THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9076, 9 June 1888, Page 5

THE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

By telegraph wo have already learned that the Wellington City Council have decided to accept the electric lighting tender of the Gulcher Electric Lighting Company, of London. Tho Wellington papers givo details of the scheme, from which wo gather that the tenders were—(l) For machinery, buildings and plant for lighting the city with 48 arc lamps of 2000 candlepower, arranged in eight towers 100 feet high; (2) alternative to above, 115 arc lamps fitted to the existing lamp-posts ; (3) for machinery, buildings, and plant for lighting the city with 480 Swan-Edison incandoscent lamps, each of 20 actual candlepower. After, full consideration of the matter and consultation with Dr. Lemon, tho committee recommended that tender No. 3 be accepted, and that the City Solicitor be instructed to communicate with Messrs. Miles and Co. with a view of completing the contract at the earliest possible date. The amount of the contract was £1750 per annum for tho first five years, and the tenderers offer to run the undertaking for a further period of five years at £1600 per annum, should -the Council decide not to purchase the plant at the end of tho first five years. The Mayor, in moving tho adoption of tho report, said there were to be two dynamos at each station, so that if one broke down one would be still left to do the work. It was intended to have 480 lamps, each 20-candle power. The t present gas lamps, numbering 266, did not give a light equal to more than 14 candles. Under the contract the city would be lit from dark to dawn, which would be preferable to extinguishing the lights at twelve o'clock, as was now done with the majority of the gas lamps. If the gas lights were kept going from dark to dawn the annual cost would be £4300, whereas the Gulcher Company undertook to illuminate the city by electricity for the eame number of hours for £1750. The light would not be so brilliant as the arc light, but it would be very good, and when the installation was complete, he had no doubt whatever that Wellington would be the beat lighted city in the Southern Hemisphere. Replying to p, question, His Worship said each electric light would cost £3 13s the first year, as against £9 for every gas lamp; but in the second year the cost would not be more than £3 7s. His opinion was that the company would make a good deal of money out of the installation, but the committee had very carefully studied the interests of the ratepayers. There would be a lamp every five chains, and every street and lane would be lit. After some further discussion, during which it was pointed out that the Corporation would incur no liability till the whole plant was in actual working order, Mr. banks said he thought the electric.lighting system should be charged with the cost of the water used as motive power. The value of tho water which would be used would bo £2190 a year, and he thought that that amount should be placed against the annual charge of the Giilcher Company, which would bring the cost of electricity up to £3790 per annum. The Mayor was very sorry to hear Mr. Danks speak in that fashion. (Hear, hear.) Anyone who spoke in that fashion must be mad. It was not true that the water could be sold. Water was running to waste all through the summer, and there was plenty for the electric light. The Council were unable to get customers for all the water. Other councillors also spoke, one of whom said he thought it should be generally known that the Council were supplying all the motive power.