GONVILLE AND GAS.

Wanganui Herald, Issue 12856, 18 May 1912, Page 8

GONVILLE AND GAS.

EXPERT’S REPORT ON PROPOSED ] MUNICIPAL WORKS. < THE PROPOSAL APPROVED. ‘ STEPS TO BE TAKEN TO RAISE i ] NECESSARY LOAN. ; ! The Gonville Town Board met in i Committee last evening to consider the report of Mr. Jas. Webb Blackman, ' M.1.G.E., of Masterton, on a propos'd ; coal gas installation for the suburb, j The scheme outlined was approved, and it was decided to recommend that the ; preliminary steps in connection with the . taking of a poll on the question of raising by loan the sum required to pro- j vide for the erection of the works, etc. j MR. BLACKMAN’S SUMMARY. ■ After dealing exhaustively with the details of the proposed scheme, which , embodies a complete system of street . and house lighting, and elaborating all the essential features of the works, in- , cludin- plant and reticulation, Mr. Blackman concluded his report with the ; following summary : 1 Interest and Sinking Fund, and contingencies.—Expenditure may be sum- I marised as follows: — | £ s. d. Manufacturing plant and ■ machinery 3250 0 0 Buildings, gas works 800 0 0 Manager's cottage (wood) 400 0 0 < Gas mains as specified •.. 3164 10 0 Gas meters and service j connections, eay 250 at ; £4 each 1000 0 0 Lamps, lamp-posts, com- i pitted with “ Arc” lamps, i incandescent burners, automatic controllers, say 30 at £8 240 0 0 £8854 10 0 ; Cost of site and contin- | goncies, 5 per cent 450 0 0 £9304 10 0 Allowing for all charges and the pay- . ment of the first year’s interest out of i loan, I am of the opinion that a £IO,OOO j loan would be ample. With the fore- i going expenditure the Board would pos- j sees a plant capable of an annual out- ' put of six million cubic feet, and, as ; necessity might demand, by adding re- i torts until the full number of fifteen ! is insta'led. a winter day’s output of 1 at least 70.000 cubic feet could he main- ■ tained without any additional capital , expenditure for benches, clinkering* oel- | lar, etc. Averaging the summer and ' winter output and allowing for one arch off during the mid-summer months for replacing retorts, the works as recommended will be capable of an output of at least twenty million cubic feet per annum, equal to the requirements J of a popula'ion of some 4,000 'people. Site for Gas Work?.—ln the install ation of a gas works, not the least important factor bearing on the future success of the undertaking is that of a sito for the proposed works. This should bo so situated that the raw material coal can be delivered into the works at the lowest possible cost, and therefore tho site should be as near to a navigable river or a railway as mav bo possible. It should be of such configuration as to onablo the buildings to be erected with the least capital expenditure, and to be set duT^That future extensions may be added with the minimum expense and trouble. The subsoil should bo as solid and as dry as possible, because fho modern regenerative furnaces, clinkering cellars, etc., require a depth of at least six feet below ground level, and where the foundations are in sr-’ound t v s.t is constantly saturated wtth water, a large amount of fuel is wasted m drying up the moisture that is con - stantly ri ing into the heated mass of brickwork comprising the retort bench and settings. Also in the ordinary daily working of the plant, it is necessary that tho works mains valves, siphon Dots, tar well, etc., should be alwvo flood water level. The area of the site should not be less than one acre, and preferably two. At the time of mv visit to Gonville, I noticed two or three sites that if available would bo very satiable for gas works purpo c ee. -Street Lighting.—l have, on the plan of tiio town herewith, indicated the proposed position of a number of street lamps by red do's, and a schedule marked B. is attached hereto; this is of course only a provisional list and subject to such revision as the Board mav think fit. Financial.—Dealing now with the question as to whether tho works if installed would be a payable undertaking, I submit a “ pro forma” balancesheet as linden- I have, of course, had to assume a price that will he charged for gas, and this question of price has an important bearing on tho financial success or otherwise of a gas works, l he cheaper the service the more uni. verbally it will be availed of, and I seo no reason why with coal at the Prices hereinbefore mentioned gas so dd not lie sold to the residents of Gonville for 6s. Bd. per thousand feet "r oi -m thls pnce - with an output ot of million cubic feet per anTlum (the nresent estimated sale of the Wanganui Corporation works to GonviUe), the figures would be within a few pounds as follows: -p Q. -i,. £ s. d. to of million c.f. gas at lof 5 : T) f r thom 1166 13 4 125 tons coke at 25s 156 5 n 3 000 gallons tar at 4d,-... 50 0 0 Street lamps, 30 at 80s. * a " h 120 0 0 £1492 18 4 Expenditure. £ s d 300 tons coal at 255. ... 447 10 0 Clerical-. 50 0 0 Purification 10 0 0 Sundries. maintenance, street lamps, etc 52 0 0 . , , , . £834 10 0 Interest and sinking fund, 5f per cent. (£10,000) 550 0 0 _ . 1384 10 0 Ba anc « 108 8 4 „ , £1492 18 4 Iheso figures show that with the output of 3f radlion c.f. at the price suggested a gas works would give a fair margin of profit after paying the inL?re t and sinking fund on a £IO,OOO loan capital, and this margin would inrrcaie rapidly as the output increased, i W j noticed that I have only allowed for each ton of coal as produc-c-f- of whereas at least 11,000 fret should bo produced, but it must be remembered that a certain amount must bo allowed for gas consumed in the street Eebting, and also for possible unaccounted-for gas-, though a ndt. sale of 10 000 c.f, per ton j s probably under what the actual jesults w.-uild be. nmount albm-ed f or , maintenance. £52. is well within the 1 mark, as for the first few years there should he nothing like that amount reouired. though it won 1 d be a wise policy to inaugurate a fund for future wear and tear expenses. Re Supply G f Gas Cookers and Fit- ' t'ngs. etc.—ln the matter of the supply of ga« finings, cookers, and other appliances for the nee of ga« T would strongly advise the Board to fi'low the standing practice of o+her municipal gas works and undertake tVs branch of the hi’a-ne".3 tbemee’ves. TW* i, nothin ' •* 1

iealing with a business that belongs to ! and which is being run, not | o make a large profit out of them, but j o place the benefits and convenience if coal gas at their disposal at the low- | isrt possible cost for installing the nec- j issary fittings, etc., in their houses or ither premises. In concluding this re- i >ort I beg to state that the estimates | riven should cover all charges. Any j further information that the Board may j require I should be pleased to supply, i [ have the honour to remain, gentlemen, yours obediently, JAS. WEBB BLACKMAN, M.I.G.E. ============== I