ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHEME.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2654, 9 November 1909, Page 5

ELECTRIC LIGHT SCHEME.

A QUESTION OF POWER

The preference for the steam engine as a prime mover for electric generators, indicated by Mr. Merchant in bis repor* to the Borough Council, has lx en already criticised among Gisborne experts. - While/a steam engine is unexceptionable for the work of electric generation, the difference of cost between it and a gas 'juaxit seems to be an unanswerable argument in favor of the latter, and Mi*. March-ant’s indictment of gas engines, which lie declares cause a flickering in the light .unless the current is passed through a storage battery,' is flatly contradicted by engineers of considerable experience in such mutters.

“Gas engines are -made nowadays,” said 1 a world-travelled engineer to a “Times”' reporter yesterday, “that govern themselves ,so completely and are so perfect that many large places rely solely on gas for the production of their electric current. Hundreds of installations are driven by gas, and in England gas engines in some cases supply the electric light for whole cities.” A representative of a large local engineering firm expressed the opinion that the best motive power is suction gas. Though steam is quite as good, and possibly better, the cost is an unanswerable argument against it, the difference amounting to close on 50 per cent. On an up-to-date gas engine the governor is so arranged that there is -absolutely no flickering, and the engine will not vary two and a-half per cent, between a full -load and no load at all. Mr. Marchant in some way qualifies his report by saying that he thinks the points lie lias raised should be submitted for the opinion of some expert engaged -in this particular class of -work in some of the large centres, and m any case the relative merits of steam and gas as a power producer are sure to be fully considered before the Council come to any definite decision.