To contemplate the erection of a new set of works, with mains running alongside the old ones ; to imagine the double interest, double power, at work side by side, is to contemplate a gross absurdity. It is all very well to threaten to put up new works ; threat ened men live long, and the agent for Mr Hankey is not the least likely to be troubled by impossible and ridiculous conjectures. When the gas pipes were laid down the principal thoroughfares of the City, the right was virtually con ceded for ever to the owner of those pipes to supply these portions of the city with gas. No doubt it might be pos sible for the City Council to put up Gas Works of their own in the North East Valley or at Caversham, and de termine to supply Maori Hill and Anderson's Buy with gas, but we all know this is not what they want one little bit. The present Gas Works have got and must keep a monopoly of Dunedin proper, and the best thing is to enter into business negotiations with Mr Ritchie to see how much they can be bought fo® without talking nonsense about competition. We have had an excellent instance of the uselesiness of tall talk about the putting up other works in the case of the water supply. The Water Works Company paid no attention whatever to such nonsense, and the delay caused simply enhanced the value of their property very largely. So it will be with the gas. The Corpor ation are in the hands of the present proprietor, and tbe sooner they ac knowledge the fact and offer him a good price the better for the pockets of their constituents. Whatever desire there may be upon the part of the citizens to hold the gas supply of the city in their own han-is, they will never sanction the erection of new works, with all the accompanying dis comforts attendant .upon suck au undertaking.
