ELECTRIC LIGHTING CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 85, 10 April 1917, Page 8

ELECTRIC LIGHTING CHARGES

Vri THI EDITOR.

Sir, —I have carefully watched yonr paper for' a reply to my letter on the charge for electric light by the City Council. But .so far I have seen no explanation, either from the present coun-' cillbrs or from new candidates. As the cost of electric current is worked out on such a weird system, some explanation .seeius desirable. Hers we have a municipal commodity, which costs the same price per unit to generate, but which is sold on various prices to the citizens. Thus the .consumer who uses up to 200 units has to pay 6d net per unit, while the big consumer who uses 1000 units only pays 3d net per unit. If the council can sell at 3d per unit, and not make a loss on. tha :sale, then why can it not sell to air of us at the same rate? There should be some answer to this question, and if none is forthcoming we can only conclude that councillors cannot justify this weird system, by'which the small consumer has to pay for the big one. In v these times of stress, when every penny> counts, we naturally want to know the reason. for t this method. As the electric light is a citizens' undertaking, I have to ask you, Mr. Editor, to ascertain, the number of consumers who pay 6d.net per unit, and the number who pay 3d net per unit. Can you. explain why if five of us go in to pay for electric light of 200 units we have to pay £5 each —£25;Vwhile a consumer who uses 1000 units only pays £12 10s for the same amount of current? Or, put it in another way, if I use 200 unite per month for five months I have .to pay £25, but if I use 1000 units in..one month I have to pay £12 10s. It is the same amount of current in either case, so why the difference in cost? The principle involved is an important one, and should ibe discussed by councillors and would-be councillors. —I am; ■ etc., ■ .■_,

ELECTRIC.

Wilting from " Somewhere in France " to his brother in Australia, an Anzao says:—"The reason why, the boys over here voted '.No' was that they volunteered on their own, and did not want to drag in any of the fellows-who had not courage enough, to come on their own. Another reason was that they say 'one volunteer is wortJi three conscripts.' If tfliey knew what the boys say about their> they would never hold up their heads again. To think that they have not. sense enough to know that they are playing rjght into the Germans'' hands. All the chaps who were' called np and let out of camp, and did not volunteer to come over here and do their bit, |Oug!ht to be ashamed to call themselves Australians. They seem to think that we do not want them to come, and that sve think we can win this scrap ourselves. They are making the biggest mistake they ever made in their lives. We want all the help we can get. Ido not know how the young chaps would like to think or be 1 told that they let all their, old mates be killed over here and did not raise,a hand to help them." ' ;

As reported, by cable, the Ghief Commonwealth Electoral Officer (Mr.. Old-; ham) recently issued a statement indicating the voting by the members of the forces serving outside Australia, and on ships of war, ,'arid by returned members of : the forces within Australia, on the conscription issue. The number of votes f . in favour of conscription was 72,399, and the number of votes against conscription 58,894. These figures includ« the votes of all members of the, forces, excepting those who voted within -Australia a3 ordinary electors. Mr. Oldham. further stated that the votes were counted by Brigadier-General R. M*C. Anderson, with the assistance of officers of the electoral administration, who had enlisted. At the request of the central electoral administration, six independent witnesses were appointed by Brigadier^ General Anderson from Australians who were in London. A certificate received from the Brigadier-General was to the effect that the vote's were carefully scrutinised and checked.

A novelty in the phonograph line plays several records in succession, certain sel- I ected one or one a number of times with/; out.attention after it is started.