TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3266, 20 December 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1881.

A communicated article by an occasional correspondent of the Journal of Gas Lighting gives an account of the failure of the electric light at Dublin. It appears from this article that the Corporation of Dublin had discontinued lighting Stephens Green, and certain streets in that city, in favor of the Brush electric light as supplied by the Dublin Electric Light Company. We are not informed as to the length of time the electric light was employed, but it appears that, after a fair experiment, the company intimated to the Corporation that they intended to abandon the lighting of the streets mentioned, and, per force, the old gas lamps had to be fallen back upon. The change we learn has not been deplored by any one. A new system of street lighting introduced by the Gas Company, which was in full view of the electric lights in the adjoining streets, and the effect of which was admitted to be superior to the electric lighting, was the cause of the withdrawal of the electric lights which have now disappeared from the thoroughfares of Dublin. The electric light having been thus beaten for street lighting in Dublin, its promoters appear to have concentrated their attention upon its application to the illumination of the new South City Markets, which were opened on Sept. 26. Here, again, the electric light, brought fairly face to face in competition with powerful gas lights, has signally failed. The great market hall was lighted, jjon the evening previous to the opening of the market, by 17 electric lamps, and by a number ofWigham's patent lighthouse gas-burners, and this mode of illumination has been continued ever since. It was claimed, both for the gas lights and the electric light, that each is quite adequate of itself, without any assistance from the other, to give thorough illumination to every portion of the market and the stalls and shops which surround it: but, in order to test the capability of each kind of light, it was arranged by the Directors of the Markets Company that they should be suddenly extinguished in turn. The experiment was accordingly made. First of all, the electric lights were extinguished, when, as might be supposed, it was immediately noticeable that a large amount of whitish-blue light was abstracted from the general illumination ; but it was at once found that the gas lights abundantly served the purpose of giving a supply of their characteristic rich warm light to the counters, stalls, and shops, as well as to the passages and general area of the market. After this, the electric lights having beenre-startedj the entire gas lights were extinguished, ard it was the unanimous opinion of all the observers that there was not sufficient light for the purposes of the market; and that the electric lights were quite inadequate to supply it. This is perhaps one of the first, if not the only occasion on which the electric light has been brought fairly face to face with Mr Wighim's lighthouse burners. The comparisons heretofore have been mostly made between the electric light and the ordinary jets of gas such as are used in street lighting, and which give only an illumination of some 12 to 16 candles. It is mainly from this circumstance, and the unfavourable position in which gas has been placed in such trials, that the exaggerated popular notion of the superior power of the electric light has gone abroad. Each of the electric lights in the City Market is stated to have an illuminating power of 2000 candles, and Mr Wigham's gas-burners are of various sizes ranging from 400 to 1500 candles. But the method of burning gas in these burners is vastly more economical than that of ordinary gas-jets, so that not only is each flame of great intensity and power, but there is a comparatively small consumption of gas; 10 candles per foot of gas burned being about the result obtained, as against ,T2 candles per fcofc under the old sydetn, It may thus be { supposed thafc tm hifom o£ toe eleefrig i

light to illuminate the market has been mainly due to the pains which bava been taken to oppose to it suitable gas-burnors designed specially for the purposes of such illumination.

In reference to the remission of the tax on shepherds' and drovers' dogs, Mr button's motion in the County Council did not meet with much support, and the postponement of the further consideration of the subject was the only thing to be done to save its total rejection. To us the question does not appear to admit of discussion. The wages of a shepherd or a drover are dependent upon the possession of a couple of good dogs. Every shepherd and drover should be allowed two dogs free of taxation ; while the heaviest tax permitted by law might be put upon dogs kept for pleasure. We notice that oar morning contemporary with its customary haste in laving down the law on all subjects, says, " the argument adduced for the exemption ia that these dogs are necessary to the men to enable them to carry out their work. Granted ; but the same argument would apply to the carpenter's tools, or the navvy's pick and shovel. These articles are all equally necessary to the artisan who uses them, and, broadly speaking, all are heavily taxed through the Customhouse." If our contemporary had taken the trouble to glance through the Customs' tariff he would have found ♦' artisans' tools are free « f -' - iuat —- uuty.

i The TT.SiS. Oo.'s steamer Albion, with the SiteK mail, arrived at the Bluff at 6.45 p.m. on the 19fch, and at Port Chalmers at 11.25 a.m. to-day. The Napier portion of the mail will arrive here on Saturday next. A private telegram received in town today states that Cary's Juvenile Opera Company opened last night at Wellington to an overflowing house, and were received with great enthusiasm. The company sail for Napier at the end of this week, and coiumoncea short season here, in the Theatre Royal, on Boxing night. A meeting of the members of the committee of the Holiday Association will be held this afternoon at 5 o'clock for the purpose of reconsidering the resolution passed at the last meeting by which Tuesday, the 27th, was not to be declared a holiday. No doubt the oommittee will be acceding to the wishes of the public in. granting a holiday on Tuesday. The privileges of the Boxing Day raca meeting to be held at Hastings were sold to-day by Messrs Hoadley and Lyon, when the following prices were obtained : —Grand stand booth, Beecroft, £36; publicans' booth, E. Ashton, £15; fancy goods stall, McCarthy, £1 ; confectionery booth, McCarthy, £3 15s \ cards, Smith and Co., £8 10s; fruit stall, Miles, £4 10s. , At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, Catherine Williams was put forward on remand charged with lunacy. The prisoner was again further remanded until Saturday for Dr. Hitchings' report on her condition. Hugh McJury and Thomas Hogan, who had been arrested yesterday, the former at Napier, and the latter at Hastings, for drunkenness, failed to put Id an appearance, and their recognises were estreated. The other day we spoke of the necessity of Mr Pasley, the Chief lnspeotor of Sheep, having an assistant, but no one ever thought that Mr C. A. Fitzßoy would have been appointed to the office. For what we know Mr Fitzßoy may be an excellent judge of sheep, and practically acquainted with all the diseases to which they are liable: at the same time we don't think he is. It was a working-assistant that we ventured to think Mr Pasley required ; some one who would tuck up his sleeves, and go into the dipping yards ; some one, in fact, like the late Mr Peacock, who could tell sheepfarmers a great deal more about sheep than they oould tell him. We do not see how Mr Fitzßoy's appointment can save Mr Pasley very much work.

A special meeting of the Napier Hospital Committee was held yesterday afternoon to consider what steps should be taken in reference to the resignation of Miss Stenson. There were present at the meeting Messrs Tanner (chairman), 0. B. Winter, M. R. Miller, J. N. Williams, J. A. Smith, A. McKay, Cotterill, and Dr. de Lisle. It was resolved to advertise for a duly qualified person to act in the dual capaoity of matron and head nurse at a salary of £75 a year. He a letter received from Mrs Bernard Moore, of St. John's Jerusalem .Ambulance Society, expressing her willingness to give a course of lectures in- Napier on " Home Nursing of the Sick," it was agreed to make an endeavour to raise by subscriptions a sufficient amount to cover Mrs Mooro's expenses, and ask her to visit Napier for the purpose named. A commencement in this direction was immediately made by each of the members present subscribing £1 each. Further subscription will be thankfully received by Mr M. E. Miller.

During the prevalence of epidemics it is but a simply wise and precautionary measure to fortify the system against a too easy susceptibility to disease. By bracing the nerves and toning the functions the organism resists the operation of climatic influences, and whatever miasma exists in the atmosphere passes off from the body, thus strengthened, in harmless exhalations. To effect this end, Udolpho Wolfe's Schiedam Akomatic Schnapps acts at once as a shield and safeguard.—[Abvt.] Messrs Monteith and Co have a number of cross-bred sheep for sale. Tenders are invited by the H.B. County Council for metalling road between Redclyffe bridge and Omahu, also for painting the Eedclyffe and Euripapanga bridges with hemitite. J. F. Sturm has re-opened his fruit and flower store, Emerson-street. Mr Lyndon will sell by auction on Friday at 11 a.m. a quantity of household furniture and effects, also on Saturday at noon, hams and bacon and 1881 season's teas. The 11.30 a.m. train from Napier will run through to Paki Paki on 23rd instant to accommodate visitors going to the races. Cavy's Juvenile Pirates will open at the Theatre Boyal on 26f.1i instant. The annual election of four members of committee for the Napier Hospital will take place on January 9th next. Particulars aa to voting qualification, &c, will be found in another column. Elythe's tables are replenished with entirely new goods. The Oreti steams for Auckland direct on Thursday at 2 p.m. A number of new advertisements will bo found in our " Wanted " column.