The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-04-01
LOCAL MATTERS.
CITY Gas WoRKs.-At the last meetil

~
CT the City Council. reports were submitted. show
ing the condition of these works. which are repre-
se1ted to be In good order, aud furnishing fpubic
| lights" for a ssDg. In the Superintendeut's
report, the subject of "high biiis is ably discuss
ed, and extracts made from letters and reports
fof the ablest Gas Engineers in the country, show
ing the of these complaints, and suggesting
| remedies. Consumers, it is contepded. use unne-
cessariy large amounts of gas, by failing to regu-
late the flow of gas to their burners as well as by
allowing servants to waste gas on dark mornings,
while attending TO household duties III heads OF
families were To stop off the gas at the metres
~ night before retiring. they would find their
bills greatly reduced at the end of each quarter.
The report of the Committee on Light. with that
OF the Superintendent of the Gas Works, includes
the following statements of the operations at the
works, and the receipts and expenditures 44y-
4N -oo Ieet oil gas has been made during the year,
being an increase of the previous year of more
tban nve millions of feet. OF this amount the
superintendent allows 10 per cent for leakage and
condensation and the rest has been distributed as
follows: z 100000 feet has been sold to private
consumers, aud more than II loo 600 feet has been
consumed by the street lamps aud public build
ihgs- The largest consumption, with the ordinary
burning, was on the 9th Of December, when it
amounted to 197 ,269 feet But on the night of
the I'D of February, it reached 2l7 .143 feet.
About t,50O feet of street mains have been laid
during the past year, making tbs whole amount
now laid upwards OF twenty-nine miles. There
mas been an addition of 2jS consumers, making
the whole number at present about 300.
1he current expenss OF the past year amount
And the rec;"; ,, =, 20 q
Excess OF receipts sIs 39a 2s
Total amount paid out on construction account
to March lst 1883, 1922, ,246 49, Less receipts on
this account S23,l02 20 Leaving the cost of con-
structon TO date $299.1i i3 49, II the interest on
this be added 10 the current expenses. S65, ,25 23
Jhtereht On constructive account ..... IL 5q2 5S
The works are chargeable with. szsz7 s6
FROM which deduct receipts....-....... sl.625 u
I'D there ia a deficiency Of f...........S 81 a2 29
Inns being the cost to the city for gas consumed
IN All the public lamps and buildings
Ii, however, the works are credited with the |
vaine OF the gas thus consumed Il 451 400 feet at
sZ per 1000 ieet amounting to S249l4 So and the
amount paid for cleaning and repairing street |
lamps, sl673 22-making $265SS 02, aud from |
this the deficiency of 2J2 20 is taken the works
VIII show profit of $2j, 70.
The committee proceed to state that owing to
the defects in the system of keeping the books. |
they have had great difficulty in arriving at the |
cost OF any portion of the works or expenses the
printed reports and the Chamberlain's returns
never agreeing. They however, show no discre-
pancy involving any loss OF money, all receipts
and expenditures being properly Youched for. To
obviate any future difficulty IN this particular
they have had the books examined and compared
ny competent accountant and the discrepancies
are Poiated out. They propose that set Of books
be properly opened aud kept for the future so as
TO prevent any trouble on this point.
comparison of receipts and expenditures Of
the year ending February 18th, 1885, with the pre-
yions year, shows follows:
Receipts for year ending February %,
1851, $4,000 O5
Receipts for year ending February
2S, 1858, SI.625 81
Excess OF receipts for 1888, $ll $50 81
turrrent expenses for 1857, j4,454 81
Current expenses for 1858, 65 235 2S
Excess ofcurrent expenses for 1858, $l0,7S1 76 |
There are many other interesting facts in the
ports oil The Committee aud Superintendent, which
we should like to notice, hal We the space To do
so. The reports and accompanying documents
have been ordered to be printed for distribution,
and wnen this il done. our readers will have an
opportunity of perusing them,