The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 58, 21 July 1868, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JULY 21, 1868.

The prico of gaa lod to n diaouaaion in iho Oity Council last night whioh may ultimately m-ovo to bo of conaidorablo aorvicoto tho rntopnying community, jFrom what" foil Irom tho lipaoftho varioua Hpoakora, wo gathor that vory littlo iiopo wan ontcrtaiuod that tlio gaa .company would rodtico ita preaont prices, hut that a committeo waa appointed for tho purposo of waiting upon tlio company with a viow to determining tho prioo to bo paid during tho ciuming yoar, "Wo Impo tlio Council will pau«o boforo on tori ng into any froi.lt contraot at nil. No doubt gain ia a vory oxcollonl; malorial for lighting purpoKca, aud provided it can bo obtained at a roaaonablo prioo, it ia certainly, on tho wholo, auporioi* to any other. 'But at tho prico which has to bo' paid for it in Olirii-t---church, wo doubt vory much whether it can ontoi* into competition, and hold itn* _ own againat Kcroaino. Tn point of brilliancy thoro •ia not muoh difference botweon tho two kindii of light, In fact, Inmpa aro now conutructod whioh produco from Icoroaino a light far moro brilliant than tiny ordinary gim lamp. Of late yeara tho prico of koroaino haa fallen mo low an to affect materially tho tlio rolativo cost of iho two modea of lighting. Aud, aa far aa wo can judgo, thore ia no immediate proapoob of any riao iv tlio prico of kerouino. An attompt haa been mado in Auatralia during tho laat; two montlm to raiao tho price, by forostalling tho arrivnla from America, but tho result haa boon only to emtio a temporary advance of about a penny a gallon, and tho niarIcot again ahowa aymptoma of falling liock, Two or three yearn ago the coat of koroaino in Ohmtohui-eh waa mx or Hoven ahillinga a gallon,- Now it can bo bought for lean than half tho monoy, During tho earno noriod tho prico of gim haa romainoa without alteration, If koroaino could compete with gaa at tho formor period, anu wo boliovo it could, it follow- that at tho

prodon. prico it muafc Boon drivo it out of uao. Wo nro all so apt to run in groovon, that it is no ill compliment to tho Council to HiippoHo that thoy may havo overlooked thie vory important change But boforo ontoring into n froflh contract with tho Gaa Company, wo hopo thoy will fully tost tho rolativo coat of tho two modou of lighting, By importing koroaino oil wholoaulo, wo bolicvo tho Oouueil could supply l/homHoJvcslivt aomothing untlor hall-a--crown a gallon, And nt thin prico wo fchinlc il; would bo found, aftor giving tha HubJGot a trial, thai* tho ooab of lighting, ah flomparod with gas, would bo Jean by two-thirds, Whothor thin Having, if it can be oilbctcd, rcmaina in tho rntopayora' pockota, or whothor it ia dovolod to lighting tho wholo of tho outHkirtH of tlio town, it mu«t ho admitted that it would equally bo a groat honollt to tho ratepayer*-*. Wo havo millieiont roaaon to think theae calculation-) tolerably con-oot, tto induco ua urgo on tho Council tho nocoaaity of making oxporimontu to tOBt their value. If koroaino ahould provo to coat only about a-third of tho prioo of gaa, wo can aoo no roaaon why it should not bo univoi'Hiilly adoptod in our HtrootH. The light ia nonrly if not quite equal to gas, and in oaaily managed, Tho immonao advantage to be gained by trebling th© number of lamps within tho town belt would amply componfiato for tho comparative inferiority of tho light, if, indeed, thoro is any inferiority at nil, Many of ua can vomombor, whon, long after gaa waa discovered, tho immodiato auburba of Loudon woro illuminatod by lamps fod with Hporin oil, By tho aido of theae liglita of othor daya a koroaino lamp would roaomblo tho aim itself, And certainly tho light is amply -sufficient for tho puvpoflo. .■■... , mmia^^ mmmatmittlltmttll _ mtt _ mimimi _ m