MUNICIPAL GASWORKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXV, Issue 13057, 27 April 1910, Page 6

MUNICIPAL GASWORKS.

ANNUAL REPORT,

Or. Burgess, chairihair‘of the Gas Works Committee, submitted the'following report to the Borough Council last evening r—• The profit for the year, just ended Council is to'bo congratulated on this ■result. A comparative statement of the last five years will no doubt bo of interest to councillors and ratepayers. Int. Sinking Fund- Spent Profit. Loss. Profit, on plant £. £ * £ £ : 906 856 ; ;907 ..... 2233 2259 ,-r ■ 908: ..... 3141 —. .. 2579 , '-f,; 1.909 : ,’i'QlO ........ 2804 .. , 3300 ,A very important factor bearing on the profits, since. the 'works were,,municipalised is that . for .some years, ip fact, .--{most up to .the year just ended, a great deal of money has been spent, in improvi eg and. modernising the works, and conequeutly very little was required for re-, ;;airs and maiiitehqhco, until itho year, p.iet past,, when the .sum of. £1,328 wap, rpont. Another very ifiiportant itom 'is roal,: and at the .pr,c,sgijt.,,,time is about fis. per ton dearer' than when the Gas Works were taken over by the Council, 'this is our present turnover represents a sain of £I2OO. Then again the increased wages paid to the stokers (10 per cent.) ■ leans an additional charge upon our profit of'about £235. During the past ear the large sum of £3OO was spent in i >urifying material, and this will be ,sufficient to last for several years, but the whole amount is, of course, debited to Jio year just closed. Taking all of the above into consideration and the large extra amount now payable for interest and sinking fund, the balance sheet shows that we have ■ done very well indeed, and as a comparat.ve statement it shows that if wo i wore working under the same conditions now

r.s in 1905 we would on this year’s turnover have made a profit of over £6OOO. Then again, we are—that is, the Gas De-partment-losing about £4OO per annum ever the -street lighting; I propose to Coal with this later on. The total amount to date transferred to relief of rates, since the purchase of the Gas Works, is £11,9,00,-and we have a further available balance to the credit of P.I. account of nearly £IO,OOO. A good deal has been said of the profit or otherwise of the gas-fitting department, and for the information of the Committee I have had a separate balance sheet made out, from which you will note uhis is quite satisfactory. In view of the increasing demand for ■gas,, the mains in the upper part of the town are being replaced by larger ones, and when this is completed and the “booster” installed we should ho able to

t all times-when there is an abnormally largo demand, such as on Saturday nights and special occasions. These alterations are being paid for out pf the revenue.

The works are now in a very up-to-date condition and the outside report obtained must be very satisfactory to the Council and ■ gratifying 'to the manager. Messrs Morvyn Stevenson and Co.s Report.—You have been supplied with Mr. ‘atone’s reply to this report, from which you will note that all the recommendations, with the exception of one, have i-i.uce been completed or are in hand, and ns a matter of, fact, were in hand prior ’to the Engineer’s visit. The exception referred to is paragraph -To. '5, water gas plant. I have gone icry fully into the matter with Mr. .Stone and it,will no doubt.pay the Council to instal this as soon as; the output increases a little more, that is, as soon as we find our present plant is at all taxed to meet the demand.

Aerial tramway for the carriage of coal to the Works.—l am pleased to be • taken a definite form. Mr. Martin, the engineer ‘appointed to draw the< plans, ,etc., visited Wanganui, a few days ago and took all the necessary measurements, f have arranged with the Harbour Board for the services of Mr. Howarth, their engineer, to draw up the plans for the wharf. The Harbour, Board will undertake the construction of same, they having all the necessary plant for so doing, and the work being too-small to call .for tenders,: and will charge the cost only. I think we are fortunate in making such satisfactory arrangements. in conclusion, I see no reason why we should not show very good profit for the ensuing, year. The works are in first-class order and up-to-date, and will ■not require more than the ordinary and usual amount spent on them for upkeep, but there is just this to consider—that in future any improvements that might be necessary or,desirable I think should be paid for out of revenue instead of constantly borrowing, as in the past, and consequently piling up the capital account and making our interest and sink-. nig fund so much heavier, every year. It is quite possible, in fact,,more than, probable, that, as foreshadowed in the Engineer’s,, report, a great change - will take jh the- method of carbonising in tjio, not distant future, necessitating consul-, enable alterations, and it is. as. well thfct. we should keep this in view and be sbh ta provide for same w,hon required, .A. S. BURGESS, Chairman of . Gas Committee.