ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2362, 28 May 1892, Page 3

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

The Borough Council of Balclutha are considering the questior. of the domestic and public lighting of their town, and at their last meeting the following information wasl aid before them by Mr T. Begg, of Dunedin as agent of an electric lighting company : Mr Begg said the cost of a plant to produce 300 lights of 10 candle power each, and three arc lamps of 3000 candle power, would be £2OOO. This included a generating plant consisting of a compound engine of 35 h.p., nmltitublar boiler, alternator or dynamo, transformers, net work of wires throughout the borough, and all instruments. Also, the three arc lamps; but each private lamp would cost the consumer from 30s upwards, according to finish. The plant would also be capable of carrying from 60 to 100 lamps more, all burning at the same time. The cost of working this would be exactly 2s 10£d per hour —say 3s—which calculated at running six hours a day, amounted to £328 10s a year; add to this 8 per cent, on the capital—£l6o, and 7 per cent for depreciation £l4O gave £620 10s. On the basis of a total of 1003 hours of burning, or 2f hours per day for each lamp for the whole year if they charged £d per hour on their 300 lamps it would "bring in £625 a year, or enough to pay working expenses, 8 per cent on the capital, 7 per cent, depreciation, and give their public or town lighting free excepting Id per hour for each arc. And this was equal to gas at 6s 8d per 1000 ft (cheaper than it has ever been sold in New Zealand) ; or, if they included the public lights gas would have to be sold at 3s per 1000 ft to equal it. But they must remember also that they could at any time add another 100 lamps wihout any additional cost, all of which would, therefore, be a direct profit to the borough funds. This scheme would be guaranteed to the Council. His company would be prepared to complete the whole thing at the cost he had stated, viz., £2000; and they would notice that he had put both the interest and sinking fund down at high rates. There was another thing, and that was, that should they at any time go in for a water supply the engine could be utilised for this purpose. The engine would pump 1000 to 1500 gallons per hour to a height of 30 feet, or a smaller quantity to a greater height as a water supply for the town. With reference to the light the supply of electricity would be discontinued at a certain hour each night, but every one who might require it after the engine was stopped could get an accumulator and store a sufficient quantity. Mr Begg gave a number of instances of the cost of gas in the different towns in tho colony to show that kl an hour for electric lighting, equal to 6s"Bd per 1000 ft for gas, was very low indeed, and that a very good profit could be made out of it, and still charge a comparatively low price to consumers. He admitted that at Wostport the electric light had failed once or twice, but that was the fault of the driving power. There they used water power, and as it was placed too low the backwater in times of flood stopped the tiu~bine. The proposal will be submitted to the ratepayers.