GAS CONSUMERS' MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 54, 2 July 1887, Page 5

GAS CONSUMERS' MEETING.

At the Chanber of Commerce yesterday afbernoon a meeting took place of gas consumers ir, connection with the .-agitation in regad to gas bills, price of gas, and vagaries d meters, which has so long exercised the miiids of many longsuffering citiens. Mr Graves Aickin presided, and-read bhe following report of tho FinariceComrnittee :—

"The commitee having carefully considered a large lumber of suggestions, beg to report upon .hem, and to recommend that the general meeting of gas consumers should press the Mlowing points upon the attention of the 7as Company :—l. The fine of 33J per c.it. upon the net price of the gas enforced fo\ non-payment of account after the lapse of bit a few days .after its being rendered, is.excessive and without parallel in any otlir business. The committee consider thai 10 per cent, would be sufficient for the putoose sought. 2. Thab bhe bime of paymeib should be altered bo bhe 15th of the ensuing month, for two reasons: First, tie time elapsing between the delivery of lie account and the day of payment is vey short for any requisite verification' or rectification ; and, second, because maiy persons are inconvenienoed by haVng to pay the account before receivhg their salaries, which are usually pad ;to them at the end of the month. 3, That the account should beleftat the time ofrcading tho meter because after the lnpso of .wo or throe days verification is UnpofesibU 4. That the charges should be graduued, so that consumers would reap the beiefit of a reduction in,price proportionate to the quantity consumed. • 5. That gas usd for cooking, heating, driving engines, eti., being necessarily consumed in proporionately large quantities, might be suppliel at a reduced price, fi. Thab a deposit shoud not bo taken from any. person of known reliibility. There being a unanimous complaint re to tho cost of the gas, the committee, in viov of the large amount of business done and lie substantial profits made by the Connany, advisethe general meeting of consumes to request the Gas Company to givo their favourable consideration to bhe reduction of price ; and, further, that inasmuch as wisto of gas through undue pressure in high hvcls is not the fault of the consumer.the Gas Company mighb reasonably be asked to sujply regulatihV burners which thoy reconmend fi cc of cost. [Signed] G. Aioiii^ [clnirnmn], War. Tears. — Auckland, March 1,1887.

The Chairman then stated that hoancl the Rev. Mr Tebbs had waited upon bo Gas Company as a deputation, and had i'ccived the following reply :—" Auckland Gis Company (Limited), Auckland, 27th Juni 1887. Graves Aickin, Esq., Chairman of tie (Jus Consumers' Inquiry Committee. Sir,—l have been directed to inform you tint the directors of this Company have fullr and carefully considered the several subjects brought under their notice by the repots of the I 1 inance, the Mechanical and the Climiienl Committees nominated by the gemral committee appointed at a meeting of tho gas consumers of the city,-held some tine since. The directors are desirous to nieit, as far as they can see their way to do ©, the wishes of the committee, and have _>■ solved aftor the closo of tho current liaFyear, namely, 30th June instant: — [i] Discount on city gas accounts: Discoum to be at the rat} of twenty-live pel cent, on all accounts paid on the 25th oi each month, arid 15 per cent, oil'accounts paid between the 25th and tho last day of each month. Discount on North Shore arid Onehunga supply accounts. Discount to bo at the rate of 2s Cd per' 1,000 c.f. on all 1 accounts paid on the 25th of each month; and Is 6d per 1,000 c.f. on accounts paid between the 25th and the last day of each month. All acconuts for city, surburban, North Shore and Onehunga, not paid on the last day of eac.i month to be payable in full without any- discount.' [ii] Except iii any'special case, Ho step shall be taken td enforce payment till after the expiration of 10 days from the delivery of the account.' [«.'] Tho accounts shall be delivered at .the time the meter is taken.' [i>_ In respect of deposit I have to state.that deposits are never required from persons known to be reliable, and any deposits so taken are returned as soon' as reliability is ascertained. In reference to the report of the mechanical committee :—[a] The directors .express their desire that the confidence of the consumers as to the measurement of the gas should be established by a proper inspection of the meters, and they will welcome the appointment by the Corporation of a properly qualified inspector, to whom every facility will be afforded in the performance of his duties, [n] The Company cannot, the directors consider, bo reasonably expected to supply regulators gratuitously, as tho increased pressure on the higher levels is no-more the fault of the Company than of the consumers, and the consumers have the means, which the Company has not, to control the consu-mption to a certain extent by due attention to the tap through which the gas has to pass. In reference to the report of tho Chemical Committee as to tho qiuility of the gas, the directors give similar assurance to that which they have given in reference to inspection — that every facility shall be offered to a properly qualified person duly appointed for the performance of his duty. It must bo understood that any of the above new arrangements are subject to revision if they be found not to work satisfactorily. —I am, sir, yours faithfully, E. B. Parsons, Secretary,"

He (tho Chairman) had also written to the City Council on behalf of the gas consumers, asking them to appoint a Gas Inspector, the Gas Company having expressed their willingness to accede to such an arrangement. In all other cities the cost of such an officer was defrayed by the munioipal body. A general discussion tollowed, which it is needless to recapitulate. Messrs Hunnan, Otto and the Rev. Mr Tebbs spoke in strong terms of tho grievances of gas consumers. Mr Green, on the other side, showed that gas was cheaper here than in Christchurch, Dunedin, and VVcllington. If the city had tho management of the gas supply, it would ease the ratepayers of L 3.000 or 1.4,000 a your. Mr Hannan then moved "Thnt the reply of the Gas Company being unsatisfactory, the General Committee be requested to act until such time as redress is given in the matter complained of." The names of Messrs Hannan and Otto were added to the Committee, Mr Green refusing to act. The Chairman thought the agitation had already had a beneficial effect, as the gas people had remedied some causes of complaints already. , On the motion ofMr Waite,it was resolved that a meter tester and gas inspector be appointed, and that another meeting be called next week.