The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-04 00:00:00

THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO THE CITY.

A number of gentlemen attended before the
Court as a deputation from the Al'gate Ward
Ratepayers' Association, and presented a memorial
complaining of the very inferior quality of the gas
now being supplied to consumers, as well as to the
public lamps within the City.
The memorial, which was read by Mr. Blake, the
assistant clerk, stated that the gas at present sup..
plied in the City wss deficient in illuminating
pewer, and was charged for at a price which was
believed to be muoh beyond that which the cost of
production necessitated. A petition was presented
to the Court in Nov., 1861, by the inhabitants of
Aldgate ward, in which an opinion was expressed
that the powers given to the gas companies in the
MetropolisGasAct would prove seriously oppressive
and detrimental to the interests of the consumers,
and should nct have been conceded; and also that
the amalgamation of tke companies to raise the price
of gas was not justified. The memorialists consi-
dered that the question has not assumed a favour-
able aspect since the presentation of the memorial
in question, but, on the contrary, the causes of com-
plaint had increased, The consumers had still to
pay the high price of 4s. 61. per 1,000 cubic feet
of gas, and got a considerably worse light. They
proposed, in order to remedy the evil, that the
Commissioners of Sewers should purchase the
mains
.of one of the present gas companies, that
they should manufacture gas to supply the rate-
payers in like mauner with several other cities and
towns, or that the Commission, having the mains,
should invite public tenders for the supply of the
gas, in order that the best and cheapest supply,
should be obtained from private or public compa-
nies. They expressed a belief that if either of these
propositions were adopted it would effectually put
a stop to the inconveniences now existing under
the present arrangements.

Mr. DRESSER ROGERS, one of tEe deputation,
said he thought it must be admitted on all hands
that the present supply of gas in the City, both as
regarded the quality and quantity, was not such
as it ought to be; and he thought the ratepayers
had a right to complain and urge the Commissioners
of Sewers, as the local body, to step forward and
give them their assists,nee. The gas companies had
obtained acts of Parliament which gave them large
powers, and placed in their hands a monopoly
which enabled them to realise enormous profits
—mush larger, indeed, than was ever contem-
plated. lie did not complain that a 10 per
cent. dividend should be allowed to the share-
holders, but in some companies as much as 10 per
cent, dividend was obtained, Ile did not think it
was right the companies should possess the power
of paying back dividends, or of increasing the
plant and stock, as they were in the habit of doing.
Gas, like water, must be considered as one of the
necessaries of life, and the ratepayers ought, he
thought, to have the benefit of all proles over 10
per cent.

putt' LLOYD mov©d that the memorial be re-
ferred to the General Purposes Committee to exa-
mine and report. He deemed the question to be
one of the greatest importance, and he was glad to
find the citizens alive to their interests. He observed
that the subject of lighting and cleaning the
City had been recently brought before the Court of
Common Council, and he expressed a hope that the
inquiry would lead to some beneficial result.
Dmerp. isitAymßut;EßLNGEßLLEEseconded the motion.
to
the weekly re-
ports of Dr. Letheby, from which it appeared that
the illuminating power of the gas was generally in
accordance with the provisions of the act of
Parlia-
ment, and he said he should like to be informed
whether the testings as to the quality of
the gas
were taken at any other place than the residence of
the medical officer. Ho felt that if the gas supplied
to the public lamps were tested it would be found
that it was not of the power Parliament sanctioned.
He complained of the large amount of sulphur found
in the gas supplied to the City, which sometimes,
as reported by the medical officer, reached as much
as 23, 24, and 25 grains per 100 cubic feet of gas.
The act of Parliament sanctioned only twenty
grains, and he thought some stringent measures
should be taken to compel the companies to con.
form to the requirements of the act; and until
such steps were taken, he felt that they would
never do so. (Hear, hear.) Within the last few
days he had been informed that
in Liverpool the
extreme amount of sulphur in the gas was 17 grains
in 100 cubic feet ; and if such
a state of things
could be brought about in Liverpool, what was to
prevent a similar result in the city of London ? Mr.
Green, after some farther observations, inquired of
Dr. Letheby whether it had not been stated in the
House of Lords that sulphur could be entirely taken
out of the gas by a chemical process ? (Hear.)
Dr. LETIIEBY said it was true that such a state-
ment had been made. The process referred to was
the patent of the Rev. 11r.
Bowditch, vicar of
Wakefield, but it was said to have only the power
of abstracting rusulphide of carbon, and it therefore
left, untouched the sulphur which existed in the gas
in other forms. The committee of the House of
Lords, having heard the Rev. Mr. Bowditch •on
the subject, wore satisfied that the question of the
proportion of sulphur in the gas was too important
to be left, that they decided to limit the proportion
in the Birmingham gas to 20 grains, provided it
was tested by his (Dr. Lethebyte) process, and they
had referred it to him to frame a clause to that
effect, and that clause now formed part of the
Birminghene bill. With reference to the question
that the act of put Mr, Green as to the testing of the gas in
the City, Dr. Letheby said
Parlia-
ment specified that the gas should be tested at a
had no alternative
but t test it at that place,
and the local authorities. He
unless the res because if any further
place to be agreed upon between the gas companies
proceedi.`ig3 vas re taken before the justices no evi-
dence as to t.‘
produced at the appointed
4 were
at:Ltesting of the gas could be received
place. Ae.: a che, the observations at the
k u -eyed that he made
testing place, ho
Weyer, he 04,,

experiments almost every night at other places.
(Hear.)
In reply to Deputy ELLRAT, Dr. lattltEtY
stated further that be had made many observations
for the local atithorit:es outside the city of London
with reference to the lighting of the street lamps,
and his opinion was that the lighting geuerally
throughout the metropolis was pretty nearly the
same. The defective lighting in the City arose
more from the oldness of the fittings than the bad
quality of the gas ; and he believed that the work
of lighting the public lamps would not be satisfac-
torily performed until the commission had the mat-
ter entirely in their own hands. (Hear.)
Deputy FARRAR said the Court had no power to
act as was suggested by the memorialists, and he
thought the gentlemen forming the deputation
should not go away with the impression that they
could take into their own hands the lighting of the
City without an act of Parliament. He thought
the whole question must be considered before such
an act was applied for. (Hear.)