CORRESPONDENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XLVIII, Issue 12365, 3 December 1904, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE GAS PROFITS

To the Editor.

Sir, —I havo been thinking during tho past few days of some of the arguments i liave rea-d on tho question of the Borough Council using gas profits for street purposes, etc., and I begin 'to see how unfairly tho th.aig works out. I have counted more than a dozen wealthy buiineis concerns in ihe town which do not for the most part use gas, except to light-up" their oifioes occasiona ly for a few hours. • I estimate thab the average oosb of gas for these places Avouid not exceed ss. psa- month. The annual rental value of some of these premises a'uns into hundreds of ponnud .per annum, and upon the basis of their rental yiiilue they are rated. Now, ii wo are going l>o. run our town largely -on gafi profits—and it is 'evident'that t'iho present Co-unci'l intend dcing &?, —the- eJfect wJll l>e •that -where theso big oomniei-ciai ooncerns pay one shilling Howards the up-keep of the town through their gas bill, an ordinary house-holder, with a property valued ab say £40 per annum, and paying 10s. per ■month for gas, will contribute two shillings, and tho retail shopkeep-era wi'Jl contribute from three to eight times the amount of tho class first named. Then, eir, see, the effect it will have on some of our schools. Tho Technical will pay 'about six shillings, the Girls' College nine shillings, and the Co'liegiate School e'ghteen shiuiings to ono .'-Shilling paid by tdioso. weathy firms. Then there are c" 10-u of Kinalll industrias that will bo is'-mpHy sweated-to r-euieve 'la'i'ge : landowners an-cl many 'others- of ; the class named. Koiv, sir, I think roost of our Council are fair-mdnded men, and I am sure they must soon see how unfair their pL(licy worky out. I hope the consumers will wake up and insist: on fair play.

—I am, etc.,

CONSUMER