THE CITY COUNCIL GAS COMMITTEE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10179, 13 October 1894, Page 6

THE CITY COUNCIL GAS COMMITTEE.

TO THB EDITOR. Sir,—-I see that the. committee's report in reference to showrooms for cooking stoves, ke. was carried in the council on the casting vota of the mayor. I regret this very much, as I feel quite sure the city is being involved in a very considerable and wholly uncalled for ex* pense which will never be recouped to rate-< payers. For some time past I have thought of writing you to protest against the utterly useless waste that has been going on in connection with this thing iv the Octagon, thousands of feet of gas being blazed away in an outside illumination for advertising purposes. New, however, the thing has gone beyond, far be« yond this comparatively trifling waste, and oa the plea that the showroom " is not sufficiently under the'observation of the general public," so called " more commodious premises " (which they are not) bave been taken in Princes street from a city councillor for a term of years at **" rental of, I am informed, considerably morq than double the rent now being paid. Sir, td my mind this thing smells rank—very rank, I utterly deny that for such a pur«* pose premises are required in a leading thoroughfare. Doei anybody really believethafi anyone will be induced to buy a gas stove by having it poked under his or her nose ? Other means are and have been taken to bring the merits of these things under the notice of the public, and then those who want them go and find them readily enough: Ifc was admitted in the council, even by the mayor, that a loss had been the result so far ; and I am informed thai it is nearly all loss.

Now, while -a moderate expeuse might ba allowable iv trying tbe thing, surely it is a mosi unjustifiable thing for the Gas Committee td have—of their own motion, and without giving the council a chance to consider the matter—> committed the city to a large expenditure ia increased rental for a term of years without, im my opinion, the faintest chance of increasing the income to even a moderate extent. We know that a great deal of money has been frittered away in a former experiment in this direction, and the Gas Committee seem determined to da what in them lies to add to the burdens of the ratepayers. As, however, the mayoral election is close afc hand, I think it possible there may be good reasons for this latest move in the directiou of wasting the ratepayers' money, although it may not be considered desirable or necessary that the ratepayers should be told what these reasons are. j The mayor, while tacitly acknowledging thatl the experiment was a loss, said it would he a fatal mistake to stop it after a four months' trialj and so he commits the city to a large expenditure for a long term of years in what is smc" will remain a losing experiment. I think the public should he informed who voted for and who against this business. The lion and tha lamb are evidently lying down together ; thia bodes no good to the citizens.—l am, &c, October 12. Watch Doa.