WILL THE MAYOR EXPLAIN?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1088, 29 March 1911, Page 8

WILL THE MAYOR EXPLAIN?

Sir,—l am exercised in tho .effort to reconcile the statement made some time ago by Hie Mayor (Mr. AVilford) in connection with the price of electric light offered by the city lo tho Wellington Hospital Board, with the particulars made public in your issue of Tuesday, as showing the business of city lighting supply for last month. Mr. Wilford, it will bo remembered, stated it was difficult to justify tho reduction to the hospital to 3d. a unit on the experience of last year, but now an improved plant was .installed it was simply marvellous how cheaply electric current could now ho produced, and that tho price offered the hospital left, under these improved conditions, a substantial margin of prolit. Now, Sir, such an opinion as that must, of course, be accepted, until speculation gives way to unromantic truth. And here, in common with others, now that a little more information is available, I find food for reflection. You inform your readers, for instance, in tho issue referred to, that the power statistics for February returns 123,735 units produced for public and private lighting at a cost of .£2IOO ISs. 5d., which might "have been less, so tho public is assured, but for a chargo of .£305 for removal and re-erection of boilers. Taking this statement for what it appears to be, that is an account of the operations of the city lighting department, published for the enlightenment of the public, I am exercised to know how it is possible to demonstrate that 123,735 units of light costing to produce ,£2IOO 18s. 5d., or even .01705 ISs. 3d., which gives the Electric Light Department the benefit of all extras, is less than threepence per unit'.' I await in my perplexity a reply to this question on "one aspect of successful municipal enterprise—save tho mark!—l am, etC " A RATEPAYER.