GAS V ELECTRICITY.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 1 March 1926, Page 2

GAS V ELECTRICITY.

AN INTERESTING COMPARISON. ROOM FOR BOTH. Mr J. W. Blackman, consulting engineer in regard to the gasworks for tlie Waipawa Borough Council, arrived on Friday night for the purpose of making a comprehensive report on the works. He attended the special meeting of the Council that evening and gave some interesting information on the works generally and also on the subject of competition between gas and electricity. GAS UNACCOUNTED FOB. The Mayor, Mr H. M. Rathbone, pointed out that the Government Statistician had asked for information as to 30,000 cubic feet of gas not accounted for in llic borough balancesheet, and Cr. 801 l wished to know what was a reasonable percentage of shrinkage of gas generated. Mr Blackman said the average loss was from 7to 8 per cent. One cause was defective joints, hut he did not think there would be a very great loss from that cause in Waipawa. The mains were not very deep and the oil was of a porous nature, so that a big leak would soon he noticed. Another cause of loss was the difference in the temperature at the station meter and at the consumer’s meter. A I iff eve nee of 10 deg. would mean a loss of about 2 per cent. Although the consumers would not think so, many of the meters, especially the older ones, did not register the full amount of gas which went through. The difference between the average of 7 or 8 per cent, of loss and the 30 per cent, inquired about could be accounted for by the amount of gas used in the borough offices, lire station, uasworks, gas manager’s house, and memorial clock, for which no credit was given. It was not a serious matter, but the amount should be shown

for book-keeping purposes, otherwise it was likely to lead to a misunderstanding, as in the present instance. In reference to the apparent loss shown in the gasworks trading account there was an item of £llO spent on cookers, and only £lO received. The Council had sold the stoves on the time payment system and the balance outstanding should he shown as an asset. The Council had reduced the price of gas by 2s Od per thousand i feet, whilst on the other hand the price of coal and railway freight had advanced. “I don’t think you need be at all alarmed,” said Mr Blackman, ‘‘but you are selling your gas uite cheap enough. It is the lowest n New Zealand for works of this GAS v. THE JUICE. Cr. Holt asked what had been the fleet of the electric* power competiion in Masterton and Carterton. Mr Blackman: “Our maximum loss T business in the first year was 12J ier cent, and we are making it up ::ow.’’ That was on an output of 5,000,000 cubic feet. It was quite *kely, of course, that hut for the •leetrie power tin* gasworks would have increased their turnover in greater proportion, but “the juice'* md not hurt thorn to any extent. It depended entirely on the way the *'inpetition was met. There was mple room for both industries. The ate Mr Evan Parry, chief electrical ugineer of the Government, put the matter very concisely and clearly. He said that so far as competition 'vent each industry had its separate function. Electricity could claim • ghting, power and commercial industry, while to gas belonged domestic eating and cooking and industrial Heating. Though electricity could do many things better than gas, there were a great many things which could.be done better by gas than by electricity. If that were not so gas would have been out long ago. MEET THE COMPETITION. “But you have to meet the competition and not sit down and wait ior business to come,” said Mr Blackman. He considered there was a r good opening here to push the sale *>l gas bath heaters and gas coppers. “Electric hath heaters simply eau’t touch the gas. We show the gas heaters in actual action, and guarantee 10 gallons of hot water for one penny. You can get hot water in all parts of the house at 140 deg. in a i very few seconds. Many of the large towns in England, notably Scarborough and Westminster, have thrown out electricity and gone back to gas. Ihe King s residence was formerly lit by electricity, but gas has been substituted. It is not generally known that the amusement park at M embley was entirely lit bv gas.’' In reply to the Mayor Mr Blackman said the lighting of Masterton by gas cost £450 per annum. Now with electricity it was costing £I2OO. t ln reply to Cr. Thackeray Mr Blackman said a modern gas lajnp of 80 candle power would cost from £3 to .£3 10s. Cr. Bolt pointed out that, the annual cost of a gas lamp with a cluster ol three mantles burning for five hours every day iu the year worked out at £2 16s, as against £6 and £5 asked by the Power Board. Mr Blackman, in conclusion, stressed the point that to meet the competition of electricity the Council wou,( l «wd to see that the gas tittings and burners were kept up to dnte, and lie had no doubt if that wen* done the gasworks would be able to more than hold their own.