ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 26 March 1907, Page 2

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

1 tart night ago the Porough Councillors wrangled about the state of the electric light ng linances, and some astounding deductions were made from the official figure*. Cr. Collis announced at Jast night's meet'ng thatj he had closely examined the figures In the interim, and he gave his colleagues the benefit of his investigations. The total cost of contracts entered into was £21,017. but by some savings to be effected this would be reduced to .121,472. Prior to last meeting there was a balance of C 528. Then the committee a>kWl authority to expend

C 720 in floods, but, of Ihis £405 had al- , ready been provided for th'e Breakwater and Vogoltown cxtcnaions. This i left .-C225 lo be deducted, from the *CS2B, showing £303 in hand. Then they had been told by the engineer that prior to last meeting there was £110( worth of sloelc, and of that £2OO woulc be used in tile extensions. So the po sit ion was not so desperate as they hai ! been led to believe, and it ivas quit' within the bounds of possibility tha Ihe programme mapped out could hi carried out with the amounts at th Council's disposal. It had lieon rum oi'evl (hat £IOOO additional loan wouli lie required, hut that was, of course, on of the question, and unnecessary. Or. Monteatli said ilie position wai even better than Or. Collis had said Tlic Council had been somewhat mislei I>y a ilujilication <of figures, the iirsi report having) been prcKen'ted thy tin Town Clerk, who had ihe financial pari of the business, and the second by Ilii electrical engineer, at the working Vml The eledlric light .balance, sheet al March 31st would explain itself. While 1 A Veiling! oil: metaphorically we'eps at tile seriousness of the cuttim oft' of its m:iin water supply, I'etone, oi at least a portion of it, rejoices at the plentiful supply of firewood brought down by the flame ilood. The l'eton* bench was a sight worth seeing on Tuesflay morning (says the "Evening Post") There were assembled in groups a smal army of men, women and children who. with the aid of drays,, traps, whcelhar rows, box-carts, "prams," and many other means o( conveyance, were engag

Ed iii carrying homo driftwood. The debris ranged from fine kindling wood to huge logs that, a dozen men' could not shift—logs that, would lie of value In a sawmill—and groat massive blocks reminiscent of a 'butcher's shop. The whole length of .1 lie beach was covered with debris, which, by the way, also included* timber from the flood-ruined pipe-bridge. Some men remained away from their usual work io slum in lite harvest. Ono man, evidently of mining experience, had pegged off a claim." Whether his "claim" was rc> sjiected in big absence is doubtful,