Gas and Electric Lighting.

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 3867, 6 January 1883, Page 3

Gas and Electric Lighting.

THB addres3 of Dr Siemens to the Society of Arts advances ua a stago further in the solution of the grand problem still pendiug as to the relative merit? of gas ftad electric ity The chairman goes at length mlo the moat interesting part of that problem which is concerned with the comparative cost of the two illuminating agents, and it will be Bdmitted on all hands that, however strong a believer he may be in the future of the more recent invention, he speak* with moderation and apparent fairness of tbe capabilities of tbe older. Tho lesult of Dr Siemens calculations is summed up by statins that the cost of maintaining the electric light in an efficient condition throughout the towns ot Great Britain and Ireland, including wages, management, and , renewal!, would amount to about 21s aji fer each light, whereas the cost ot burning gas vhich would produce an equally powßr : ltd effect ia estimated at 295. v'n tho other hand the establishment of electrical apparatus would cost £177,000 for every £80,000 required for establishing gas works and the : total capital needed for getting up the former establishment in Londou would be U millions, while the extension to tho whole conntry would abiorb G4 millions more, to which must ba added 16 millions for lamps and internal fittings. It must be remembered also that this would be in almost all cases an entirely new itom of expenditure ; hence it remains doubtful how far the existing gas works could suffice, with improvements, for snpplying increased illuminating power, and wnat wouW bo the evact cost of idtroducing the required improvements. On the whole, while the chairman is qoite confident in the power of the electric light to ultlmateiy supersede gas as tin lllumiuator.he does not make fight of the difficulties which still delay its adoption, norie^rd as trifling the task of providing the 94 milhws required for that purpose. The case made out before the Society fit Art* m favour .of the new light is sttwfgtfrat it would be interesting to have an Rrgumeht folly worked out on the other fide',1 and it is rather surprising that no authoritative champion of the older agent has given U3 its complete case—London " Glote."