A HIGH COMPLIMENT

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 110, 12 May 1919, Page 11

A HIGH COMPLIMENT

WELLINGTON ELECTRIC LIGHT-. ING DEPARTMENT. There is high authority for. the statement that "a prophet is not without honour, save in his own country" ; and it 4s true that in many casein the work of officers is more highly esteemed elsewhere than by those who benefit most by their work. In Wellington, the work of the Electric Lighting Department has been acknowledged to be good, but how good it really appears to the outsider is shown by a letter received in Wellington addressed to "The Commissioner, Electrio Lighting Department," from Tho ■ American. City, a publication devoted to municipal and county government and administration. The letter is as follows :, "We are veryVmuch interested in tho' Press reference of The Public, published in New York, calling at-, tention to the remarkable record of your department 11 for the fiscal year of 1918. Will-you be.kind enough to prepare an article for publication in the American City, showing how you accomplished the rather remarkable result of 13 per cent, profit on your total capital investment? Will you: also be good_ enough to let us know the rate, the principle of service, the operating cost, and the distribution of both revenues and expenses ? In other words what we desire is an article which will be helpful to American municipalities who are confronted with the problem o£ rising costs in the operation o{ their local utilities. If you send us some illustrations which wo may use in. connection with your article, we shall be ■deeply .grateful."