LIGHTING THE WHARVES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 410, 20 January 1909, Page 3

LIGHTING THE WHARVES.

.-The old controversy as ; to whether gas or electricity gives the better and more economical light has "cropped''up again in connection ;with ,the ; Wellington Harbour Board's operatipns fpr the year, and is dealt with in the following paragraph-of-the report:—The system pf electric lighting by means. of flame arc lamps on the Glasgow Wharf has now been running for twelve complete months. ■ The total time lights Veire burning was 14,750 lamp hours, at a cost, for eleotrio current .of ,£137, and for maintenance (materials and labour) of ,£73 10s., in all .£2lO 10s., or. 3.42 pence per lamp per hour. ;\To this must.be added 10 per cent.'for depreciation,-'4J iier cent.' for interest, and'l per .cent. for. sinking fund, in all 15J per cent. on..£BGs> the. capital cost of. the installation, ■or "s£lS2, equal to-an additional*2.ls pence per lamp per hour, bringing, the total .cost up to 5.57/ pence, pev lamp ..hour, or -2.78 pence per rioriiirialjlOOu'candle-fio'iver per hour. This com.pares'vm'ore than •favourably with cost; per WOO candle-power per" hour; of the gas installation on the-rest'of the board's wharves. - It is not possible'to keep statistics from which this costcan Dβ covrectly ascertained in the.case of the gas service, so'the-lights.along Jervois Quay,, which are'on separate .meters, were kept, under ■ observation for about a; fortnight, and from-the'information obtained it appears that the-cost of lighting, including the cost of the gas'.consumed, inhntles, new globes, cleaning, etc., but. excluding standing; charges, is approximately 7d. per 1000 candle-power per hour. Sinoe this system was installed.there have beeir-very great Improvements inade in. the methods bfgas lighting,-and there are now several types of lamps on the; market which should, .if the. .manufacturers' figures' can be believed, prove .even more .'economical. than.;th'e electric .flame arc. Inquiries , have been made concerning, some 'of; these lamps,'partly'with aview pt ascertaining;.what is the best forrri of' lighting to recommend'the board to, adopt for the lung's Wharf,. and partly 'with the view of gleaning information onwhich'to base the report on the whole question of the lighting'of the. wharves asked for by the board in.April last. - Two' trial lamps- of distinct types are expected 1 by r the -local agents ' to' , ' : arrive shortly, arid-if a'test of their gas consumptions supports the figures advertised by'their, manufacturers,- it will probably be wise for the board to ■install one or other' of these types on the King's Wharf, for, say, a twelvemonth's trialj before deciding \yhat change to make in its general system of lighting; as there .can be no doubt-that with an equal total candle-pewer at 1 equal, cost the effect of the lighting '■••under a "gas system will-be superior to that'from electric flame arcs, since the smaller units 'procur-. able-under the former permit; of; better, distributionV ; ;•""■.'■-.,; ; ; ■'~.■":'"■'.■■■ ■■ ■'. . : -' : -.