GAS AND ELECTRICITY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 172, 14 April 1908, Page 4

GAS AND ELECTRICITY.

■SiW > .(.rriHit,-. ■ 'V, ; . : 'AUCKLAND'CLT.Y COUNCIL'S BILLS!•' I (BY 'TEtEGHAyn,—SljfaqrAL COBEESrONDBNT.) ; ni -' J -Aucklaml, April 13;; ;Cpnn'eij'sjbllls .for electric lighting were' received with not a litilo alarm* "by Various customers,. who. comprices charged are excessive, aiitl' threaten: tha£, material reduc.tion"is r ';ii^6 t, niado"iri /the 'immediato 1 future,-' tfioy'' will' the service; amV revert tjiey contend is. fhp- ;'sigh6d':';by a 'large number of-thb .'aggrieved customers,j hasiboen forwardocMo the'City'Council•- •- ' Wo'the'undersigned wish to draw ait- , . v jt«ntip]i;.) : ' ;pfi&s "which \,v4 liavo '" ." "bc«n charged'bythp:City Council-for.tlio , 1 -consumption ofth'e" electric, current! Appended is 'a 'talilo'Showing tho; post of'. ' ''Vgaf'for ! 'for lighting our ■ v -Xfiilees: your ; (Joun-" cir^n.'V^nco'^t'Bo^^liirgo''for- the con 7. be. re-^' ' ''luctantly '.compelled 1 'to ' discontinue ] tho ' service, . c«pe6ially'."in-viow of tho fact. ' tlirtt 'tlrfj winter' 'is_' 'approaching, and wo/'. ;' T.airrequire''mbra : lighiing. You will also' ! /iiotiio wo : hayo;be«h:charged thp .ftill' > c ftto;bß7d'- ? p^'Bfi}f'?fW«'Wore.-.t»ld'-th'a't' |^7di.-^-'i^t' ; TO3- ( .tl|«.'rat9.'-for tbp first '^;h-our'lof ; 'fc6hiumptjoni and/2d.. por' unit after/thO'Srst honnfy ' ; ; : ' ' ■

'■ The ■ appended list, which . gives the prices charged for electricity .as compared with that for gas- for tho oorresiponding period of last jreof,'is Wiles,/ chemist, ■Queen "Street (seven weeks), Electricity, £6 3s. 2d., gas £1 ss.VSd;'; H. Bolitho,'. Queen Street (two : weeks)V'electricity ss.' 10d., gas 2s. 6d. ; Messenger Bros., Queen ; Streot, e-lce-tneity ~£lo' ;£6 . 14s. . 6d.; Frisco lYaming .Company , (fi'?o ..weeks); electricity £i^'is.!.;Bd.,':gas.:9s.'.,#:,' including a ring.j "H.. •Black',Queen;Streot v(;rix .weeks); electricity £i'ips,;2d,, gas during:'the months :of.Janu». lj^bruary j ;£1':,15..,5d.; Eenton and Col/ e&tricity (seven- 'rocks) £2 55.'7 d., gas (eight.wpeks), £1 2s..'4cL';:A..H; Pascoo (three weeks),.ele-rtrjcity/lSs.'lid., gasss. v, ••-vl'he, Sayor (Mr.. Arthnr Myers), on being seen.by.a- /"Herald." .representative, said ho : c6uld.''r(Mdilyv.uuderstiuid that customers, on receiving their : accouits, - were somewhat alarmed,'but when- into the matter' more fully- ho felt • confident that ho. would '.Bo /able;.to.-,.demonstrate that there .was no justification : fojv. this;.'" Customers: -at present : were'»charg<xl"..;7d;; - per ' unit, • :and, after. this wrsro ' nia'do an allowwnco on a . graduated scalo.on the .numbor of, units consumed. . Tho ' system was adopted oil the recommendation • of Mr. W. G. J'. Goodman, ..electrical engineer. -He (the Mayor) admitted, tlfat it/was somewhat-complicated, but went ou to say that- tho City Council electric committee was already going into: the whole, question with a-; view-- to.'-placing it; on, a more satisfactory footing.,:;i",Ther6, is':nq reason;" '.concluded Mr. Myers, "why the experiences of other electrical installations should not be the same in Auckland, and youcan depend upon, it that' I /shall -tako .an ' early,- opportanity of clearing up;'- ithe; present , apparently ■ unsatisfactory position.,'' ;;;; ;/,.!! -j, - ; i