The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

THE VISIT (1 the DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

Sia,—There seems to be a want of energy in preparing for
the reception of the Duke of Cambridge. Permit me to occupy
your time for a moment or two in endeavouring to point out
reasons for our givinghim a procession and decorations through-
out the town worthy of Liverpool. A few years ago we were
honoured by a visit from His Royal Highness Prince Albert ;
he was received with a procession, bands of music, and a
great display. In what did his claims rest, 'except as the
Consort of our most gracious Sovereign, and the patron of the
different reformations which have been established of late ?
But, in the case of the Duke of Cambridge, the country has a
greater debt of gratitude. Not only have we in him one of
the blood royal, the grandson of George 111., the full cousin of
our own beloved Queen, but the able general, the brave leader,
the strict :officer, the free-and-easy messmate, and last, not
least, the soldier's friend ! Ask any of our poor wounded
soldiers from the Crimea, and those who, we would suppose,
could not have done more than see him, what they think Of
the Duke of Cambridge, and you will most likely receive the
answer than I have on more than one occasion received—" May
God bless him, he has been a good friend to us !" Added to
which, he has fought and been wounded (though slightly) in
the bloody engagements of Alma and Inkerman, and been
found in the midst of the thickest fight, leading and encourag-
ing his men. One further trait in his character, and I have
done. Though supposed to have had some difference with the
late lamented Lord Raglan, he came to the House of Lords
purposely to pass an eulogium on his late commander, which
must have been the admiration of every Englishman.—l am,
Sir, your obedient Servant, SEMPER VIGILANS.

GAS INQUIRY.

YESTERDAY.
EXPERIMENTS WITH METERS.

i AT ten o'clock yesterday morning, Mr. Taunton, Inspector
of Gas-meters, London, commenced a series of experimental
operations, in a room of the Old Saracen's Head Inn, Dale.
r street, to show the operation of the gas meter in indicating
the quantity of gas consumed. Having a graduated gas-holder
of considerable capacity erected in the room, Mr. Taunton
proceeded to place one of the old or generally used meters,
explaining that unless these meters were placed and kept
perfectly level on their base, they would give a false
result. The gas was introduced through a meter con-
nected with the street main, and passed into the
holder. A connecting tube was then brought from the
holder and so attached to a second meter as to pass through
it the gas required for supplying the consumption of three
burners constructed on the argand principle. From some
defect in this second meter, its action was unsatisfactory, and
the experiment with it was discontinued. A dry meter was
then connected with the gas-holder, and made to supply the
necessary quantity for a five-light argand burner. This was
very satisfactorily effected, and the operation of the dry meter
was explained.
MEETING OF COMMITTEE.

The committee appointed to inquire into the state of the
gas supply met in the Town-hall, yesterday. The chair was
occupied by Mr. Kitchen, chairman of the committee, and
there were also present Messrs. Crosthwaite, Bradley, Shell,
A. C. Stewart, Hornby, and Clint.
The CHAIRMAN explained that the first business to be
submitted to the meeting, would be a report prepared by Mr.
Taunton, who had been brought to Liverpool from London
some time ago, and who had now made an examination of
such a number of the Liverpool meters as fairly enabled him
to make a general report on the state of the meters in
Liverpool.
Mr. TAUNTON then proceeded to read his report :
TO THE •CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SPECIAL COMMIT-
TEE APPOINTED BY THE TOWN COUNCIL TO INQUrRE INTO
THE GAS METERS FURNISHED TO THE BOROUGH OF LIVER-
POCAL. _ _ _

Birkenhead, !4th Sept., 1855,
13, Belle Vue, Chester-street.
. . .

Gentlemen,—Before giving a tabulated statement of the results
attained by testing the meters of Liverpool, I think it necessary
to remark, in consequence of certain newspapers in Liverpool and
elsewhere having unscrupulously stated that I am the tool of a
party interested in getting up an opposition Gas Company, and
forwarding the sale of some particular 'gas meter; both of these
assertions I most distinctly deny, and it remains for those that
made them to prove them.
The committee will allow me to state again that I hold my ap-
pointment as meter inspector directly from the Corporation, of
"the City of London, and as the Mt of Parliament of the Great
(3etitral Company provides, I am by that company paid a fixed
salary, and entitled to a fee for every meter tested, and each time

winder is re tested.
My appointment as meter inspector for the city of London I
*principally owe to the votes of those members of the corporation
, who were opposed to the establishment of the Great Central Gas
:.Company.
My position as meter inspectorforthe Corporation of the City
of London is the sole cause I knew of my being now engaged in
I the present investigation, the Liverpool Guardian Society having
applied to me to take testings of the gas meters of Liverpool.
I find the meters in general use in your borough are water
meters. To give weight in this inquiry I may state that, previous
to holding my present appointment as meter inspector to the
Corporation of the City of London. I held the appointment of
gas meter inspector to the Imperial Gas-light Company, the
largest and best conducted gas company in the country, where I
scription of meters, 1.
Boni dry; aridl altWO
period the company used almost exclusively wet meters, they are
now purchasing extensively dry meters.
Before leaving London for Liverpool, I provided myself with
accurate-tested meters, both water meters and dry meters.
These meters I submitted to Mr. King, as well as Mr. Edwards,,
his deputy, and before these gentlemen the meters brought from
London were submitted to a severe testing, and pronounced by
them as • accurate measuring gas meters. Mr. King .expressed
that he could see no objection to the use of the meters referred to
in testing tee meters of Liverpool.
I commenced my testing of meters in July, as the tabulated
statement which I am about 'to band in will show; in which I
give the name of the consumer, the place where the meter was
tested, the manufacturer of the meter, the per .centage for or
against the consumer, also howl found the meters fixed, &c.
After I had made some progress in testing the Liverpool meters
with the meters I brought from London, Mr. King objected to
any using them when he saw'the results of my testings. I there-
fore procured from Messrs. Smith and Phillips, water meter
manufacturers, of Snowhill, London, a testing gas holder, which
I graduated by the city of London standard, being determined to
do justice to all parties, and which may be re-gauged by Mr.
'King, or any one deputed by him.
I would now draw the committee's attention to •the fact that
the same results are obtained by testing with the gauged gas
holder as I obtained by testing with the meters 'I brought from
London, as will be seen by the results of the meters tested in
St. John's Market. I would also state to the committee that I
have taken no testings of the various dry meters in use in Liver-
pool, although Mr. King promised I should, and I have made
'repeated applications without being able to get any information
where they are in use; but of this the committee will form its
-own opinion.
The committee cannot fail to observe that a large proportion
of the meters I have examined werefound to be overcharged with
water, and of course registering more gas than was-consumed. I
do not attribute this to any improper motive, but rather to the
fact, that the object of an inspector is to have as few complaints
in his district as possible, and it is in this respect to his interest
to-keep the meters well filled up, and this instruction is given to
consumers without the necessary caution to remove theside plug,
for in only three or fo:r cases have I found the consumer
know the use of the top or bottom screw till they have been
obliged to send to the gas office, having filled the meter, and over-
flowed the syphon, and could get no light, and this will full',
account for some of the different quarters varying from 20 to $0
per cent., and some even more.
I cannot here forbear making one remark upon a letter, dated
Gas-office, Newington, Atlg. 22, 1855, addressed to your Town-
clerk, in which the Gas Company state the inconvenience they
have felt by having withdrawn the officers for a fortnight, and
thereby not had the opportunity of inspecting and correcting the
meters.
With regard to the inspection of metera. I think my report
will show how little has been done; and had the inspectors
visited them, I do not think I should have found so favourable
for the consumer; for it is admitted by the company that the
men they send to water the meters do not understand what
effect it will have upon them ' • and although it was stated to this
committee by Mr. Clegg that he did not think there was much
the matter with the meters, yet it is admitted in the was com-
pany's letter that the meters require correcting or adjusting once
a fortnight.
I have in my tabulated statement condensed as much as pos-
, Bible the remarks made by consumers, thinking it would occupy
too much of your time, and now conclude this report by sub-
mitting two or three matters for consideration. And firstly, I
would suggest that the gas consumers of Liverpool should be
allowed to use any meter they may desire to use, provided the gas
I
may
llpurchaseopwbwueieti
without
cstunootswii
mydatnesaarkvmeied having
everyre:ai
hrimbef
our
.1
ifiwrewrsi
rssuihiagedehs
baker,extdsas o,matlni onedare
examined
company can show no objection to it ; and also, that a consumer
d
wn
e.
aunjustsvuetr licensed
e.
tat
,:vutrnihtcs
oet.
vic-
tualler itel
them,repr wouldo:
e
be considered much more indelicate in the Liverp'ool Gal
pany doing so, on account of their being the manufacturers oi
the article they sell, and I find it is the only company in the
three kingdoms that do so. And were the butcher, baker, and
licensed victualler permitted to manufacture their own weights
and measures there would be no parallel in the cases, because
the consumer could purchase where he believed he could obtain
the fairest weights and measures : not so with the gas consumer,
he has no alternative but to take the gas the company manufac-
ture, and to have it registered by a meter made by themselves.
And, secondly, I think it advisable that the corporation of
Liverpool should appoint a public officer to test the meters used
in your borough, a person qualified
aty:b,geivthefeuerivelyeforyraece,qxupraeglainnutaiedstiiotewnittthoo
the working
consu nae
or ,f
the
thatm e
ttehre ; public
umld
that
a fee he should shtoeusltding be a pmaeidte a r
have an officer provided, and all the apparatus necessary for
fixed futuresala
r b
ye, fixedan d
thattill tested
h e
should b
c
testing procured
n and I would also suggest that no meter should
iry
eceive
i v
in use, the fee to be paid by the company if found to be incor-
rect, and by the consumer if correct, and an extra fee should be
charged should it have to be tested on the consumer's premises
It may be also desirable that the public officer should test daily.
the quality of the gas supplied, and report thereon when called
upon so to do, and that pressure registers be employed at all the
public offices of the Corporation.
I cannot conclude this report without calling the attention of
the committee to a mater which I think they will consider of im-
portance in reference to the subject.
It will be in the recollection of this committee, that at a meet-
ing some weeks since a question was asked by one of the members
having reference to a dry meter in St. John's Market, fixed as a
check meter on the wet one. It was then stated that the dry
meter was found to register more than the wet one. I wail also
told this by the Gas Company. Now, I find the dry meter was
removed to the Gas Office about the month of March or April last,
said to be out of action. This meter I find has not yet been re-
paired, and as this is not the only one of that maker's out of
repair in this borough, perhaps I may be allowed to suggest that
the party be written to, requesting him to furnish the committee
with the nature of the defects and the cause.
I have taken some pains to get the consumption registered on
the two meters, wet and dry, for two years, which may be de-
pended upon, the officer in the market recording them every quar—
ter, when the Gas Company's officer took the state of the meters.
I was the whole of Friday night, after the market closed,testing
this meter; but I found the company's men had been some weeks
since, and drawn off a large quantity of watet, so that I found it
only per cent. fast.
The other meter supp,ying the market I tested in the night of
Tuesday last, when I found it registering si per cent. fast, and it
is from this meter that the largest quantity is registered. I wish '
it to be distinctly understood that both those meters were tested
by the gasholder brought from London, and, therefore, the
accuracy cannot be questioned, but must confirm all former
testings.
In this statement, I also give the results of the testings of four
dry meters, to which I had the opportunity of submitting the com-
pany's apparatus. They were taken down about the month of
March or April last, and were examined by the company's officer.
They are still in store; why they have not been refixed, I stay not
to inquire or give an opinion.—l have the honour to be, gentle- '
men, your obedient servant, FREDERICK TAUNTON. '
P.S.—I wish it to be distinctly understood that no testing re-
corded in this report has been taken but in the presence of one or ,
more officers of the Liverpool Gas Company.
• - -

In answer to Mr. Sheil, Mr. TAUNTON said that in
estimating the quantity of water which had been reported as