NEW PLYMOUTH GAS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 215, 9 March 1912, Page 4

NEW PLYMOUTH GAS

DISCUSSED BY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. . , SOME UNCOMPLIMENTARY REFERENCES. The state of the New Plymouth gas. supply was reviewed by members of the 4 Chamber of Commerce last night upoii'; a strongly-worded letter on the subject being received from Mr. G, F. Robinson.. Inter alia, he wrote as follows: "I am satisfied that you know there is a strong current of indignation - throughout the community at the manner in which gas consumers have been treated by the gas company. My object in writing to the Press has been to voice our indigna/tion to show we have been deliberately victimised,, and ,to prove • that good gas can be made by proper management and to urge that a radical change should be effected. The, only, possible effective change, in my opinion,, is that the ! gas works should become thft-1 property of the ratepayers. Such action.. \ comes with greater effect from a repre- . sentative body of citizens such as the Chamber of Commerce. ... I beg" you will at your meeting bring the' sub-' ! ject up for discussion, and that you will urge upon members of your chamber ib appoint a committee to wait iipon theBorough Council at their first meeting,, and ask that they take action in having the works municipalised at the earliest; possible date. ... I can only urge that your chamber in the first instance'' T and the Borough Council in the second 1 should take immediate action in the mat" -t ter and conserve the interests of the 1 ) citizens by putting an end to the unjust' monopoly which obtains." In the course of a general discussion, the chairman (Mr. Shaw) said that they were all agreed as to the deficiency in the quality of the gas, but as to what the remedy, was going to be was another r matter. For himself he had important "• doubts as to whether the chamber wae „ the proper body t'O deal with it. (Hear, * hear.) If anything in the direction as .. suggested by Mr. Robinson was done,it, ,Ji should be done by petition of the ratepayers to the Borough Council. At the-,* same time he did not want, to pour cold water on the matter. There was no question about the vile- quality of tl»"( gas.'

"THE BOROUGH COUNCIL'S BUSINESS." In the opinion of Mr. Burgess it the Borough Council's business. "Thafr-« body" he said, "should see .that the ratepayers are property served." In the state of New Plymouth at the time the gas works were, erected,, the council could not, said Mr. G<ovett, have undertaken such a work. The , council indeed ought to be very grateful to the company for the great number of years the company had provided gas lor the residents, and carrying on the.whole . time without dividends. Of course, now the company was making profits, and there was no doubt that at present it was supplying a poor class of gas, so > much so that every legitimate means should be resorted to to induce them to give New Plymouth a better supply. At the same time he held that the Borough Council had just as much as it could manage for some time to come," and to t expect it to undertake the "management of the gas works in addition to electric , light would be overtaxing the .nfunieipal* .ity. The time would come, however, when the question of taking the works over would doubtless have to be considered. Before that time arrived, however, it was for the borough to show > with the advent 'of Greater New Plymouth that it could run the electrical lighting. At the same time the chamber ought to do its best to make thts company "mend is ways." . Reverting to the question, the chair- J man said it was extremely surprising that the company should be so short- •"'* sighted as to play into the hands of the - Borough Council's electric light veinture- '■■ by "giving us such abominable gas."

Mr. Johns here mentioned that ae-" » cording to its secretary, the company J did not know what the cause of the bad"'J gas was. -a

"ELECTRICITY GOING TO WIN." Mr. Morey expressed the opinion; that with the advent of Greater New Plyv mouth the whole question would resolves itself into a fight between gas and electric light, and he ventured to say that electricity was going to win. The chairman: The electric light would never have been sucli a success if the Gas Company had provided a better article. Mr. Ewing thought Mr. Robinson had' taken the wrong course, but at the same time he candidly remarked that the gas | was filthy, and that he was deserving of thanks for drawing atention to the mat-.'uj ter in the Press. He for one had no desire to see the Borough Council take.. charge of the works. He would not gainsay the fact, however, that the company charged an extraordinary price. Incidentally lie reminded members that the ratepayers would soon be called on to elect a Mayor, and here was an excellent chance for. Mr. Robinson to seek office for the purpose of endeavoring to carry his views into effect. * The chairman: He would make a very * good Mayor. Eventually the meeting resolved to w thank Mr. Robinson for his action in the matter and to forward his letter to the.. Gas Company.