QUALITY OF GAS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 12, 14 July 1938, Page 11

QUALITY OF GAS

HUTT VALLEY AREA

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN

A statement was made today by the chairman of the Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Lighting Board (Mr. J. Cumming) on the question of the supply and quality of gas in the area. This subject was discussed at the meeting of the board on Tuesday, when the> chairman was authorised to .make a statement.

Mr. Gumming said that the board regretted that its present output .of gas was inadequate, both as to quantity and quality; but he wanted to point out that the position was only that envisaged by a former board, when, four years ago, it sought, but did not obtain, the authority of the ratepayers of the boroughs to raise a loan for a new carbonising plant.

Immediately upon the expiration of prescribed legal time limit after the loss of that poll, the board again opened negotiations for a carbonising plant loan, obtained the necessary authority, and placed a contract eighteen months ago for the plant now I under course of construction.

It would be seen, therefore, that the present position was due to no lack of initiative on the board's part. The board realised four years ago the imminent inadequacy of its carbonising system, and, to the losing of that loan poll, and to that alone, could be attributed the conditions of the gas supply obtaining today.

During the recent twelve months there had been an unprecedented increase in gas sales, calling for a supply considerably in excess of the present plant's capacity, and it had only been possible to give what had been until recently, a fairly reasonable supply by using all-Australian coal and by running a blue water gas plant.

The new C.O.L. chamber oven carbonising plant was now nearly completed, and it would be in actual work at least by the end of this month and possibly within a few days.

The, board had no doubt whatever that the results from this plant would remove all present cause of complaint. It was not only the most up-to-date plant in Australia, or New Zealand, backed by written guarantee as to performance, but the makers' own engineer would run and maintain it until, from every aspect, the board's carbonising system was in perfect working order.

As in the past, the board would do everything possible to assist consumers in the meantime, but consumers might rest assured that very soon now their supply would be more than adequate for all thier needs.