"THE BEQUEST Of BOTCH"

NZ Truth, Issue 910, 5 May 1923, Page 5

"THE BEQUEST Of BOTCH"

The Vokaje Fizzle-Squabble Can Mr." Evan Parry Help? "Truth" has already had a little say in a story under the heading "The •Bequest of Botch? upon the question of the proposed change-over in the city's electric power supply from the present 105 volts to 280 volts, v but o.n that occasion, as again on this, we did not presume to lay down the law on technical points. That is a job for experts in jthtags electrical; we are experts in another line. Every man to his own job. In "The Bequest of Botch" the line taken up was that slovenly methods of inspection and supervision <s£ the work of wiring and reticulation in the past had built up for citizens the very devil of a bill, I quarter of a million, according to -some, half to. others, three-quarters, perhaps well over the million mark. Mightily expensive bungling and botching. Wellington wants no more of that sort of thing. One would have thought that candidates for .the Mayoralty or Council wtfuld have expressed their views on this very important question while addressing city electors during the civic election campaign, b'ut, generally speaking, they, like Brer Rabbit, lay low and said nuffiin. lien McKenzie, at Island Bay, opened out on . the change-over and had his say, but the others studiously avoided reference to the point,' or, if they 1 were driven to it by an inquisitive ratepayer, side- j ; stepped as neatly as possible under the circumstances. r Lteadlng electrlotahs In the city say] bluntly that a quarter of a million j WON'T LOOK AT THE COST of the change-over and that half a million is not likely to cover it. Said in one breath £500,000 is quite a trifle, but' that same sum paid out through the nose is bound to make the city sneeze. Is it v worth it? Citizens want to fcjhqw where the advantage will come in. The higher voltage is used' in the Town Hall lighting if anyone should want to 'make a general com- i parison as to the outside appearance of a filament lamp glowing' incandescent at 105 volts and another at . 200 or over. They look the same, but, say electricians who have talked to "Truth," 280 lamps do not possess as great durability dB lamps on a lower voltage, v

Much has been said of the saving of money in the reticulation of the streets lor the higer voltage by reason of the fact that 280 volts may be conducted along a wire of smaller gauge than 105 volts. Copper will be saved in that wise and it is suggested that that apparently small saving will be a iremondous saving in the long run, not so much upon reticulation as it is to-day, but upon the great extensions that are bound to come by and bye. That's another point for experts. '

Householders, however, are apt to look at the change-over from a rather narrower point of view, very naturally, so, of course, and want to know what difference the changq-over is going to make to them. They know it will mean much more expense—much of which would never have had to be considered but for the botching and slatternly supervision of house wiring in the past, aa stated above — and they know that the higher the voltage THE GREATER THE DANGER to fools and children. As far as they are concerned they are very well satisfled, as the voltage Is to-day. * The small factory man is scratching his head over it, but the big man carries -on as before for . he- wiljl not .be effected, the reason, being that 'biff factories run their motors on about 5(M> voltage to-day, while the little man works on the lower voltage. To him the change-over will mean new motors, new lota of things, but his goods will not be turned out any the better with a higher voltage, Again the chap who has a two or three-tfoom office or business will have to stand by and smile a sickly smile while the oheerful electrician — who ia not happy when the harvest is really bountiful?— tears his wiring and fittings to shreds and tatters preparatory to putting in new wiring and a thumping bill. Mr. Big Man will not turn in his chair if what Mayor Wright said some months ago is to go, for in the case of big buildings at present satisfactorily wired for the lower 'voltage a transformer maybe installed in the building to break down the new supply to tho present standard.

The City Council is in a very awkward corner. It does not want to spend money unnecessarily — Mayor Wright has been saying for a full two years that it has no money to spend on anything, but that's perhaps rather an old song of his — and it does not want to go dead against expert advice. EXPERTS DIFFER quite as often as doctors and it may bo that had the Council hit upon other electrical engineers than it did when it asked for reports, definite opinions would have been given that, there was no necessity for an infernally costly change-over to a higher voltage. At the moment there |s> In New Zenland an expert of the highest standIng, Mr. Evan Parry, one-time In charge of practically all the big electrical projects in the Dominion and now a big chief in one of tho very biggest electrical trade combinations In Mr. Parry has not sold his say on the question of Wellington's now power supply from Mangahao and will not do so In an official and carefully considered manner except to the Council. In all probability what he might say would bo accepted. "Truth" has heard a whisper that already two legal opinions (also highly export) have been given on the question of -who ts to carry the baby, who is to pay for the bill that Botch tho Houso Wlrer lias left, the Council or the citizens? And the tall end of the whisper wus to the effect that both opinions were to tho effect that the cost would have to fall upon the Couricil, not directly upon householders. Of course the householder would pay In tho long: run. higher rates and so on, but the thought of laying down a lump sum the Council will not like one littlo bit. Mr. Parry's opinion might help things along.

' Pity he took so long to find that out. Might have Baved much of his own time and the country's, too. • ■ . «■ , • William Massey has gone a little bit too far, but he's not likely to go as far aa London yet. • * 6 We have Thomas Wllford's word for it that Lee has taken his beating like a sport. • • • "Truth" is glad to hear it. E. P. Lee was always graded as a sport until he didn't accept without protest his defeat in December. No doubt he was pushed into petitioning'. ' ♦ • • No doubt either who is M.P. for Oamaru. • • • • "The re-birth of Liberalism," declares the Liberal-Labor Leader. i • • • He also said: Liberalism stood in the middle of the road, not for class consciousness or class rule, but for the welfare of all. The Liberal Party desired to promote co-operation between Capital and Labor, and this must be accomplished, otherwise the country would stagnate. • * .* .. ' "William Massey is back at his office desk for a change. He didn't wait to cheer up the "second strongest man In the Cabinet." • • ?. The State of Parties is unchanged. With the aid of Liberal votes. Reform, may still carry on. • • • But its carryings-on will be more discreet. • « • Tip: That Jimmy Nash Is making himself familiar with railway affairs. Why? Who said come up higher, Jimmy?" '. • • • • . Yugo Shlkura effuses: Much time have eventuated Mr. Truth sinae I last pleasured penning to you. I am •prompt for present diffusion by what seeming to me of mlsdignifying con- ! ducts your Prime Minister — which titular invariable associates in my minds with Prime Canterbury, Prime Cheese, and cetteras. .Aa Instance Mister Massey forsake quarto-deck and loaves Ship of State go suspendered while he take on job sproolcker for small fries. Do his solarium be similar uuspendered while he neglect chief piloting job he remuneration for? What shipowner say if ship captain dessert bridge for purpose cardpokering with crew or giving similarity distractions for stokers with objects making himaelve more populous? Is that duties what captain payed for attending!! to? Questions leave me state confuaement. Hoping you are the same. . . -♦ * « "Truth" regrets to learn of the breakdown of Mr. D. H. Guthrie, the hardest worker and the most criticised of nil the Cablneteers. But it cannot be gainsaid that the collapse has been coming to him. No man of giant, let lUono mediocre, ability has the right to carry two such portfolios as Lands and Rails, not to mention their side issues. Mr. Guthrie for years has stuck close to his desk and has never gono to tea, with the result that he is now an inmate of a private hospital. Bloodpressure called a halt. This Minister, the veteran of. the Cabinet, never imposed on the State's purse for a voyage overseas, although he was an much vn- > titled to it aa any other Minister who goes on tour during hiu n«rm of olllcw. He ha« drawn I*-mh 30, - por day travelling Perks than any othw Cttblneleor— henct' hia collapse. AVnon he went to Rotorua to recuperate a few weeks am and It waa mlvan out that hlw h.-altli wan falling, I»hw wore i i-H'.U's <vi-n within Iho rnnkn of th« i KofK.Nvlio were unkind onoutfh to «ugI i-ost thai this wiiM tin; way of k>tl(tig < ijuwn th« Miniatwr. bccaurt«« of the cabal i uKUlnst the maladministration of hi» j department*. ugain»t which th« young