MUNICIPAL LIGHTING THE CORPORATION'S ENTERPRISE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 27, 31 July 1907, Page 8

MUNICIPAL LIGHTING THE CORPORATION'S ENTERPRISE.

■A PEEP INTO THE PAST.; ' A little key did a great .work, this morning. It turned the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate out of its province in Harris-street, and admitted the Corporation, which has solemnly and "irrevocably agreed" to purchase bho company's property. At 11 o'clock the Mayor (the Hon. T. W. Hislop), accompanied by members of the City Council, the Town Clerk (Mr. J. R. Paimer), and tho City Electrical Engineer (Mr. Stuart Richardspn), was met at the scene of the acquisition by representatives of ihe city by the manager of the company (Mr. G. S. Maben), the chairman of directors (Mr. J. P. Maxwell), tho solicitor (Mr. H. D. Bell), and the secretary (Mr. ToAvnsend). Quietly Mr. Maxwell handed to the Mayor a key, a serviceable implement which had already been much in use. and his Worship passed on the symbol of possession to the Town Clerk, who was content to restore it subsequently to one of tho company's officers. Thft visiting party had a hurried through the premises, and thus the task of transfer was completed.. Tho stage from private ownership of Wellington's electric lighting apparatus ' to full municipal cohtrol is worth a brief recital of history. About eighteen years ago the movement began wuti the Gulcher Electric Light - Company, which produced its light with water-power supplied by the Corporation. Tho orjgirtatoi'3 -of this scheme were Messrs. Miles and Company, of Christchurch, the first manager was Mr. A. T. Baron, and the first superintendent was Mr. Cederhoim. Operations were confined to the lighting of streets, aud about nye jb hundred lamps were- installed. About four years later the project wae» much expanded. Mr. Do Castro came out from London, and eteps were vigorously taken to secure rights for giving more lighi aud power to tho city. On public plaifornis and, on the floor of Parliament advocates of the enterprise pleaded hard for the privilege, and op- ! ponents wore just as energetic in their hostility to the grant pf the privilege. Eventually, after a hot conflict, the desired Bill was passed, Mr. De Castro returned to England, and a company was floated, amalgamating tho Gulcner interests. From that day onwards the business has increased steadily year by year. Following Mr. Baron, Mr. D. Richardson was manpger, and after him came Mr. R. T. Turnbull for a short term. Ho was succeeded by Mr Maben, who will now gc back to London. To-night he will be the guest of the company's employees at a dinner in-Searl's Rooms. One of the staff, Mr. George Lauchlan, inspector of lines, has been with the organisation right from the .beginning, and he- is the .only one that holds this record. He will be superintendent of all tho outdoor work under the new regime. Tho various negotiations between the corporation and the company, culminating in the vi-iit of Air. Salt (chairman of the London Board) and the final agreement, were too recently described to need further comment. • At present the syndicate serves about 4000 consumers, including 300 motors. To-day a new Curtis turbine wa6 put into commission, md a thousand horsepower boiler is in course of erection; when this addition is in going order the horse-power will total a}>out three thousand. Some forty tons of coal are now required to furnish the light and power for which the demand is ever growing. Th<3 radius of operations now includes Khandallah, the foot of Makara Hill, Island Bay. and the whole of the Miramar peninsula. The employees number about seventy. including thirty in the engine-room and boiler-house. During the past two months the ap-' plications for connections have surpassed all previous records, and there is every prospect that a successful business awaits the new owneis.