To the Uiditor of the Dean Srm,—Something must be done about the supply of Gas. We cannot go on quietly any longer with only a supply sufficient to make darkness visible in our houses.
Any time during the last twelve months we have been told that' we should have 'a brilliant light shortly," and that all that was wanted to make things perfect was the Gasholder at Hongkew. That finished, and all ground of complaint for insufficient supply of gas would be removed.
fow visionary have been the promises of the friends of the Gas Company! We are infinitely worse off now than ever we were, and it is getting a question as to whether oil lamps were not better after all. The Gas Company goes on coining money, and we go on paying large bills for gas, larger during the last few months than they ever were, though we have less light. We complain and complain, and are civilly treated enough, but no one seems to know where the defect is or how to remedy it, and in a short time we are left to our own devices, and in fact get no satisfaction at all, and what is worse, no light either.
Phe Directors of the Gas Company are most worthy men, but they cannot be expected to personally visit our gas pipes for Tls. 100 a year; but I think when they know, as they must know, that the present state of the Gas supply is simply unbearable to nine people out of ten, and that complaints are wxiversal as to both want of quality and quantity, then it is their duty to gain thoroughly for a wholesale improvement. Among other things, is it true, that inches where they ought to be 12 Some of the mains ate only 4' or 5 2. Is it true that there is a general want pressure at the works?
3. Is it true that half the fittings put into our houses by the late manager, ate niterly unsuited to the supply of gas they have to pass?
4, Is it true that whenever a complaint is molle, the reason always given is, "something wrong at the Works 1"
Isit true that the " something wrong at the Works" is of such a permanent hature as to be likely to continue, if the whole question is not thoroughly gone It seems to me that half the mains were laid down to supply one-third of the quantity of gas that snow consumed in the Settlement, which is one great fault. But if the Gas Company continue to give. us bad gas, and not enough of that, and charge us po enormously for it, while complaints are totally unavailing, then comes the question whether we could not start an opposition Gas Company and do the work with half the capital and, consequently, at half the rates, for I pre sume the Municipality would go to whoever supplied them cheapest, It amounts to this, that if the present Gas Company will not keep pace with the increasing wants of the Settlement, we must support some Company that will.
Yours truly,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.