CAMBRIDGE MUNICIPAL GASWORKS.

Waikato Independent, Volume III, Issue 214, 10 April 1906, Page 6

CAMBRIDGE MUNICIPAL GASWORKS.

A special meeting of the Cambridge Borough Council to consider the report of Mr G. Smithies, engineer in connection with the above, was held yesterday morning. There were present: His Worship the Mayor (Mr W. F. Buckland) in the chair ; Crs. J. Hally, G. Dickinson, F. O’Toole, J. Ferguson and E. J. Wilkinson.

Mr Smithies’ report was read as fob low r s:—

“ I gathered from his Worship the Mayor that the sum of £SOOO had been voted by the ratepayers for this work and that I was to frame estiinates accordingly. There is provision made by “ The Loans to Local Bodies’ Act,” by which the amount authorised can be extended to £5500, and it is on the latter sum my calculations are based.

I may at once say that in my opinion the sura available is too small for the purpose. I have, however, taken what I consider to be the only profitable course of designing a complete manufacturing plant, and allocating the remaining balance to mains, service pipes, and meters, leaving it possible for your Council to extend the reticulation on the future needs of the toivn as expediency many warrant.

I might have cut down the manufacturing plant as well as the mains in order to reduce the capital first cost, but I think it is far preferable that your manufacturing plant should be of a capacity to serve the borough for ten or twelve years without addition or alteration. As designed, the plant will manufacture 8 million cubic feet per annum. The mains as scheduled have been plotted to admit of branches being taken right and left from Victoria-street as the demand for gas may warrant in the future, but I do not think it would pay at present to lay mains throughout all'the streets of the borough. Doubtless, your engineer may in the light of his superior local knowledge prefer to omit the mains in certain streets and lay them in others not plotted. So long as the total does not exceed that shown in my schedule, the estimate will not be disturbed.

I favor the adoption of the site near the present pumping station for the following reasons : 1. It is sufficiently removed from the centre of the tow r n to avoid nuisance, whilst at the same time being within easy reach of the town.

2. Any added cost of carting of coal, coke, etc., is move than counter-balanced by the advantage of combining the gas and water appliances on one site under one supervision.

3. The site is the property of the Borough.

I may point out in the first place that in estimating the time required to erect, the question is governed by the supply of special plant. Other subsidiary works can be completed by the time the plant arrives.

I therefore propose that tenders be invited from say three well-known builders of gas plant for the supply and delivery c.l.f. and e., Auckland of the plant and material detailed in item contract No. 2 (supply and delivery of plant, comprising gasholder to accommodate 15,000 cubic feet, etc., etc). When a contract has been let for this work, tenders should be called for the construction of works mentioned under the heading of contract No. 1, (erection of brick retort house and other buildings).

In the meantime, main pipes, meters, lamps, etc., can be procured as follows : Main pipes, by indent through any firm of good standing. Meters, by direct order on makers. Lanterns, ditto. I favour doing most works by contract, but in gasworks construction there are certain items where it is desirable to employ skilled day labour. Under this latter head, I include the following works : —Setting retorts and all firebrick work, the actual jointing work on cast iron mains (I do not necessarily include the opening and refilling of trenches). However, these matters need not be settled now, as there is plenty of time to do so before arrival of plant. I shall be glad to have the decision of the Council in time to enable me to mail detailed drawings to Home makers by next ’Frisco mail.”

The Town Clerk then read the report of the Gas Committee. It stated that the committee met on the 2nd April, when there were present ; His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Venables, E. J. Wilkinson, and Mr Bunyard (waterworks engineer). Mr Smithies was also present. Mr M. E. Gardner was unable to attend owing to ill-health. Mr Smithies submitted complete plans and specifications, and his estimate of the cost of the works, including a certain extent of reticulation, was £5567. The committee considered it essential that the mains be carried somewhat further than proposed by Mr Smithies, and across the railway line to provide for consumers on the eastern side. This, Mr Smithies stated, could be done by reducing diameter and cost of certain pipes without detriment to his general scheme. The committee recommended the Council to approve the plans for manufacturing gas plant as submitted by Mr Smithies ; also that the Council erect the plant on section No. 571. It was also resolved that the Sin. mains, as shown on the plan, marked red, be substituted by 4in., that,the 4in., marked black on plan, be reduced to 3in., and that the exact location of pipes marked green on plan be left to the Mayor and Mr Bunyard to determine, and that part of the saving effected by this reduction be expended in Bin. mains and service pipes. The Mayor explained that he and Mr Bunyard had gone through the plans and specifications, and had struck out several items, such as £l4O for lamp columns, £BO for exhaust pipe and engine, £6O purifier house, andthey had made a saving of £267 in the cost of service mains. Altogether, they had reduced Mr Smithies’ estimates of the cost of the works by £547 10s. His Worship said Mr Smithies had purposely over-estimated many of the items, and he was confident that the total cost of the construction of the work would be kept well within £SOOO. He moved that the report of the committee be adopted, subject to the alterations as made by himself and Mr Bunyard. Cr. O’Toole seconded the motion* which was carried unanimously. The Mayor then moved that the Council approve of the contract. Cr. Dicldnson seconded, the motion being carried without dissent. The Town Clerk was instructed to call for tenders in the Auckland papers for the supply and delivery of gas plant, tenders to be returnable by the Blst May.