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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7403, 11 August 1885, Page 3

What is gas coke ? Gas coke is nearly all carbon, and carbon properly burned *111 fire ant, la round numbars, 14,000 units of heat per poind, or very nearly as much as the best English steam coals. Indeed, coal only surpasses it because of the small quantity of hydrogen which It contains uncomblnad with oxygon. It is often urged that coke cannot bets good as coal oecause it has lost all the hsat-produolßf power equivalent to that of the gas driven off. Jtls quite true that the ooke resulting from one ton of coal does not possess the same calorific value as the coal from which it was made. But it must bo bora* in mind that we are comparing coke with coal weight tor weight. Thus, XOOlbs. of coal produces 661bs. of coke: so that some SOowt. of coal is required to produce one ton of coke, and the difference satisfactorily allows for the heat producing power of the gas driven off.

By appointment to His Royal 1 Highneii the Duke of Edinburgh, the Earl of Pembroke, the Marquis of * ormanby, anil the Governors of' New Zealand. R. H. Bartlstt, Artist Photographer, Queeu-atreet, Auckland. First Order of Merit Sydney Exhibition. 1879, amd Melbourne Exhibition, 18801. K. H. B. announces the completion of the alterations to his premises, and that the New Studio, together with the impreved Applianoes of the most modem construction, brought by him from Europe, enable him to produce every variety of Photographic Picture, in the most finished style of the art. *• invites inspection of bis establishment »nd the »peci» mens of his work. Portraits in oils and water coleuf are specialities; also the new oval and circular opal plaques. . Neglected colds often become incurable ailments. Dual with them is time, and p re ve D t their becoming deep-seated in the system, by uiing Aysrs Okerry Pectoral. Forty years experience Jn "-5 climate on ear.h, has P««d this to be the most rtillable remedy for colds, courts, ana all iUAJ diseases.

who have kept before the Council the urgent need of moderating their expenditure, and that without delay, it will be found in the facts which this statement brings out, and the means it gives us whereby we may form an accurate estimate of what the state of the funds Kill be if the present condition of things be permitted to continue until the end of the year. We wish we could say we thought the Council realised what the position of affairs really is ; but the evidence points the other way. When in the face of such facts as this statement reveals, we comsider the action of the Council during the last four or live weeks, we are driven to the conclusion that councillors do not realise the position. We are strengthened in this view by the apologetic remarks made by some Councillors, clearly showing that they at least do not think that matters are nearly so bad as some of their fellows would have them believe. But what strikes us most in all this is the apparent incapacity _ or unwillingness of the proper officials to prepare and lay before the Council exact estimates of the income for the year, and detailed i estimates of such expenditure as the income will permit of. It is true, we have now before us an estimate of revenue for the year ending 31st of March, 18S6, but we fear it is of no value. It gives there the amount due as arrears for the previous year as £4100 ; but in the summary before us the arrears for the previous year are given as £7293. These two documents are signed by the same officer ; but it is absolutely impossible that both are correct. Clearly, if the Council gets from its officers conflicting statements, where under any ordinarily correct method of accounts such conflict could not possibly arise, their task of retrenchment will become not only difficult but impossible for want of a definite objective. As, however, the summary has doubtless been prepared with care, seeing the scrutiny it was bound to be subjected to, we will assume it to be correct, and will point out what it reveals. In his answers to the questions put to him, the Treasurer has for the first time distinguished between revenue and arrears. Arrears are assets but not revenue. Revenue is simply recurring income. The facts brought out in the summary are simplicity itself. They are that the revenue of the city is £74,000, less arrears £7293, viz.. £66,707. The expenditure for four months is, interest £10,80S, ordinary expenditure £21,792. Now, with the estimated expenditure for the year before us. we will proceed to show what this means. By it we learn that the total interest to be paid during the year is £24,830.

18s5-SO.

Revenue i;ip«nditare— Interest and Sinkini FnnJ .. j124,?50 Uailijr, four rnonihj .. .. •-'l,79'i Outlay, eight mouth* at same rate, after allowing for ip«c:al worki, £4,090, as not likely to recnr

34,804

£56,707

Deficit for year Or that the Council is now spending at the rate of £14,719 more than its income for the year—after taking into account as not likely again to recur a sum of £4390. Now tbis is on the basis of four months' expenditure. We consider that that is a reasonably long period on which to base an estimate. But that we may not overstate the case, we will compare it with the transactions of last year, again on the basis of actual revenue and expenditure. The arrears taken into account last year amounted to £4089 5s Gd; the total ordinary revenue was £54,529, which (less arrears) leaves £50,440.

153455.

Ker«uue Eipsuditure— int«re»t aril Sinking fas'! Ordlnwjr expsmej .. 4

51,030 50,453