THE ELECTRIC LIGHT PROPOSALS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2106, 26 May 1898, Page 2

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT PROPOSALS.

The ‘ Advocate* is indebted to am occasional contributor for the following, article The inhabitants of the township of; Stratford, Taranaki, have at the present* • time some proposals, bafora them for the installation of an electric lighting plant -in, their midst, and as the conditions as to population, etc., are very similar to. those before us & our own Whangarei, we take the, opportunity of laying, before our readers a few ©f the leading details- of the ■; scheme.

The population of Stratford has (it is estimated) increased from- 300 to 1500 in the past five years; and, like Whangarei, the township- has in its near neighbourhood plenty of available water* power * not only to supply the- wants of the town in the matter of water, but also sufficient to supply power for an electric lighting plant. The prospectus goes on to say that this water power will render it pos* sible to give the town a beautiful light at a lower price than that charged by any other lighting company in the Colony. The relative cost of electricity and gas; respectively-is stated to be as. follows : Electricity, '4lld per hour gas, *Bood per hour. It is estimated that a 16. candlepower lamp in full use,, lighted by elec« tricity, will only, coat the consumer £2 per annum Careful calculations by electrical ex* ports prove that the- electrio current can be* supplied for private lighting- purposes at 9d. per Board of Trade unit, with are-, duction of 2d per B T TJ if paid by the 16th day of the ensuing month A Board of Trade unit will light seventeen 16 c p lamps for one hour or one,* 16: c p. lamp for 17 hours) , The large saving to be effected by. theuse of electricity was so well appreciated by the ratepayers of Stratford that a poll ‘ .Electricity versus Water gas,” taken, recently by the Town Board to decide as towhich should be adopted 1 , resulted in electric light polling 3 : to 1 ever gasr The, result of 1 the poll shows conclusively that ! the ratepayers, and. householders of Stratford are prepared to take electric light, ; and it is-estimated that the- average number of lamps in full use would be at least ;500, (the number wired will probably be--1200) On this, calculation the Company 5 will earn ai income of £IOOO per annum, •; It is proposed to carry out the scheme by means of a Company called ‘The 'Stratford Electrical Supply Company, /Limited ’ with a capital of £5000: in ,£1 ;shares- of which/ it is expected that not .more than 15/will be.called up I ‘According to the estimates of the Engirineer’the plant can be erected and put in -running order fbc the sum Of £2114 10s The dam. race, and buildings are estimated to cost a further sum of £SOO- ((This is for supplying 1200 lamps) Tlie working ; expenses of the whole concern are esti- < mated at £450- per annum-, leaving a profit !to the Company of £sso* or the handsome .dividend of nearly 15. per cent |; The purchase,.price to be paid’, to the present owner of certain rights and concessions isiixed at £2OO in fully paid up : shares of the Company \ The description of the proposed plant is, as follows:—Two turbines generating 50 EL P each, or 100 H\ P in jail j- water race '-and all suitable buildings ; 2 alternating current generators: of 400;lights each, mak;800. in all - ' . The extent of the lighting area will necessitate i the laying; of 376, chains, of. /main "wires/ The wires will, not; run into streets, in which there are no consumers, but whan two,- or more consumers, makeapplication, for supply of current, then: ;wires.would be run into those*streets. In leases.where consumers, had installed more than, one lamp.and took current at so much, per lamp, per annum, tney would only be charged on the average number of lamps ;constantly used on a sliding scale* A conj cession is, asked for- by the-Company for ithe sole and exclusive lighting of, the-town . for TO; years, and, the Town: Board having, the right to purchase the whole- plant and the Company’sinterest therein, at valuation: j The above scheme is. so much-like the | one now being proposed: for Whangarei ! (although considerably more- extensive, a. little over 100; chains being suggested for length, of main wires)that it is particularly, interesting at the present time. The chief difference is that in the Whangarei scheme the profits which would, undoubtedly be made would go directly-to. the present rater payers’ benefit all the Borough,. instead of the probablejlS per ceijt going into the pockets of the shareholdersun, a. Company,,

The population; ofStratford is 1,3®0; that of Whangarei 744. Mr Pesham’s report on the "suitability or otherwise of electric lighting for Te Aroha, will be published; shortly after that.gentleman’s return, to. Wellington* we understand..