COST OF ELECTRICAL POWER.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14400, 6 July 1912, Page 3

COST OF ELECTRICAL POWER.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE TRESS." Sir, —Your correspondent, "Taxpayer," writing in reply to my previous letter on tho above subject, asks whether I am aware that there is a suction gas engine manufactured in Christchurch at tho present time, which-will generate power from lignite coal at the same cost per unit as that jjiven by mo for Diesel oil engines, namely, .304 d. Your correspondent is, I think, mistaken when he states that suction gas engines arc being manufactured in Christchurch. He probably icfors to suction gas producers, which are being manufactured here at the present time, hut only in small sizes. No doubt theso plants aro very economical so f-ir as fuel cost is concorned, but this item is hot the only ono to be considered, as there still remains to be added, tho cost of wage:', oil, waste, stores, water, repairs, and maintainence, etc., all of which were included in the figure given by mc. I.a addition to the above, there is, in tho case of producer gas plant, ' a considerable consumption of fuel covering stand-by losses during the time the engine is not. actually- working. Your correspondent- evidently agrees with the main contention in my letter, namely, that the Lake Coleridge scheme may not prove to he quite such an economical source of powjr supply for Christchurch as some of 'ts supporters appear to believe.—Yours; R. P. M. MANNING.