JOINT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1891 Session II, I-15

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Sess. 11.—1891. NEW ZEALAND.

JOINT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ELECTRIC LIGHTING COMMITTEE (REPORT OF THE).

Brought up 14th August, 1891, and ordered to be printed.

EEPOET. Youe Committee to whom the question of lighting the Parliament Buildings with electricity was referred have the honour to report that they have carefully considered the whole question, and have ascertained the following facts : — 1. That the Parliament Buildings are at present lighted partly by gas and partly by electricity, the corridors, Committee-rooms, and portions of the library being lighted chiefly by gas. 2. That the present cost of lighting the Buildings appears to be as follows: —■ £ s. For gas, taking the mean of two years' sessions ... 165 0 per month. For electric light (including interest on capital, £130 per annum) ... ... ... ••• 95 12 „ Total per month £260 12 3. That the estimated cost of lighting the Buildings entirely by electricity, as shown by a return made by the Superintendent of the Telegraph Department appended hereto, would be as follows: — First outlay for an installation of 600 lamps, lighting any part of the Buildings, as per plan herewith, would not exceed £4,800; running cost, including interest on the above at 5 per cent., and an allowance for depreciation of 2| per cent., would amount to a total of £211 ss. per month, showing a saving of £49 7s. per month. Considering that the large amount of gas consumed vitiates the atmosphere, especially in the upper portions of the building, to an extent injurious to the health of members and others who during the session have to spend a large portion of their time in the Buildings, and that the adoption of the electric system would supply better light, your Committee is of opinion that the proposed mode of lighting by electricity only should be recommended to Parliament. EOBEET PHAEAZYN, 14th August, 1891. Chairman.

APPENDIX. ESTIMATED COST OF LIGHTING PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS. Si B) _ Wellington, 10th July, 1891. At a meeting of the Electric Lighting Committee held this day, it was proposed that you should be asked to be present at its next sitting, to be held at an early date, to give the Committee some information on the following matters : — (a.) Present cost of lighting the buildings by gas : (b.) Present cost of lighting the buildings by electricity : ■ (c.) Estimated cost of lighting the whole buildings by electricity, distinguishing interest and depreciation, and new machinery required, from the cost of running the light when installed: (d.) Whether you can suggest a better situation for the machinery, the present position being objectionable. I have, &c, W. A. Watees, Dr. Lemon, Superintendent of Telegraphs. Clerk to Committee.

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RETURNS SUBMITTED BY DR. LEMON. Eetuen A. The present cost of lighting the Parliament Buildings by gas, taking the mean of two years' sessions, is £165 per month. 293_gas-burners ... ... ... ... ... £165 0 0 11s. per gas-lamp per month.

Eetuen B. The present cost of lighting the Parliament Buildings by electricity is 4s. per hour for coal, wages, and lamp-renewals, and with interest on capital (£2,050) £130 per annum—which has all to be borne in the session—about 3s. per hour, making in all 7s. per hour; this, for an average of 48 hours per week, is £75 12s. per month. £ s. d. 222 lamps ... ... ... ... ... ... 75 12 0 Dynamo-tenderer ... ... ... ... ... 20 0 0 Bs. 7-^d. per month per lamp. £95 12 0

Eetuen Cl. £ s. d. Cost of 600-light installation, Parliament Buildings ... .3 745 1 0 Building, 40' x 20' x 10' ... ... ... ... - ... 207 0 0 Concrete, 100 square yards ... ... ... ... ... 50 0 0 Freight, contingencies, say 20 per cent. ... ... 800 0 0 £4,802 1 0

Ebtuen C 2. £ s. d. Interest on capital, £4,802, at 5 per cent. ... ... ... 240 0 0 Depreciation, £4,800, at 2f per cent. ... ... ... ... 120 0 0 £360 0 0

Eetuen C 3. Wages, 2s. per hour ; coal, 2s. 6d. per hour: total, 4s. 6d. per hour—3oo £ s. d. hours per month ... ... ... ... ... 67 10 0 Oil, say 3d. per hour ... ... ... ... ... 3 15 0 Dynamo-tenderer .. ... ... ... .., 20 0 0 Proportion of interest and depreciation for 3 months ... 120 0 0 600 lamps, 7s. o|d. per lamp per month. £211 5 0 I have an offer from the Electric Light Company here to supply the energy for 600 lamps (we putting up our own installation, which would cost, exclusive of machinery and dynamo, £1,200), for a session of 395,000 lamp-hours, at lOd. per unit, for £1,100 16s. Bd., which is equal to £360 per month for 600 lamps = 12s. 2d. per lamp per month; at 9d. per unit, £330 for 600 lamps = lls. per lamp per month ; at 6d. per unit, £220 for 600 lamps = 7s. 4d. per lamp per month. All these offers of course will depend, the company say, upon the total consumption in the town as to what they will charge per unit. I have given their maximum and minimum charge under any circumstance. Of course the offer is only a tentative one. It will be seen from this that, by the Government doing the installation, even at their (the Electric Light Company's) lowest price, we shall be 3J?d. per lamp per month cheaper, whilst our engine- and boiler-power would have sufficient capacity for 200 lamps more.

Beturn D. The site I would recommend would be the piece of ground opposite the Hon. Mr. Mantell's, just below the tennis court, as being the most suitable and best adapted for the purpose. C. Lemon, Wellington, 21st July, 1891. Superintendent. Approximate Cost of Paper,— Preparation, nil; printing (1,200 copies), £1 5s. % . ■

_ . By Authority: Geosge Didsbuey, Government Printer, Wellington.—lS9l. Price, 3d.] . .

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