ho said he was an enthusiast in electricity, having made a hobby of it all his life. There were 500 connections, and it would cost £SOOO to wire the town. He would, give £SO to the hospital, leaving it to be decided by expert testimony, if it were not so. He asked how much of the plant was sixteen years old? Sometimes it was best to get a second-hand plant. Show me, said Cr. Hunter, a plant which has given so little trouble as the Stratford one. The old part of the plant was only valued at £IOOO. Which is the most childish? It is impertinence. He did not see there was anything wrong in rescinding the motion. There should be no light faction or any other faction on the committee. There had been quarrelling and waste of money and time in going over the plant, and it appeared to him that some were trying to force the plant upon the people. Referring to the value of the wiring, Cr. Hunter said there had been very little depreciation. He believed that in fifteen years the plant would still be going. There were a few old poles, but those and other matters could bo threshed out after the motion was rescinded.

The .Mayor explained that the committee was only doing its duty in bringing down its report to the Council, and it was unwise to pass reflections upon the Council. Ho did not say it was impertinence,' but it was “almost” impertinence. It was not that it would he childish to rescind the motion, but that it would be if they had to put it back again. Cr. Lawson : It might not be necessary.

The division resulted:—Ayes: Crs. Hunter, Hancock, Davey, Stanley, Thompson, Mills and Lawson ; noes; The Mayor, Crs. Young and Rutherfurcl.