The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-01-23 00:00:00

DORCHZSTEB.

Tut justices of Dorset will assemble In Quarter I
Sessions this day iTeeedity) for the purpose of deter-
mining upon tin measares to be a&pted in regard
to tbe cattle plague.
Ws are informed that the Patios of Wales has
consented to bosom* the pstzao of the Dorset County
Hospital, and that Lord Digby has aooepted the
case of presideet.

-
TH i M 142 Tax.—A public meeting in reference
to tips tax is collected ter next Saturday afternoon,
at the Town Hall, when Mr. Sinnott, tit* well.
known Anti Malt Tax agitator, will deliver/ an
address on the lab**.

last weekly retain Wooed from the Privy
Council 09 lee for the South• Western district shows
another gratifying reduction in the number of new
cases. These number 40; and there are 199 affected
cattle In the district.

Blllti Sociery.—A special quarterly meeting on
behalf of the Dorchester auxiliary to the British and
Foreign Bible Society was held on Tuesday evening
at the Town HalL The chair was taken by the Bev.
E. W. Pears, and the meeting was opened with
prayer by the Rev. C. J. Bird. Addresses were
delivered by George Eliot. Erg., of Weymouth, and
the Revs. E. Merriman, H. Mode, and E. W. Pears.
The Revs. J. G. Darla, T. A. Falkner, J. Fos, and
F. Motile were also present. A collection, amounting
to £6 4s. Id., was made In aid of the erection of the
Parent Socistee new premises In London.

THII &Panto Assuan—The following are the
fudges who will praised on the respeotive chenille at
the Spring demises :—Western: Mr. Baron Channel'
sad Mr. Justice Byles ; Hoes.: Lord Chief Jostios
Erie and Lord Chief Baron Pollock; Norfolk: Lord
Chief Justice Cockburn and Mr. Baron Martin;
Midland: Mr. Justice Keating and Mr. Audios
8b..; Oztord : Mr. Baron Piggott, and Mr. Justice
Smith; Northern: Mr. Juitios Mellor and Mr.
Justice Lush; North Weiss: Mr. Baron Bramwell;
South Wale.: Mr. Justice Blackburn; and Mr.
Justice Wallas will remain in town.
Ms. Funrorr's dprica.—lt is mid by a corms.
pendant of the Jowled of Gas Lighting, that since
Mr. !Motors advice was followed out by the Perth
New Gaslight Company in 1861 (which was to re-
dace the price host 71. 6d. to 51. per 1,000 cubic
feet), their 'took, £16,000 in £6 shares, which was
' then yielding a dividend of 6 per cent., sad selling
at 20a. per cent. premium, has never Inc. paid one
farthing dividend, and the selling price of their
shares is reduced to 35., and no buyers The old
company, who disraimrded such advice, continues to
prosper.

3an. D.V.R.—Active preparation are now being
mede for ramming the volunteer campaign for the
year 1866 with rigour. Year by year the " duffers"
Ire I eon weeded out of the corps, and now, it is bis-
honed, the Dcwobester riflemen are essentially work-
ing volunteers. We bear that the aims and accoutre-
rants will be given out in a few days, preparatory
to the fall dress parade at the sixth annual meeting,
on the 30th inst. We bops that the ensuing volun.
teer year will be at loot as successful as the par
one, and that, stile conclusion, the Dorchester corps, '
Instead of standing second or third as a shooting
corps, amongst the companies of the county (whir
I, it Sergeant-Major?) may occupy, sell ought to do
the Err position.
Wonunici Mum' lirrrurz. The adjourned
annual meeting of this institution was held cri Wed-
orday evening, when the report was presented. It
showed that t 6 receipts were much the rose r the
previous year, and the expenditure was rather more,
which is accounted for by the purchasing of desks
for the olasa-room, end the furnishing of the room
and promote to lecturers. Five lectures have been
given during the year, and arrangements made for
others. There are at prima 21 honorary members,
and 70 benefit members. There have been 658
volumes issued from the library during the year, as
against 283 of last year, owing, no doubt, to the
present made to the institute, by H. C. Start, Miq.,
of some excellent volumes. An examination of the
youths connected with the Southern Counties Adult
Education Society took plops in March, when four
competitors obtained prizes and certificates; three
were awarded certificates only, and three others
obtained memoranda indicative of 11000 am in certain
subjects. The prize' were distributed by his Wor-
ship the Mayor. The classes formed at present are
engaged is reading, drawing, English grammar,
Andy of Holy Soriptere, ko. A discussion clam is
also held once • week. The committee ex press their
Costads to the hon. members, IL B. Sheridan,
lonel Start for their rationed support,
the thanks of the meeting were given to the
editors of the Dorset Covuely Express and Ckroxiela
for their valuable piper Tbe following are the
officers for the current year :—President, Ur. G. R.
Bawler; vio•-president, Mr. IL Edward.; treasurer,
Mr. W. J. W. Pike; secretary, Mr. G. , (hoe;
librarian, Mr. J. Der. Messrs. Jameson, Jeffery,
Meech, Crocker, Payne, Plummer, and Baker, the
committee.

THE PRIM OF OAS: WHAT IT IS, AND

WHAT IT OUGHT TO BR.

A public meeting of gm eoassmers and ratepayers
was convened at the Towebsil, on Wednesday evening,
to hear an address front G. Fliatoff, Esq., gas engineer,
on the price of gas, with • view to showing that gee
might be supplied here at lass than 3a 6d. per thousand
cubic feet, sad yet give a fair profit to the producer.
Th. Mayor (Dr. Aldridge) presided, end there was a
nauseam audience, including many shareholders In the
Dorchester Gas Company, and some of the directors.
Large placards aonspicmotuly exhibited stated that
a ton of coal yields 9,400 feet of gas, 10 gallons
of tar, 10 gallons ammonia water, and 13 cwt,
of ooke ; that the price of the products of each ton of
coal (the tar, ammonia water, and rooks) is at Plymouth,
9a. 84. (oral, 14s. 94.); Manchester, ifs. (canatil, 145.);
Perth, 6a. (cannel, 26e.); London, Ila (sold, Ife. 34.);
Newcastle, 3e. 3i. (coal, 65.) and that the price of gas
per 1,000 cubic feet In Whitehaven is 3..; Bradford,
2s. Mi. to 31. 4t; Newcastle, 35.; Walsall, 3.. 44. to
2s. 8.1.; Gateshead, 30, ; Cardiff, 3a. 3d.; Nottingham,
3..; Llverpool (cannel coal), 3..; Birmingham, 2s. 7d.
to 3..; South London, 3e. 44. Manchester (cannel coal),
3s. Id. to 34. 3d.; Whileharen (mane& price), is, 3d.;
Plymouth, 3.. 94. ; Loudon, 4s.
The Mayor briefly Mated the Important subject whkii
was to be beoeght before the meeting, end introduced
the lecturer.

Ogosise Furromr, Bor., then addressed the meeting
at coosiderable length in a load telling style, and was
frequently and loudly applauded. The great length at
olach we bare given Ids speech at Weymouth on the
same subject renders it umisesersry that we should
report more now than specially concerns Dorchester.
He said be understood that the meeting was convened
by • few of the esiding inhabitants Of the town—not
with • view to airlift say Odium whatetur on the
present gas company—but simply for the purpose of
explaining the defects—if there were any—that existed
1
in waseetion with the present gas company, and to
point out bow ps could be manufactured aid sold of
better quality and at • less prise—to helmet in Mort
both the gat 'gamer And Maier wespany. In 1961
.'esers. CI. Lowe and J. H. Jones, tiro eminent en-
;Leers, were engaged to report on the Dorchester gar
works, and the document was printed. The lecturer
read it, and said, it was the most remarkable report
ever reheated to • public) company. It Mowed that
the Dorobeeter Gas Company was the most mis-
managed in Great Britain; the whole wesiew had be-
come u rotten, and oxydised, and foul, end useless as it
could possibly be. But he had no doubt about being
able to reform this company. What they needed was •
larger gasometer, larger mains, and everything adapted
to the requirements of, sad amipatible with, Me scientifie
advantages of Use present alp. A to. of ego], &wording '
to the returns made by the Dorchester Gas Ogaipany
oat them 184. 64. ' • the products of which were, 13
out, of coke, the poise *Liaised for which by the cow-
pony was 10,, tar and anaemia water of the valise of
la 3d.. and 9,400 feet of gat Deducting the vaJoe of
the coke, tar, and ammonia water (lit 3,1.) from
18t 64., the first out of • ten of coal, left 7e. 3.1. for the
9,400 feet of gas, or about 9.1.1. per 1,000 feet Common
sense woad tell them that where 9td. wag the out of
the raw material, there wee something like • living
profit obtained when the article was sold for its. 101.
' (Hear hear, and Lighter.) By parliamentary papers it
was shown that the oost of 1.000 mbar feet of gas ought
to be le 4dd. ; that the lost by leakage, waste, end out-
door espouse; should be 41d. per 1,000; Ma that the
sum for paying • fair amount of interest on the capital
invested for the construction of works, with modern
apparatus and improved maehiaery, should be lees than
Is. OD web 1,000 feet; so that if the figures given by
Goya-maint applied exactly to Dorchester, the pries of
1,000 cubic feet of gas here ought to be 2s. 9d. But
those figures did not apply exactly to Dorchester, for
the raw material for 1,000 feet of gas here wet iild.
whereas in Wakefield, the town to which they did
apply, the first cost was 4.1; so that, if they added 64.
to 2a. 91. they would arrive at the exact price at which
gee ought to be wild in Dorchester. Those pores
had stood the teat of li years through the length
and breath of the land, and he defied anybody to
disprove his statement that gas would he manu-
factured and gold at Dorchester, if the works were
properly managed, with • fair profit to the producer,
at 3a. 3d. per 1,000 cubic fort. (Applause.) The differ
once in the wet of supplying • large and • small town
depended on the relative quantity of gas consumed in •
given length of pips, but that would only make a trifling
difference per thousand. He this proceeded to Mow
that gas companies weld modify the illuminating power
of their gas to • remarkable extent, although they are
bound to supply it of a certain quality. The Corpora.
(ier., however, have power to authorise the testing of
the pa enpplied, and if it be not up to the proper
standard, the company are liable to • heavy penalty.
A simple rule for discovering whether or sot the gas had
been ' doctored* wee to compare their gas bi
quarter of • year galore the corresponding quarter of
Me previous year, and if they found asy great variation,
supposing they had seed the us under similar conditions
md times, they might conclude they bad been "done."
(Applies%)
lir. Loot, who, at an early stage of the meeting,
dished to put • question to the lecturer, and Tree asked
outolifrairde.. tLocar:dull:uthTeetior
::::.usio:,:nipsid.,thahet.re.
dbigmadande
...thsoemegrupenidoh:broliantigo:ah,
which we did not bear amid Me cheering.
shouts of "Bit down,* and couiderable noise, which
coeUeued for several ininotee.
MeYr. Barran appealed to Mr. Leek to wait till the
mo had °occluded.
The If ATOM addreried Kr. Loa with the soiree view,
Withal him that be would haulm opportunity of speak.
ng by and bye. .

Mr. LOcc said the lecturer had called him "a
grumbler," when he had said" hear, hear," to the
observations made by him.
Mr. Biglal? to Mr. Lock: You are satisfied that yea
are right, alt down till the end of the meeting. (Rear,
hear. and applause.)
Mr. Lowe : This fellow (pointing ta the lecturer)
idled see • grumbler.
Mi. Ost.YIN said he thought that the object of the
meeting would not be promoted by any one making per-
sonal remarks, and they all had • right to be treated
with common reaped. He asked Mr. Look to offs- no
remarks till the end of the meeting, ant snuested to
the lecturer that that would be the time for him te
regret%
jant..y
speunovery alugohuation
itihrLinliskedif be
reirthoputarih.t thinOrme.)
Kr. Yuman said be felt sure there was no gentle-
man present who would say that he had made a single
personal remark. He told them at the commencement
that he should be glad to answer any questions or meet
irty contr,versary at the eonclesion of his address, arid
If there was a person in the front of the room who would
grumble and he chose to remark the feet, he did not
think that was • reason why he should be called •
"fellow.* He would mewed with his address. The
Corporation wee the legitimate body for distributing
tee; and that consumed by the public lamps ought*, be
saved, and yet private consumers get as at • very much
refuted prior. It that were done at Dorchester it would
only be the 1•10 e as was done at Mo cheater, and at
least sixty other towns in the kingdom. The popular
(ahoy wax that where coal wm dear, there gas must be
dear likewise; it was over-looked that where coal was
cheap there the coke obtained in manufacturing gas was
*heap also, For instance, in Newman* coke realised
3s. 3d. per chaldron ; at Dmehaster it sold for 10e; that
made the differences in the east of manafacturine gas in
Dorchester from what It is in Newcastle to Id- per 1.000
cubic feet ; yet Imre ils. ma. per 1.000 was charged for
the gas, while at Newcastle it MIS mold for 2e. 9d. The
lecturer then analysed at coasiderable length the &a-
moeba of the Dorchester Gas Company for last year,
and observed that something like £7OO of the meets had
been applied to extending the work.. That sum, if
devoted,as he contended it ought to have been done, to
lowering the prise of gas, would have brought it
from de. 3d. to 4.5. &I. per 1,000. He also argued
that the company, if the works were propetir em-
otes:toted and managel, ought to hare had coke worth
£175 more than their accoonta last year showed. This
be want on to show was occasioned by the mudiolders
being too small, and, as a conseqienee the retorts were
at difforeat times, doing nothini, though they
required the name attention and the same fuel
as if at work. Had not that additional Munderieg
taken place, the company could have sold the
gas last year, paying the divided they did, at
4.. per 1,0«, For Weynsouth he had pre-
elaborate estimates, which showed that the
price of 1,000 feet dgas there should be la. 9411. ; the
difference in the cost of the raw material at Dorebeeter
increased it for this town to 2a. OM., leakage woad be
did., and interest apes F-5,000 (which would be an
ample capital) l&I., which brought the fair gelling pries
of gee at Dorchester to 3a. 3d. He remarked that a
new company would profit by the experieme of the old,
and that the mat of pipe now was only about half what
It was some years ago. He than explained the working
of gas meters, and the edam= of the dry meters
over the wet one, and mind by picturing the
brighter state al things here If the Dorchester Gas
Company was all it ought to be. The 'treats; el the
town, instead of being drearily dismal, would be ebeerful
and comfortable, gas would find Its way into the homes
of the labouring men, for they would be supplied with •
light equal to 10 or 12 oodles for 3d. per week, the
heavy acoonots of the gas memmers would be reduced,
and, as a molt of the cheapness of gas, It would
probably be used for cooking and halting psrpcsee, and
the company would greatly inseelit their fellow towns-
men and reap larger 'wefts themselves. ft was impos-
sible to believe that in Dorchester the direehoft of the
mummy wished to do them wrong; the common minas
view of the ease wu that they did not understand the
political economy of their own badness.
At the request of Mr. Galpio, the lecturer explained
the construction and action of the dry meter, to show
Its advantages'over the wet meter.
A man named Roper, In the service of the Gas Com-
pany, denied the ledurer'e statement that water could
not be found in a dry meter, and stated, as an instance
In support of his denial, that there was a dry meter in
connection with the as pipe for lighting the clock at
the Town-ball; they Mid got two syphona there to It,
and had drawn off water from it several times as the
ball-keper could prove. (Hear, bear, and applause.)
Mr. Fulmer said his friend's statement jest gave
the
the gas supplied by the eouipsoy. (Laughter.) It
himself
stole—en withawm,' e
referred
ottoteohaiar yrati
d:matit eloohtnb
er b
eada nte e
dd • r a:t:imawl:Laihuos when
It
°mid
not
give
°I
the
bad
446111
of
If
re
accn
(kTi laughter.) . . . . . . .

Mr. itoi4a—ti;en contended that in a wet meter the
pipe which Mr. Flintoff had said must by Act of
Parliament be on • level with the water line, so as to
prevent imposition on the gas eanvumers, mud be •
quao-tar of an inch higher, or else water could get In tb•
gatittliere, and the lights Medlar "bobbing." or go out
al ier.
Mr. ELI WTOPT : Than, of course, the Act of Parlia-
ment must be wrong, and It hae just been discovered?
(Laughter,)
Mr. Teatime eorroborated the lecturer's statements
as to the eMdent working, so far as • steady light Is
concerned, of the dry meW•.
Mr. Loot then amended the platform, and said he
meet of them knew that 1. was one of the dimmers el
the Dorchester Cu Company, and his objets. In at-
tending the meeting was to get such information as
Would enabls him and his fellow directors Is 'tarry on
the works of the company in such • manner that the
turn should be lighted at the least pusible oat to the
Inhabitants, sad that gas should he supplied here as
pure as In any other town in the kingdom. (Ap-
plause.) His own opinion was—and be had frequently
expressed It—that gas might be providei for Dorchester at
as cheap rats as be any town of its sin in the kingdom,
and he believed that the &restore at the premed time
*ere se conducting the works that in the mutes of •
fee years they weeld be enabled to reduce the ules of
eis very considerably. (Heir, bear.) goring aaM that,
he most express his opinion—rather. he sheuld hy, by
way of complaint—se to the manner in whittle the
leeturer bad treated the subject on nee or two polite;
with regard to others be was much obliged to him for
the information he had given. He objected altogether
to Mr. Flietoff's reading the report whisk wee made to
the directors nearly five years ago, and founding his
arguments upon that; it was doing an act of injustice
to the present directors. The lecturer said he had not
seen the works; he thought he ought to bane done that,
for he would then have known that the whole of the re-
oommendatioes of Messrs. Lowe and Jonas ,had been
.earried into effect. He (Mr. fliniciff) had made another
remark which he eciaddered was not a fair one, after
saying that "the gas was pretty good to-night," be
went on to imply that the directors or the manager
knew that he (W. Flintoff) was mining to Doecheeter,
and had therefore made it "pretty good" for the oe-
=slam aq fat as he (14r. Leek) was concerned, he had
been out of teen, and dreaireture till between seven
and eight o'clock that • , slid the manager—the
person who regulated Mose inp—had been in bed for
the lest few days. On the other hand, he thought that
some of the remarks Mr. Flintoff had made were in •
very liken' spirit, and two or three of his recommenda-
tions he himself had sees the deeirability of for a loog
time. He quite agreed with the Wearer as to the need
for Mercedes the capacity of the gas-holder, sod if Mr.
Flintoff had seen the Alarm! Irian& Waite lasi If,"
he would have found there an adveetinement for tenders
for construding for the Dorchester Gas Company • larger
gasometer. He enteurred with the leotard we to the
advisability of laying larger mains in the town. When
those thing, were dose, the company would be able to
supply gas at • 0114• WIT rate. On on. point he joined
issue la Wen measure with Yr. Flintoff. He (the
leotard) said that Instead of applying £7OO of their
profit to tbe reconstruction of their works, they ought
to have raised new capital for that purpose. He, on
the contrary, contended that they ought not to increase
their capital beyond Unfair Mount it which gas works
In a town like this ought to be carried on. Mr. Flintoff
said the works ought to be carried on with a capital of
£8,000; tbileeresent capital of the Dorchester Company
was about 000. To she* the spirit in which he WNW.
to the meeting, having made these observations. he ,
begged to propose a vote of thanks to the Wearer.
( A pious..)p
Mr. Gairre asked the lecturer if be had saMciest
time to otalkirm the eruct Dorchester and its bendiest,
and, if so, whelher La einsidered it possible for •
wonky town to be better situated for being supplied
with gas, considering the area it WAS carried over.
Mr. Furrort said he had been In Dorchester before,
and knew the town well. He felt convinced thet there
was scarcely a town lb England so well adapted for tile
distribution of gas at a cheap rate is Dorchester, and
for this single rearm :—There was • gradual rise, which
rendered but very little machinery neeseury, whilst the
eorresponding fell afforded • oonvenient slit briny con-
densed matter in the pipes. TAM' into account the actual
consumption of gas as compared with the population of
the town, be had no hesitation in saying that, notwith-
standing the high price of gas, the consumption here
had been beyond the average. That Induced him to
come to the conoludeo that, if gee could be had at the
rate of 3d. per burner (giving • light equal to 10 or 12
noodles) per week, the coosumption would be doubled
and even trebled in this plus.
Mr. VZIINON remarked that Mr. Look had mid the
capital of the Dorchester Gas Company was about
£B,OOO, add be asked Mr. Pinata' if he considered £5.000
was sufficient for g on gee works at Dorchester.
If that was so, they been paying, IN the price of
their gas, intend on E 3,000 more than they ought to
have done.

Kr. Aileron maid that when the works were first con-
structed it waa done very improperly, and had since to
be altered. Out of the £B,OOO capital. %bete mu" have
been at least £3,000 wasted. Again, at the present time
gas piper were only about half the price they formerly
were, and the experience of the old companies bed
taught there the most economical modes of imustructing
and managing ps works. There was one fact showed
by the Oomparty'a accounts which he thought h• ought
I to state The loss calcialated for leeks's, k 4., was
something like one-sixth, and he found that was about
the quaatity shown here, and it indicated that the
works were coming to a right state of things. He held
It Was most unfair for the company to take £6ll 128.
out of the emits last year for making additions to their
works. If they had borrowed the money at 5 pet cent.
the Intelsat would amount to £3O 10s. a-year ; but the
money the company took at one swoop would have paid
the interest for • peat away pore. No tradesman
adopted such a principle as that, and if the Chancellor
of the Exchequer did so, Ragland, instead of being the
greatest country in the worK would be one of the moat
degraded. He had shown that the company could
reduce the pries of pa to 4a. 6d. at ones, and 8 Per
sent., and if they did it, he believed that the lncreased
consumption would moat enable them to pay a dividend
of 10 per seat.
The MAYOR sammela that the aseelhed ahead bare
mew practical namination, and
11r. MUIR leopoesd that it Is the opinion gt this
meeting, after the statemeets of Kr. Plinhaf.
that the Dominator use Osispeay esa supply to the
, inbsbitants at thereto of ds 6d. pee LOGO sable fent,
I without detriment to the lamest et the aharahaidse.,
and that the Cbaissaa he reqaastad ta atteatios

of the Orontes a/ the company to the subteen with a
view to rankles the proposed or soon other roduoUon in
the price of gos.
Mr. ()Aura said that ho hal listened very attentively
to the address of Mr. !lintel, and—putting aside many
remarks which he thought with all terry' MOe
have been left unsold—he owe to the commission that
the gas company were in a positioti to give much greater
benefits to the town in the shape of eleesp gas then they
now did. He would, therefore, seeped the 'lsolation
propond.
moticrn was submitted to thei meeting, and we,
carried unanimously amid mush applan.e, and cries of
"• Dew cowpony."
The MATUIt said that be would convey the rieritimenki
of the assembly, as embodied in the resolution, to the
direetion at the earlieet opportunity, and that he f
II
satisfied the neat would be favourable to the wishes of
the meeting.
Thanks having been &needed to the lecturer Lad to
the Mayor, the meeting separated.