ACETYLENE GAS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10044, 24 May 1898, Page 3

ACETYLENE GAS.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE PRESS. Sib, —Your correspondent "Investor," after excusing his ignorance of acetylene, and his want of scientific knowledge, asks the following chil&like question:— "Wihy do not Messrs Tyree and Green carry on the manufacture of the gas themselves, and so pocket the whole of the profits connected therewith, instead of offering these large profits to the public?" "Investor" evidently knows nothing about the manufacture of carbide of calcium, or he would not ask such a silly question. To manufacture carbide expensive works are necessary. It is estimated that these works will cost upwards of £40,000. To secure this capital the vendors take the public practically into partnership with them, as they ask no money for their patents, and are quite prepared, should any of them be proved invalid, to submit to the loss themselves. Therefore the public have nothing to lose and everything to gain, as the manufacture of carbide will employ a large number of hands. It will give the public a superior light to any now in existence; it will give them a cheaper light; it will pay the shareHolders good dividends; it will keep a large proportion of the money that daily leaves this colony for kerosene in New Zealand; it will bring a large sum of money annually into Now Zealand from other parts, who are ready to purchase Zealand made carbide, besides other advantages too numerous to particularise. The position "Investor" takes up is a very foolish one. Coal-gas companies nave everything to gain by the advent of acetylene under proper management, and in America the gas companies there have promptly realised this fact, as a large number of gas corporations, such as the Equitable of York, Chicago Gas Trust, Philadelphia Gas Company, and numbers of others, who have bought the rights lor their particular districts. In New Zealand the gas men adopt different tactics, and are like a lot of children building sand embankments on the sea shore to prevent the ocean wetting their feet. What would happen if the patent thieves , accomplished their aims would be this: New I Zealand would be immediately swamped by every cheap grocer importing carbide made in Germany. Every tinsmith shop would be making trumpery generators, and insurance i companies and gas companies would have a lively time. Gas shares would drop to zero, and "Investor" and his friends would be walking about wringing their hands in despair. In the concluding paragraph of "Investor's" letter he winds up by stating that he will at once write to England for some carbide and offer it for sale. This is a very slow proceeding; a much quicker method would be to cable to San Francisco and get it here in three weeks, we can then proceed to businese. It is very simple to write anonymous letters and state that one is going to do something. Come out like a man, "Investor," publish your name, bring in the carbide, and we will very soon satisfy you that we are prepared to fight for our rights against any number of pirates, who are always ready to afce»l other people's braine. — Yours, &c. 4 W. Tykbb. £. F. Green.