Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-02-16
CUR Gas wORKs.wMAFT TO 40 WITH

From the Philadelphia Press Ai
Complaints Of tie high price and bad
quality 0r gas are constant. We sre
charged too much, and receive a very
inferior article. The worse the gas the
greater the consumption TO Obtain the
necessary light, and The greater the
pront, OF course, from that increase. In
Europe, there are legal restrictions on
the manufacture Of gas, whereby it is
fixed that the gss shall have a certain
lighting power. It is estimated that the
English caking Goals yield from S01a -
10000 cubic feet Of gas Per Ton. OF ingmi-
mating power FstyiGg rom ten to twelve
SpeTLa EQndleS to a burner consuming
five feet per hoEr The English eanuel
coaI yields about 10000 cubic feet PER ton,
% Hum mating power varying from
tsaaiy 80 JWenty-foar sperm uandiea
The scotch parrot GOALS are various.
yielding ison st-00 up to IS coo
cubic feet of gas per ten. vary
ing IN Illuminating power from 10
70 30 sperm candles. A dozen sperm
candles are required to give as much light
as an Argand gas-burner burning five
cubic feet per hour. A gas burner, burn
ing but oGuic feet per hour, gives a
light only equal to that from q single
sperm candle. Double the discharge
from that burner, and light equal to
that Of or ia candles is obtained. The
ordinary price Of gas in London, that is,
what the public pay), is 81 OS -four shill-
iugs and siXpeneel per Thousand cubic
feet, and it is supplied as low as Go cen Is
per thousand cubic feet in Portsmouth,
which attn yields . profit At Pitts
burg, where the coal IS dug almost st the
doors Of the works, gas can be and IS
made at 40 cents the 1000 cubic feet. Iue
Philadelphia the price is So Surely we
have cause for complaint.
The greater quantity Of gas that Is
distilled from the coal, the smaller the
illuElrpating power. The worse the gas,
the MI e must be consumed 20 produce
a required light; so, the gas mauufac-
turer hereby has bonus upon producing
an inferior article. 1t is only surprising,
under such circumstances, that there is
any publication of the gas 10 Philadel-
phIa, since ths worse it Is the more of il
must be used. All over Europe the law
is that the gas supplied 20 the public
shall not he below a certain Illuminating
power, and it is provided, in the
British islands, that any gas con-
sumner who has a doubt of the quality
Of the gas supplied TO him, may
call in sworn Inspector, who tests its
Illuminating power This is readily done
by the use OF the Bunsen phOtometeT,
simple and very exact instrument. ii
the illuminating power be below what it
ought to be, land that is fixed by law,
the inspector grants a certificate To thst
effect, upon exhibition of which before
magistrate the gas company is fineg Sl00
and costs for each Oftense, and there is
no power of appeal against this decision.
Here, the quality of the gas is left 70 the
conscience, the caprice, or the ignorance
of its producers.
In view Of the evils thus inflicted upon
a patient public, aud in doubt Of any
advantage from having the mauufac-
ture and supply Of gas IN the hands Of
the city authorities, let US suggest that
gas making be thrown open to indi-
vidual enterprise and competition. The
public would gain, we are sure, By the
transfer Of all the gas-works from the
municipality to private eapitalists-in a
word, by selling them eff and providing
that such and such prices only shall be
charged, for gas Of certain nlumin-
ating power. Thus, eXhOrbitant prices
would be prevented, and good gas Sc
cured to the consumer. 1t would be
easy to raise the mOney-VcTg much
needed, Just now, in the city treasury,
by establishing joint stock companies to
work the respective gas-wOrks. Let Us
show that they would pau
In London, the legal price OF gas is
81 0S per thousand; its cost for coal is
So cents, and for manufacture and man
agement, A cents-making 81 in all.
But of this there is a return of rather
more than 20 cents in the residual pro-
ducts-sueh as coke, tar and ammOniacal
liquOr-thus reducing the net cost of the
gas to "A cents, leaving a profit of 81
cents on every 1000 cubic feet consumed.
Now, in London, where gas viii be only
81 per 1909 feet this year, this is profit
of over 50 per cent. In that city, in 1861,
there were thirteen gas coppH2pies, EN-
ploying q total capital of -, Ok, 500, in
shares or loans. The share capital draw
ing dividends was So, 277 500. The whole
cost of coal was So ,642, 35j: and of manu-
faeture and management, s., ,S65, ,0l5,
making q total cost of S6,507, 10. On
the other hand, the gas rental was 81
05S, $40, and the sale Of residual products
increased this by 81, 705, ,305-making S.
164, ,245, so that, deducting interest and
all charges, the profit was, however, 81
053, ASS, which is a very pretty profit as it
stands-being nearly II per cent. II this
be attaiHable in London, where gas must
be sold at not more than 81 .0S per thOus-
and cubic feet, and the quality must be
up TO certain mark, what immense
profits would the Philadelphia gas works
yield, under the economic management
of private ownership and competition,
with charge Of So per 1 600 cubic feet Of
gas? We seriously suggest that the city
shall sell its gas works, to "put money
in its purse" and obtain better and
cheaper gas for the consumers. Properly
managed, gas ought not to cost even 81
per !, 900 cubic feet, which is nearly
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