LOWER HUTT GAS SUPPLY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 2631, 5 August 1908, Page 8

LOWER HUTT GAS SUPPLY.

DISCUSSION BY PETONE COUNCIL. Mr; J. W.M'Ewan, Mayor of Petone, referred at last night's meeting of the Petone, Borough Councilto the.decjsion of tho Lower' Hutt Council to' build its own gasworks, instead'of drawing on tho Petono supply as at present. , Mr. M'Ewan,, said if the Hutt Council desired ,to make fresh proposals his Council would' givo it 'every consideration. At the same 'time it was"pointed out that in order to cope with the Hutt requirements, additions to : plant at thei gasworks, involving the 1 raising of loan moneys by the Petone Council, to the extent 'of '£8000, would have to be made. . .'The'; proposed new agreement, rejected by the Hutt, specified a term of sevon - years, the price for the first three years to be 4s.' 9d., and for tho last four years at 4s. 6d. per thousand'cubic feet. If the statement which had appeared in the Press that Lower Hutt could supply'its consumers at'Gs. Bd..'was authoritative, it simply meant that; it .would require to manufacture gas at 3s. 4d., an impossibility under present conditions. In conclusion, the Mayor emphasised that one large gasworks, which would supply gas at a cheaper, : ' price than two smaller, establishments 1 could, would) have been'ample for the'nest quarter of a century.' Opinions'were expressed by- councillors that the Hutt had made a very grave mistako in declaring negotiations off. The project would do great harm to tho tramway scheme, which'.made the adoption of an alternative lighting, scheme by electricity optional. A motion was passed to the effect that the lotter embodying'the Hutt borough's non-ac-ceptanco of the agreement be received.