OUT OF THE DARKNESS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLV, Issue XLV, 12 August 1910, Page 6

OUT OF THE DARKNESS.

RICHMOXD PEEKIXU FOR LIGHT. INQUIRIES BY THF MAYOR. Before deciding definitely ii'.wn a system of lighting to out 'before the Council, the .Mayor of Richmond, x Mr James Hum. determined to ascertain from a number of boroughs information regarding systems of lighting that had been adopted. THF CASK OK MOTL'F.KA. T1 U . following particulars wore sent from Motu.ka, which is lit by acetylene: — "The gas metres for the quarter v.-ere taken on the Ist inst., and it wa- found that the quantity of gas used by private consumers was lil.nOO feet, and for the street lamps for tiro, same period 4si HI fee;, making a tuta] of I*3.sod feet. For the .same period there was ut ed 2C. tons of carbide, costing .C-Pi -s <>d; caretaker's and lam plight er 's wages, £<"> r,s; total cosi. .toif 7s 0.1. The sale of J!).Hi.i) feet at (Js per 100 realised t's7. ' <r. balance. £1 1 l's l"l. There were during last quarter '22 TMivate consumers, .but they have in-' ?re:isvd now to Ml', so that it is anticipated that at present prices the gas will give a good return tor 1 lie outlay, .-.nd the street lights free. We paid ->-.ir caretaker and lamplighter ii'2 Ills 6<\ for the first two months; bur increased lo Hi since ihe Ist June last. "The eo t to the consumer for Ift burner is about "id p. r hour at lis per 100 fee;. Vim will se L . by the above ■ hat if you can get from 1•" to pri>ate consumers, your street lighting will cost ■practically nil. When we had the kerosene stree; la nun t hey cost, with- lighting, about £:?() :i year. That amount will allow for the interest on the whole ( ,f the cost of our plan;. The whole of the inst alia t ion is proving very ■a t isf aetory; not a ■i'ngle hitch occurring up to date."' KAIAI'OI Bl)KOL'<;iJ COUNCIL. The Clerk of the Kaiapoi Borough Council wrote stating that this Council inst alle.L a n ncetyleiie gas plant some twu years ago. ''Our plan; is very satisfactory, covering about 7 miles of mains. (iO street lamp , and !20 consumers. The cost was about £2S(H)_. which covered everything—generator house, water supply, first year's interest, overseeing, etc. We charge lis net for 100 feet, and 3.1 per mouth rent for meter, and we charge the street-lighting account .".< (id per 100 feet. Our carbide <:osri us from £l4 to £Hj per ton in the generator house. Wo clear at the above price £IOO per annum, after paytug aij expenses, interest, etc. That >'•• a certainty; but we are going to do better. .becaus e you are quite aware that for the first 3-ear's working there is aiwa\- s unforeseen expenseturning up. which will not be recurring. Re carbide, the best results that can be got per lb of carbide is •i 5-lGtk feet; the sellers will try and make you believe oft. to the lb., but I .know they can't get it. T!ve light is tin-top, and in rny opinion the correct thing for a small borough, the capital cost being .-.mall.'' PICTOX'S RKPLV. Picfon, which- is also lit by acetylene, forwarded the following information : '!\Ve have had every reason to be satisfied with our installation. We rave over GO connections, all told, and they give very satisfactory results. I 'Jon'r know of one single instance wher t . the con aimer would do without i*-. Our street lamps do not cost more than ?,\-jd per lamp per night. The Council gives credit for £?> 10s ppr lamp per year, and I am confident that they do not cost more. We make a reasonable profit from tl.-e private con. sumers. As to the pipes corroding, we have none of it. There was an attempt t 0 raise a scare over the same thing v.-hen we put the gas in. This was due to the use of cheap America,, carbide, that will corrode under the present system of generation (water dropping on the carbide), whereas 1 understand it does not when tl.-.. carbide falls into the wafe,-. F„ r small boroughs f would certainly recommend acetylene. f,. r the ' srnAllness of the pipes required to convey this ga--, together with rhe very jow cost of vvork"ig. is a consider:.l.!e item, no expert being required. 1 sl.-ould not omit saving that for hoat : ug purposes it is Al. and ~ b0..,, to the ladies for afternoon tea, ironing, etc.'"