ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 120, 6 May 1912, Page 5

ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —The idea in the minds of many ratepayers is that the borough electric light will not be able to compete with the Napier Gas Company and one reason given is that those persons who already have gas installed will not go to the expense of installing electricity. Now, it is a proved fact that the price at which the borough will supply electricity is considerably cheaper than gas at 6/8 per thousand, and I calculate that gas will require to drop to something like five shillings. I can well believe that a powerful company like the Napier Gas Company will do its best to undersell and cut out the borough electricity, but I also believe that every loyal Hastings ratepayer will take the electric light. As for the cost of installing, that is a much smaller item than installing gas, and done on the time-payment system people in poor circumstances will never feel it. Then again, besides being cheaper (as compared with the present price of gas) electricity is cleaner, safer, and more convenient, besides adapting itself for purposes for which gas cannot be used. The borough electric scheme will be revenue producing aua a big relief to the rates, and every ratepayer who becomes a customer will be assisting to keep the rates down, so that it is only natural to assume that every ratepayer will be a customer. So far as the quality of the light goes the scheme is bound to be successful, very much more so than the sewer scheme. Some four years ago when the electric light loan poll was taken, the proposal was rejected by nearly three to one, and those who advocated the proposal made themselves decidedly unpopular, but the town has moved some since then, and people are generally, if somewhat slowly, awakening to the fact that the Na- | pier Gas Company is doing pretty I .-.ell in Hastings. I don’t begrudge the shareholders big dividends, but | there is no community of interest beI tween the company and the Hastings I ratepavers. —I am, etc., i ' L. W. FOWLER.