Water Gas for Lawrence.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume IV, Issue 148, 4 January 1902, Page 4

Water Gas for Lawrence.

At last meeting of Ihg .Lawrence Borough Council, Mr J.ha Watt, <-n hoh.’ilfof the New Zealand Water Gc-i Co., wrote extending his oiler to tli t dale. Mr A R. Shephard, representing tl-a Acetylene Gas C->., wrote at length on I he meW s of that g a as an cdTretiul . ticot illuminant ami quoted prices for generators for ISO and 200 iio-c p light?. Lc.ters were al-jo read from Mr Sidrlcv, L. W. Baker, Oamavu. and Me srs Stuart eno. 1 enn asking for an extension of time for receiving offers. , Or Smyi h asked w 1 etlmr bnforo deciding the question it was understood, (hat too matter should again be submitted lo tile burgee a. ? His Worship refilled in the negative. Fie said tho motion carried at the bar;." sscs meeting vms that before acci p' ing Mr Watt’s offer the Council should publicly cal! for offers fromoih-To will-iig to undert.iko tire lighting on tho same terms. No further offers were to hand and lie ruled that the mat *or was

now in tho hands of ' the Council to dac'de. Cr Smyth a; lo t? m hether it would h 0 advisable to decide tho matter th.it ovi-ning, seeing they had not a full meeting, H s Worship said the m r filing was a regular one. 1 lie "abs«nt councillors knew this matter was coming on, ami it' (he matter was how decided in their absence (hoy had themselves to blame. Cr Walker then moved that (he offer ■if Mr Watt on b ha'f of the N Z. Water Gas Co. he accepted. The offer was a most advantageous one to the lo; ou Ji they were going to got a first-class light and the burgesses were nut |asked to provide a single penny. | Cr Millcs seconded the mo ion. Ho considered tho acceptance of the offer was for the hem tit of the boron,gh, Wrhn ..to, which w s a larger town than hr-',venae, had. jn,;t adopted a eimilaf scheme.

Cr Smyth asked if the draft agreement between Mr Watt and tho Com cil had been submitted to tho borough s diciter. His Won-hip replied (hat it had not.

With the consent of the mover 'and seconder an add-: ion to tho motion that tho agreement be submitted to t he li, hting committee and the borough solicit r baton final acceptance was added to the motion.

Or Jeffrey opposed the motion. Ho did not belhve in giving a monopoly - a anyone, neither did ha lv:Ii vo in thi-j water gaa, and if they did accent it he cautioned them that they would require a very stringent agreement. He strongly favoured all puhlie services in a town being municipalised, and considered the idea of giving a monopoly for gas lighting

a retrograde step. Cr Smyth-strongly favoured the aeccp., lance of Mr Watch' offer. It was a better and cheaper light than kerosene, and there was apparently no hops of their getting elect:icily generated by w- t-.r power. They had waited forty years for a good light, and he considered they dtculd now take the opportunity of getting one when it was offered them, and especially as they were taking no financial risk in the matter.

The motion was then put to tha meeting, when all present, with the exception of Cr Jeffery, voted in i's favour.