THE GAS QUESTION.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2063, 15 December 1869, Page 2

THE GAS QUESTION.

To thd Editor' of the Evening Star

Sir—Will you oblige me with space to make a few remarks upon the question of new gas works, as 1 am a heavy ratepayer, and it is no use complaining when it is too late. Now, Sir, it appears to me that it would be a losing specu'ation for the ratepayers at the present time. The Corporation now pays L 4200 per annum for onrgas. Now should the new Gas Works cost L 25,000, it will take for interest about L 2,000, leaving only a balance of L 2.200 to carry on the gas works. Now I cannot see in what way it would be any benefit to the ratepayers if the Council were to carry out Mr Fish’s idea.

The present Gas Works of the Company must be made some use of or done away with altogether; but I have no doubt they will still be carried on, and if they are, it will be a losing speculation to both the Gas Company and the ratepayers, as they will be in opposition to one another. The Corporation will have to open up all the streets again, which will be a very expensive affair to put them in repair again. It would seem our streets would never be in order. What with the Gas Company, the Waterworks Company, and the Corporation Gas Company being continually breaking them up for the purpose of putting down or taking up pipes, the streets can never get into good condition. I think, sir, it would be better for all parties if the Corporation could come to reasonable terms with the Gas Com pany. 1 think the Corporation should write to the Gas Company asking whatit would be prepared to light the city lamps for, each per annum for a number of years, also at how much per 1000 it would supply th/e citizens for, say four, five, or six years. A sliding scale might bo fixed, which would rise or fall according to the price of the material required. This would prevent the Gas Company taking any advantage of the citizens, and the citizens would know what they had to pay. Now 1 hope the ratepayers will well consider these few remarks before they allow themselves to be taxed with an extra burden of 1.2,000 per year for interest. I saw by a report in your journal of the last meeting of the City Council, that one of the Councillor’s said some one was “pulling the wires behind the scene.” Now, air, my opinion is the wire is being pulled behind and before, and when it breaks, the ratepayers will be called upon to pay for it, and that smartly. I hope, however, the ratepayers will open their eyes, and stop the work of the wirepullers before it is too late. —Yours respectfully, Fair Play. Dunedin, December 14, 1869.