THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING BILL.

Evening Post, Volume XLI, Issue 134, 9 June 1891, Page 2

THE ELECTRIC LIGHTING BILL.

DISCUSSION IN THE CITY COUNCIL, Consideration was givon by tho City Council last evening to the Electric Lightning Bill, which the Galchor Company propose! to nave introduced during the coming sossioa' of Parliament. Tho Mayor, in reviewng tjl« Bill, ■aid that: there was one feature in it which ho feltsure would meet with tho approval of the Council, and that was that it was" not pro--posed that tho company should wvo a.monopoly. There was, however, a feature which ho thought would not bo approved by the Council. Ho referred to the proposal w create a Board of Control, consisting of tho" Engineer-in-Chief, tho Fostmastor-Genoral, and tie Superintendent of Telographs. Councillor Pothcrick moved that consideration of tho Bill should be doforrod for a fortnight. Ho had not been able up to tbo present to consider its provisions, and as the mattora wore of great importance he thoughfr it would bo unwise for tho Ctfffncil to act in a hasty manner. The proposal in the Bill' to plaoo tho control of tho lighting in tho 1 hands of a Board did not meet witli Ms approval. Tho Council wore the guarifiims of the pnblio, and ho did not see why tho con.' trol should be taken out of their hands. Councillor Mooller seconded tho motion' for adjournment. " The City Solicitor explained the main provisions of the Bill, and expressed tho opinion that, on the whole, it was a fair one. Councillor Vogel urged that a clause shonld be inserted in the Bill giving powor to tho Council to take over the business. He had recently spoken to Mr. Do Castro, chairman of the company, on the subject, and that gentleman stated that he quite expected such a clause would be inserted. Councillor Fraser pointed out that Hnn-son-streot was .not included in the schoduln attached to the Bill. The Mayor thought that no objeotion would be offered to the inclnsion of any streets not referred to in the schedule. He questioned whether an adjournment for a. fortnight was not too long, seeing that tho Bill ought to be introduced at an early stage of tho session. Councillor Harris- pointed out that they contract between the Council and the Guloher Company had not yet been completed,, and suggested that the Council should refuse to support the Bill until the contract wascompleted. The Mayor observed that it did not seem" to occur that the completion of the contractdepended upon the passing of the Bill. AatMngß were at present it would never pay the company to continuo to light Wellington, for J61750 a year. Replying to Councillor Harris, The Mayor said that it was admitted that there was no legal contract. Unless tho company obtained power from Parliament to go in for private lighting the electric lighting of Wellington would cease, which bo thought would be a great pity. The Council would therefore see that it was to the advantage of the city to havo tho Bill passed. The motion for the adjournment was agreed to, and it was decided that the CitySolicitor should prepare a clause givingpower to the Council to take over tha bneineßa if considered necessary. In reply to Councillor Worth, The Mayor said that there was no contract in a legal sense, as the Council had not signed. The heads of a proposed agreement had been sent to Mr. De Castro, and that gentleman and the City Solicitor wero now endeavouring to fix up the matter. The aubject then dropped.