GASWORKS EXTENSIONS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19617, 22 October 1925, Page 10

GASWORKS EXTENSIONS.

VERTICAL v. HORIZONTAL RETORTS. £150,000 REQUIRED. LOAN POLL TO BE TAKEN. The clauses in the Finance and Gasworks Committees’ reports authorising an expenditure ol £153, 0J) for the extension and improvement of the city gasworks plant were passed by the council last night practically without oppositon after one important amendment had been made. Cr Soott, chairman of the Gas Committee, moved the adoption of clause 1 of the Gas Committee's report and clause 1 of the Finance Committee’s report, which together outlined the proposals. It was known to the committee, he said, that they were approaching the limit of their capacity, and they were anxious that as soon as possible the citizens of Dunedin should 'be asked to authorise a loan for the extensions needed. They were steadily increasing their output, aim they increased it last month by 16 per cent. They were told it would take two years to complete the extensions after the contract was let. They were asking for about £160,000, but they might not require to use it all. He detailed the different requirements of the committee, mentioning among these a pressure gauge system. Cr Hayward seconded the motion and said that on the increased sales alone the council was justified in going in for this huge expenditure and getting an up-to-date plant. Both gas and electricity had their uses. He trusted the report would go through.

Cr Wilson said he did not think there would bo any doubt about the report going through both with the council and with the public. The proposition was a business one.

Cr Taverner said the proposal was a sound one '"nanoially. The capital was £15,000, pr'JH’cing a revenue of £90.0C0. Roughly, the capital would be doubled. The demand made on the gasworks was being extended every winter. Another 'bright spot in the proposals was the promised annual saving of £7OOO in working expenses. He had every confidence that the council and the ratepayers would be well advised to support the proposal.

Cr MacManus said that so far the citizens had done very well out of the gasworks. Doubts had been expressed as to the benefit of the vertical retort, and he would like to have the matter a little more fully investigated. He would like to know if they could not by retaining the present plant and extending it meet all the de mantis. He would move that the clause be referred back with a view to the engineer reporting upon what it would cost to extend the existing system to meet the future requirements of the public. Cr Begg seconded the amendment. He was rather inclined to agree with Cr MacManus. No harm could be done by holding over the matter for a fortnight dr so. They had had a report from their engineer sonic years ago regarding shifting the gas-w-orks altogether, and lie had reported very fully on the matter. If they were going to spend such a large sum, the question arose whether they should not scrap the, whole of the present works and commence afresh. The areas round the works had become closely settled, and the residents would no doubt be pleased if they ■were shifted. He understood, however, it was the committee’s policy to retain the present site, because if they decided to shift it it, would cost a very largo sum of money. He referred to the tendency of the people to go in for electric lighting and heating, and said there was the question of spending the large sum of money on the gasworks to compete against the electric department. Whilst he wmlcomeJ the idea of bringing the gasworks up to date, he would not like to see the council put in the position'of having to scrap thc.ni in the face of increasing competition from electric lighting and heating. Cr Shaddock said he thought further capital expenditure was required to bring the gasworks up to date, and he was going to support the motion. He suggested that the four words “on the vertical system” should be deleted, and he thought it would meet the case at the present time, and not stop the committee from going into any question of retorts which might be put before it later. The horizontal retort, ho believed, was not dead yet. Ho was not saying anything as between the two systems, but Mr llungerford had reported in favour of the vertical system. The use of coal was more restricted for vertical than for horizontal retorts. The majority of New Zealand coals swelled so much that their exclusive use was not recommended for vertical retorts. If the words were deleted the committee’s hands would not he tied. The vertical system would require a great weight to he placed on the ground, but the contractors for the system said the ground could be strengthened to carry the load. If they went to a new site they would interfere with the working of the present system on, its profitable basis for many years. The establishment of new works would he an exceedingly expensive business, and the reticulation would have to be altered. He believed that they hpcl to have competition between the gas and electric systems, as it would keep each department up to the mark. Cr Begg: That’s not the point. Which is the hotter heating system? Cr Shacklock said his own actual experience was that gas was the better and cheaper system The electric cooker was coming into more favour every day, but he did not think the gas cooker was deadyet. For manufacturing purposes gas was certainly going to he used more than at the present time. The- electric supply system had never yet ousted the gas system. The new plant was not likely to be scrapped for many years. A certain amount of the present plant was worked out and they would have to get new plant. The new plant would no doubt have years of usefulness, and by that time much more information would before the council. Cr Scott said he offered no objection to the proposed alteration of the motion by the deletion of the words “on the vertical 'system” 'Cr MacManus agreed to withdraw his amendment. In replying CT Scott said that in certain directions electricity would not supersede gas. Their present capacity if the whole of the 13 retorts w'ore being used was 1.500,000 cubic feet per day, hut they never had more than 11 retorts in use at one time. The vortical system would take up jtiuch less room than the horizontal and It extracted much more gas from a given quantity of coal. It. was important to have the matter put in hand immediately. The committee had come to the conclusion that it would not be wise to move the present site of the gasworks. The change would involve enormous expenditure. He hoped that the proposal would go through so that the necessary loan proposal might he put before the ratepayers. The motion was carried without dissent and on Cr Scott’s motion the town clerk was instructed to bike the necessary steps to have a poll of the ratepayers taken as early ns possible. Mr Lewin said the earliest time for the poll would be about the beginning of December.