ANOTHER MILESTONE REACHED

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 20

ANOTHER MILESTONE REACHED

GAS FOR GREEN ISLAND A MANUFACTURING CENTRE “At the present time the Dunedin City _ Corporation Gas Department is figuring very prominently in the his-,, tory of Green Island, and I am proud to have the honour of proposing’ its toast,” stated the Mayor.of Green Island (Mr VV. 0. Smellie), at a most enjoyable social function hold in the Foresters Hall, Green Island, last evening. The celebration marked the extension of the gas supply to the borough, and those present fully represented the local council, other muni cipalities, and public bodies.

In continuing, Mr Smellie said that it was now fifty-five years since the borough was formed, the first mayor being Mr J. J. Fagerty. Fifty-five years... was a. long time, and he was sorry that there was not one present who sat on the first council to see the fruits of their efforts. As the early pioneers laid the foundation of Otago so did those men who sat on the first council lay the foundation of the present borough. For many years progress was slow. They were handicapped in many ways. There was so much to bo done and so little money, but they fought hardships and struggled valiantly on. Each succeeding council, in its term, carried on tho good work to the best of its ability, until now those who were on the present council could congratulate the borough as a whole on its up-to-date position. In 1911 they had the water supply laid on and electricity installed. _ A few years back they had made their first attempt to have the gas supply extended to the district. Although they were unsuccessful then they were in the happy position of having it now. The Gas Department evidently realised the fact that it simply could not carry on without. Green Island. (Laughter.) Green Island, he continued, was just beginning to come into its own. It was the first home of a number of our pioneers, and although many of them left it for pastures new they never . forgot their old district. Green Island was becoming one of the most important boroughs_ around the city, and to show the strides it had made during the last ten years he quoted figures giving the building progress. The rateable value of the borough had grown from £1G,290 to £31,000, an increase of £14,710. Those figures represented annual value. With the introduction of modern conveniences Green Island was fast becoming a manufacturing centre. In proposing the toast he wished to congratulate the Gas Committee on the enterprise it had shown. The extension was quite a huge undertaking. and it was going to be a big thing for the borough, With all Giose modern appliances it would encourage more people to live there, and diat was what, they wanted. It was tleasing to note that the pity Corporation had taken the responsibility of the project bn its own shoulders, thus relieving Green Island of any worry, liecause of the benefits that they were going to derive from the gas the Green Island Council was willing and anxious to give every possible assistance. In conclusion, he paid a special tribute to the gang of men on the reticulation. One 1 would go a long way before he saw such a fine body of conscientious workers.

In calling upon the Mayor of Dunedin (Mr 11. S. Black) to perform the duty of turning on the gas, the Chairman stated that he would like to thank Cr J. J. Marlow, Messrs T. C. Wynne, A. Couper (chief engineer), and H. Horricks (assistant engineer), and other members of the gas department for . the. trouble they had gone to in providing domestic gas appliances for the occasion. The gas was then turned on by Mr _ Black and lighted by Mr Smellie amid applause. In replying to the toast of “ The Gas Department,” Gr Marlow congratulated the borough on its progress. It was fifty-five years ago since he first visited Green Island, and he had watched the progress of the district very carefully. The gas department, had gone tp a great deal of expense in reticulating the service to the borough. It would not be remunerative for some time to come, but he always believed in progress. The progress of the city depended on the progress of the suburbs. Many criticisms were to be heard in to the department’s move in extending the service to Green Island, hut he felt sure that in days to come no one would question the wisdom of the department. There were many present who would remember when gas was the only luminary. Since the advent of electricity the gas department of Dunedin had made rapid strides, and today gas was considered just as efficient for heating purposes as electricity .was for lighting purposes. Green Island was going to he a great manufacturing centre, and if any of the manufacturers decided to install the. gas into their_ premises the department was at their He congratulated the borough on its forward step, and stated that the progress of the borough would benefit considerably as a result.

Cr W. A. Scott also replied. He thought that the extension was a wise move, and worth 20s in the £. As one who had had something to do with the introduction of gas into the district, ho would like to say that the mayor and town clerk of Green Island were two “hard-headed’ men who were just in all their dealings. Mr A. C. Gouper, engineer of the gas dnnartment, also replifed. “ When approaching the toast of the ‘ Dunedin City Council ’ one immediately thought of the earlier portion of Dunedin’s history and of the pioneers who laid the foundation stone so firmly and well,” said Cr Tomkins, of Green Island, in proposing that toast The members of the council, since the days of the pioneers, had carried out their work well. On behalf of the residents of Green Island he wanted to thank the City Council for the many things which it had done for the borough. First, there was the water supply; second, tins electric light: thirdly, the bus service which the borough was anxious to take control of; and to-day they were celebrate ing the extension of the gas_ service into the'district. Be hoped with confidence that the City C orporation would give, them a drainage scheme—a comprehensive scheme that would benefit the city as well as the borough. They all knew that the City Council was far-seeing in its development of Green Island The time was not far distant when Green Island would amalgamate with the city. Before this could be done, however, many difficulties would have to be overcome. The borough would require some guarantee that it would not have to labour under the same system of differential rating as' was in operation in the city. It would also be necessarv’ to introduce the ward system of electing representatives to the present body. There would theri be some incentive for such boroughs as Green Island and St. Kilda to join forces with the city. In replying, to the toast of the ‘ City. Corporation ’ the Mayor stated that "Dunedin was practically the leader

in the dominion of showing the other municipalities how to use their byproducts from coal. To-day, the dc. partment was using 88 per cent, of New Zealand coal in producing the gas for the city. He then referred to differential rating, and stated that if Green Island linked up with the city the borough' would have to be placed on the same system as that operating in Dunedin. In regard •to representatives from'-Green Island securing places on the City Council, he thought that everyone had the same equal chance of being elected. Each man would 'lO elected on his ability and merits. An amalgamation Would certainly be a most progressive step, and one that would be welcomed by the city.—= (Applause.) In proposing the toast of ‘ Local Manufacturers/ Cr Passmore said that the borough depended a great deal on the revenue derived from such concerns for the execution of the borougVa affairs. This toast was replied to byMr J. H, Stewart, manager of tho Milburn Lime and Cement Co. Other toasts honoured were ‘Tho Otago Aero Club,’ proposed by Mr Fred Williams (the borough’s engineer) and replied to by Mr H. M. Mackay (tho Aero Club’s secretary); ‘Green Island Councillors, Past and . Present,’ proposed by Mr S. Solomon and replied to by ex-Councillors J. Jenkins- and C, Crimp, ard Cr T. MT'nhan ; | Local Bodies ’ proposed by . Cr Lindsay MiUer-and replied to by Mr R. W. Hall (mayor of St. Kilda) and Cr J. Logan (Taieri County Council); ‘ Local Societies and Organisations,’ and ‘ The Staff.’ During the evening songs were contributed by Messrs C. C. Sc-'tt, Sydney Taylor, B. Rcmerill, C. N T . Watson, and S. G. Angell. The accompaniments were played by Mr C. Parnell.