The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1884. THE GAS PROPOSAL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 8 September 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1884. THE GAS PROPOSAL.

Masterton has now three gas projects before it, lßt, the Marlborough overture; 2nd, the Wellington, proposal ; and 3rd, the proposed cooperative company. We regard the second project as an improvement oii the first, and the third as better than the second. We do not, however, believe that we have reached perfection even in the third,: and if we were called upon to advise the Borough Council we should recommend it to " bide-a-wee." Proposal No. 1 seemed feasible, but after hearing the representative of the Marlborough Company: make a speech at the late public meeting we camo to the conclusion that the Council would be extremely.unwise to have .any. dealings with this gentleman. Proposal No. 2 was less objectionable,, because the persons from whom it emanated were business men of reputation, with whom it was safe to deal, but' as this proposal is, as we under stand, withdraw, it is hardly worth while reviewing it. We now come to what might be termed the popular proposal of a co-operative company. The basis of this project is that the consumers should contribute the capital without outside assistance. To carry this project out successfully some eighty consumers Would have to contribute on an average £SO a-piece to supply the cash capital necessary to start' the company. We have some doubt as to whether eighty residents in Masterton are both willing and able to pay.s6o a-piece towards such an. undertaking. If we are mistaken, there is practically no difficulty in the path of the proposed company,, and it will, we think, be the duty of the Borough Council to assist it in every way. On the other hand, should a difficulty be found in placing the shares on a consumers basis, the local, company need not necessarily abandon the field. It could by dropping the co-operative feature of its programme, get over this difficulty. A gae conpany is purely" a business undertaking, and though it has hardly replied a business stage in Masterton yet it will no doubt come to one. The present co-operative proposal, though somewhat crade, is a step jn a right direction. Business men wi}l be apt to smile at the novelty it offers in the shape of one pound gas shares, but a mistake of this kind is merely a' preliminary error, which can be easily rectified. We venture to hope that the Borough Council will not part with the control it exercises over the inauguration of gas in the town tjll a thoroughly matured and satisfactory proposal is before it. ■ . • . ■■. ■