CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 60, 5 April 1909, Page 4

CORRESPONDENCE.

NEEDLESS EXPENDITURE, To the Editor. Sir,—l trust that some of our borough councillors will demand ot their representatives on the Charitable Aid Hoard some explanation of what seems to me a needless expenditure. Those passing by the hospital grounds will have noticed that a neat live hedge, protected by wire, in Dawson street has been cut down and is being replaced by an expensive structuiv in concrete and brick. Wc ratepayers are far too easy in permitting such a heavy r ate to be imposed for hospital purpose*, seeing that it gives the Board the nivalis to indulge in luxuries than can well be dispensed with.— I am, etc., A RATEPAYER.

STREET LIGHTIIsG. To the Editor. Sir,—Councillor Browne's reply re tiie above gives me the impression that he has but a hazy notion of the purport of my letter. I raised no question on the charge per lamp. I incidentally stated the fact of Councillor Bellriuger's reference; the reason for such reference was of secondary importance, and, if it interested me at all, did so only to the extent of my assuming that the increased charge was not attributable to extravagant lighting of this part of the town. Mr. Browne's description of procedure is certainly novel; 1 can quite understand a petition or a deputation for an extension of the liguting area, but the necessity for such to plead for the sufficient lighting ot an already existing circuit quite bailies me. if he doubts the need for more light here, let him wander along after nsguuall—in practice, though, the state of tile footpaths might make this too forcible an application of the argument in favor. Therefore, the theoretical calculatiou may be safer anil preierablc, aim 1 will set him the problem that since light varies inversely as the square of the distance what illumination is there at a point, say, midway between Weymouth Street and Morley Street \ The solutiou, 1 think is denoted by a cypher. That little joke the councillor is trying to get ou to me in explanation oi the number of lamps in Liardet Street lias not one, but many, points, and 1 relish all of them. But what special weatiier conditions appertain u> lwiiuct Street: The ordinary mortal would have thought it better to lit some oi those lamps in the localities where the distance between the lamp pillars is greater; there the benefits would be more appiveiauJe and the weather test, if anything, more rigorous. I am in a position to say emphatically that it is not in accordance with a common rule to group lamps in the vicinity of the lighting station for testing. And, really, the lamps rcferrcu to (metallic-filament) may be accepted as having got beyond the experimental stage. In laboratory tests they have been found to retain their original cll'iciency of approximately one watt per candle-power for 2,000 hours and over (double the useful life of the i„.uuiiiilameut lamp), and have been successfully utilised for street lighting in other parts of the world for many months past. 1 observe that Councillor Browne says nothing in regard to my complaint j about the arc-lamps (Maine oi .another variety); if they also are hung up for the weather test they don't seem to be coming through the ordeal too well. The advice that there are many streets in a worse position thau Hine Street is no more consoling than the knowledge that there are many better; so, hoping for an early completion of the testing formalities,—l am, etc., A HINE IST. RESIDENT.

P.S.—I might have added that the particular 100-c.p. lamps now being " tested " in Liardet Street are not likely to be installed generally here, as the voltage of the local electric supply necessitates two of them being connected in series or special transformers being used. In exceptional eases, however, their use would be both commendable and justifiable.