MUNICIPAL GAS WORKS.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 August 1921, Page 3

MUNICIPAL GAS WORKS.

MANAGER'S REPORT. Mr E. C. Shaw, manager of the pas. works, reported as follows to Monday night's- meeting of the Rorough Council: All in connection with the works is working satisfactorily. Results are as under:—

Gas producer, 869,000 cubic feet; coal* carbonised, 79 tons; gas produced for each ton of coal used, 11,000 cubic feet; coke sold to public, 360 bags; tar produced, 553 gallons. Coal.—l have placed a standing order for 10 tons of Taupiri coal to be delivered at the works each month. By using Taupiri coal I hope to reduce the coal account. The Taupiri coal I am -using is mixing well with the Westport slack, and proving very satisfactory.

Street Lighting.—l have to report that on June 17 I brought the street lamps into action, and I wish your Council to know that the undertakjng was a fairly big job. In many cases new connections had to be renewed, owing to the services being cut off. The fixing of the A. and M. controller is now complete, and the street lamps are' working well. I have great, trouble in raising the pressure for the lighting and outing of the lamps, and there are times when T cannot get, the pressure required, but as the days get'longer the conditions of street, lighting will improve.

Gas Meters—l regret having to report that your gas meters have been sadly neglected. Th bad sulphur and tar matter which has been allowed to pass through the meters has taken much of the life out of the meters. These'last two months I have changed at least 24, and I have to send them to Wellington for repairs. I have to report that the changing of n/elers and ttie. bringing of the indexes into proper order entails' a lot of work, and it will be at least two months before matters are right in this direction.

Eng'inerooin and Machinery.—This part of the works 1 have in good run-' niiig order. A great deal ol work had to lie done, but the machinery is now vCorking satisiactorily. Works and General.—Your Council ■will understand that when I took over the works on April 26 there was a lot ol work ahead oi me: Retort bench No. 13 to be mounted; engineroom—necessary work had to he done to keep the works going; hydraulic main; valves seised; purifiers brought into proper action; waste scrubber brought intof proper action; compensator inner parts renewed: general overhauling; finding and stopping leaks about town 1 - I can now report that 1 am getting the work well in hand. During "the time 1 have been in Levin two men went off the gas works staff, and T hope to run the works from now without any extra labour. Stolie House and Coal Shed.—During tide high winds last Saturday I spent an anxious time. The roof of the coal shed shows signs of lifting off. I am losing no time in safeguarding it, and L-will have to put doors on to keep the weather out of the stoke house. Tire report was adopted.