MASTERTON GASWORKS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8479, 5 July 1907, Page 3

MASTERTON GASWORKS.

REPORT BY THE MANAGER. The Gas Committee of the Master - ton Borough Council had before them at their meeting on Tuesday evening a report from the Manager on the probable requirements of the gas department during the ensuing six years. It was then decided to recommend the report to the Council for adoption. The report which is divided into three sections,viz., manufacture, distribution and sales of gas and finance, are as follows SECTION A. (Dealing with the manufacturing plant, carbonizing plant, purification plant and storage, gas holders). In deciding as to extensions of plant that may be required for any given period, it is necessary to estimate the approximate rate at which the output of gas will increase. Taking the two years ending March 31st, 1906 and 1907. the results are as follow Output ending March 31st, 1907, 16,600,600 cubic feet; output ending March 31st, 1906, 14,000,000 cubic feet; increase, 2,671,800 cubic feet. This is equal to an annual increase of 19.6 per cent. The increase for the first half of the year was only at the rate of 10.84 per cent., whiia the increase for the last half is 30.10 per cent., which is still holding, and, as far as I can judge, will hold for some time to come. Assuming, however, that this rate is liable to variation, I have taken an increase of 15 per cent, per annum as the lowest rate on which it would be safe to design future plant, requirements, etc., for the next six years. The figures work out as follows: —■ 1907-8, annual make 19,026.600 cubic feet, winter days' output 82,800 cubic feet; 1908-09, 21,956,400 cubic feet and 95,200 cubic feet; 1909-10, 25,249,800 cubic feet, and 109,502 cubic feet; 1910-11, 28,937,200 cubic feet and 125,927 cubic feet; 1911 - 12, 33,277,000 cubic feet and 144,815 cubic feet; 1912-13, 38,268,550 cubic feet and 166,536 cubic feet.

To cope with the output of 191213, as detailed in the foregoing table, it will be necessary to remove the old chimney, and extend the retort house to accommodate at least three additional arches of six or seven retorts. This work could be carried out as fellows: —1908-09: Remove old chimney, extend buildings to boundary of section, and build one bench containing four arches to receive seven retorts each; set one arch of seven retorts., provide hydraulic main; tar overflow; seal valves; foul main and connections. Estimated cost, £2,500. 1909-10: nil. 1910-11: Set second arch retorts (7). Estimated cost, £250. 1911-12: nil. 1912-13: Set third arch retorts (7). Estimated cost, £250. With the existing retorts. there would be a total of 33 retorts, which, at 6,0f0 cubic feet per mouthpiece, would give a maxi mum daily production of 190,000 cubic feet, or, allowing one arch off for repairs, etc., an average winter output of 154,000 cubic'feet.

Engine and exhauster — The present exhauster is rated at 5,000 cubic fee», per hour, maximum delivery. I would recommend that same be duplicated by adding an exhauster of larger capacity to run at a low rate of speed; th'S will be necessary not later than 1909-10. The approximate cost, £250. Condensers These will require adding to very shortly. Approximated cost, £250. Washer and scrubber —The present washer and scrubber are only suitable for a works making four millions per annum, Jand are [absolutely inadequate for the present output. This I have emphasised in previous reports, and I again beg leave to recommend the Committee to immediately procure scrubbers and washers capable of dealing withjjan annual output of 38 million cubic feet. The cost will be about £4OO. Purifiers —The six at present in use will deal with a make of 35 to 40 million, and will not require adding to during the period covered by this report. Station meter—This will be on the small side by 1910, and should be replaced by a larger one, to be erected with station governor in the new valve house. £2OO.

Storage gas holder The safe practice for economical working is to have storage equal to the maximum of 24 hours' demand. With the new holder now in course of erection we shall have about 110,000 cubi". feet storage. This winter day's output will be reached in 1910-11, and the question of further storage will then have to be considered.

Probably the telescoping of No. 1 holder would be the least expensive method of providing additional storage as required. When necessary I shall be pleased to supply plans and estimates of both. The summary of cost of proposed extensions of manufacturing plant is as follows: —Retort house £3,000; condensers, £250; scrubbers and washer, £400; exhauster £250; station meter, £200; contingencies, buildings, etc., £400; total, £4,500. If No. 1 gas holder is telescoped, add .£1,500. It must of course be distinctly understood that the foregoing requirements are based, on an annual rate of increase of 15 per cent, for six years. If this rate is exceeded, then the additions to plant will be necessary in a proportionally shorter period. Vice versa if the 15 per cent, rate of increase is not maintained then the extensions of plant ■will be spread over a longer period. SECTION B. (Distribution — Extension of mains and services; providing gas meters for new consumers). Mains can be divided into two classes —viz.. trunk mains (which are of large diameter and feed the smaller services) supply mains. There is at present an 8-inch trunk main from the Gasworks to the Post Office, via Bannister Street, Archer Street and Church Street. This is capable of delivering about 27,000 cubic feet per hour. There is also a six-inch main from the junction of Miriam Street and Bannister Street to Queen Street, via Bannister Street. This is capable of delivering about 13,000 cubic feet per hour. These two mains are of ample size for many years. Queen Street —The only alteration necessary will be to increase the size of the main at present three inches from the Post Office to Bruce

Street, a distance of 15£ chains. < This should be replaced with a sixinch main; it will act as a trunk main to supply Lansdowne —from Bruce Street a four-inch should be carried across two bridges, when the increase in consumption warrants the outlay. This, I do think will be necessary for a few years, but it must be included in any scheme for future reticulation, and the necessary funds provided. Perry Street and Chapel Street — In view of the rapid expansion of settlement on the "Renall's," "Cole's" and "Wrigley Estates," all of which will requira to be reticulated in the near future, I would recommend that the six-inch main now terminating at the corner of Bannister Street and Queen Street be continued up Perry Street to, the Inunction of Chapel Street and Pine jSktveet (a distance of five chains), (Pafid then along Chapel Street south to a point opposite Essex Street (10 chains.) This six inch main will act as a trunk main to supply the Pine Street four-inch, Coie Street threeinch and Essex Street three-inch. The present Rena'il Street main is a four'inch off the Queen Street fiveinch'by the Queen's Hotel, and the short piece of three-inch now laid in Chapel Street will connect it 011 the propose;] six-inch main. The whole of the following streets can then be cross-connected along Pownall Street:— Cornwall Street three-inch, Renall Street four-inch. Essex Street three-inch, Cole Street three-inch, and Pine Street four inch. The Wrigley Estate will have to be supplied off'the Pine Street four-inch. I append hereto the lengths of mains that will be required and approximate cost. Included in the list [are a number of short lengths required mostly for replacing of small wrought iron mains already down: — South Read, Kuripuni and High Street— Kuripuni should shortly pay well to extend in three-inch c.i. main, off the terminus of Queen Street four-inch. The list of new mains likely to be required _ within the next six years is as follows: — Queen Street, 15J chains of six-inch, 20 chains of four-inch: Perry Street, 5 chains of six-inch; Chapel Street, 10 chains of six-inch; Cole Street, 25 chains of three-inch; Essex Street, 40 chains of three-inch; Pownall Street, 70 chains of three-inch; Wrigley Estate, 40 chains of threeinch; South Road, Kjripuni, 40 chains of three-inch; High Street, 40 chains of three-inch ; Dixon Street, 28 chains of three-inch; Wrigley Street, now one and a-quarter, 18 chains of three-inch; Albert Street, now one and a-quarter, 27 chains of three-inch; Villa Street, now one and a-quarter, 30 chains of threeinch; George Street, now one and aquarter,. 20 chains of three-inch; Grey and Olive Streets, 16 chains of three-inch; Hessey Street, 18 chains of three-inch; Ross Street, 7 chains of four-inch, Bannister Street, now one and a-quarter, 20 chains of threeinch: Colombo Road, now one and a-quarter 15 chains of three-inch; Church and Keaton Streets, now one and a-quarter, 18 chains of threeinch. Total. 30 chains of six-inch; 27 chains of four-inch; 465 chains of three-inch. The foregoing mains would of course, only be laid when circumstances show that they will pay well in the .immediate future. The total approximate cost is:—3o | chains of six-inch main, £300; 27 chains of four-inch main, £175; 465 chains of three-inch main, £2,500. Total, £2,975, or, say

£3,000. Services and gas meters—Every new main laid pre-supposes a sufficient number of consumers to make same pay. These new customers have to be provided with a service pipe from main to gas meter and a gas meter, the average cost per house is £4 —assuming only fifty customers per mile. The additional capital cost is £2OO per mile of main. The sum of £IOOO, should be provided for service and gas meters on lines of mains previously detailed. SECTION C. (Sales of gas and finance). In a town like Masterton where the supply of firewood is yearly becoming more difficult and expensive to procure, there is in my opinion a great future for gas as a fuel. It is really a matter of educating the people to the convenience, cheapness and varied uses for which gas is available in the household. The new show room now being installed —provided as it will be with the latest appliances for the use of gas, for lighting, heating and power—will do much to attain this end. The hiring out of cookers at a nominal rental (the hirer having the option of purchase) has proved most successful, at the same time the expansion of this business will be such as to necessitate the expenditure of capital in purchase of stoves and the pipes necessary to connect same; not less than £I,OOO should be provided. Run in conjunction with the foregoing is the sale of gas fittings, gas fires. grillers, bath heaters, etc. A further advance is the system now universal in Great Britain and extensively pushed by the larger colonial gas undertakings,viz., the supply to every house on the line of a gas main with one light and a small griller or cooker free of cost. These installations would cost about 35s to 40s to install, and in all cases a slot meter is fixed. The system will pay well when the price of gas can be reduced to anything below 5s per 1,000 cubic feet. Price of gas —This must be almost entirely dependent on the financial policy on which the Council decide to carry on their gas department. If the Council carry out the principle they have already affirmed, that all capital expenditure (that is expenditure that is in itself reproductive), | shall be provided by loan money, ft* then they have it in their power to sell gas at a very low rate—possibly the lowest in New Zealand. The gas consumers already provide the interest on capital borrowed, the money required for the sinking fund, the amount expended every year for maintenance and renewals of plant and why should they be taxed still further to provide capital for extending business that will itself produce its own interest, sinking funds, etc. I would recommend that the Council obtain the necessary power to raise a loan of sufficient amount to gradually bring the works up to a capacity of, say, fifty million cubic feet per annum output." It does not follow that because the loan is authorised it will be raised— as a matter of fact the expenditure will be spread over a number of years,

and then only in the event of payable business being assured. The present loan liability (capital) in the gas department is comparatively low as compared with similar undertakings in New Zealand. As the output of gas increases the amount of capital per million feet will decrease. At present it is roughly rather less than £I,OOO per million feet by the gradual expenditure of £IO,OOO or £12,000. The works will be capable of producing fifty million feet, the capital would then only be £560 por million cubic feet capacity. It will thus be seen that if business progresses, as there is every reason to believe it will, gas should be very cheap in Masterton in a few years time.