The sun., 1882-08-27
GAS AND ELECTRICITY IN LONDON.
The Electric Lighting Riii-Progrcss of the
Rival Lights-Relatiye Cost.

LONDON, Aug. 12-Some four years have
passed since electricity began to be used for
| ordinary lighting purposes. It was then be-
| lieved by many good judges that gas light
must soon give way to its rival but such result
| seems not much more likely now than four
years ago. The electric light has indeed been
greatly improved. and is used in lighting many
streets and large business houses. but gas
| shares are still good property. and yield larger
dividends than before the electric scare began.
Electric lighting and power companies have
multiplied so rapidly in the last year or two
that the Parliament has thought best to frame
! bill for the general regulation Of these corpo-
rations. England is very hotbcd Of vested
rights and monopolcs. In many respects they
| are less oppressive than our own Standard OIL
| Company. Pacific railways &C. but they seem
to me longer lived. and to have more definite
sanction Of law than our own. Some years ago
| the Parliament granted to a body Of men the
exclusive right OF supplying the town Of Not
tngham with water. In 1879 the Town Coun-
ell OF that town. wishing to undertake the
water supply. was obliged to guarantee to the
shareholders OF the water company per cent
in perpetuity on their stock. besides paying II
premium or bonus Of sl50000 for the surren-
der OF the business Such cases are so COM
mon that the committee. in framing this bill
| wisely inserted this clause. in substance. viz
| That at the end of fifteen years the corporate
| authorities OF q town may acquire compulsory
possession. by purchase Of the plant and stock
OF the company. by means Of an arbitrator
who =" is forbidden toitake into account in so
doing either past profits. good will. future
profits or any allowance for compulsory sale"
portion OF the British public cries out very
loudly against this permission OF compulsory
purchase but the provision strikes most people
| as being emnently wise.
Since October. 1878. when the British Elec-
trc Light Company began no less than forty
| five electric light and power companies have
been started. with an aggregate capital OF over
| with a capital Of over sll 100000. There has
been much activity and speculation in the
| shares of these companies. Indeed, consider
ing how actively stocks Of this kind have been
selling. it is very remark kabe that so, little
practical work has been done. The BuUoH.st
says: Neither OF lighting nor OF motion by
electricity can II be said that they can take
the day" The streets OF London are not 1t
to-day. to any considerable extent by elec.
the eIectric light in iNeWgGta street and Hoi.
born viaduct in 1859. but it was not consh-
cred succeSs-at all events in cost-and WIS
The Victoria Embankment was also lit by
electricity IN lN1S, and the experiment l. sun
continued. Inc cost is now less than one nali
what it was i'll 1878. being now about the same
cost as gas. The arc lamps are used there. Tue
in Ludgate Hill. Queen Victoria street. Far
ringdon street on some OF the bridges. and in
a few otner streets. but with these, exceptions
for street Lighting. And yet the shares OF the
electric lighting companies are in very active
demand. The Anglo American Brush Lice
tric Light Company recently called its share
holders together 20 distribute among them
81. 600 this being a dividend Of one hUtdfrI
per cent on their capital stock. 4 worry large
part Of this was obtained by the sale Of conces-
earned by the actual productive operations u
the c2Epi,ny; ihs S PAID up,cnpiin! 3t this tns
stock was worth in the market IS. .G05 600. In u
week or two; however. they had sunk to s5,CuO.-
have shown similar luttuutions. Mere stock
market speculation has far too much To do
with the shares OF the electric lighting com,
panies, and 1t Is hard TO give u Just estimate OF
the real value of such shares i'll the eyes OF Ju-
dcloas investors.
\ short time ago the town OF Poole invited
bids for the Lighting OF their town with this
result: The Great Western tBrlsnl Electric
i:nts oi 2.0jJ.candie power sach. ana 2Oj in
candescent lights Of lG.cante power each. to
offered to iurn! sh ei.ht arc lights ui 1000 can
1e e"fn nln1 ana e !S lT n 1 sr aT o Thc
Poue Gas Company offered 20 supply -Hs at 81
per loo cubic ieet on Ggn.rhci Tor one year
in Londonl or ut ~ cents per loo cubic feet
on contract for three year.. The entire cost
over s.. 800 at the first rate and $3.50 at the
second.
ing apparatus WAS held at the Crystal Palace.
and created much interest. The directors oi
the Westminster Aquarium have determined
70 hold another similar eNh.bltion from nov. /.
1882 TO March l. 1888, and viii distribute over
Ss1 IN seenS rba n n a bst @ rMna a u IN n
horse race often carries away slOuvo Or more.
The prizes are Il 3e syen mgt LoT 'H p,st st sys,
best methods OF ACCOMPLISHING CERTAIN definite
results in connection VAN that snGeet. They
are arranged uilsr ci.;h'cen l,h'r"nt heads.
as follows: !. storage aud generators for rail-
WAY trains, the Latter t. be wgrSed from an
axle in motion on the tram. 2 Storag" bat
ter.es. g. Mode. for utilizing various powers.
such as wind water, and the tides. IN EeEerat-
arY 'ry work. 5. Dynamos. &. Model o; central
} station FOR incantescent lish;ins.. I. Meters.
bFanSy nsi ioT s,sS, ssGT9f oa IS sS
train coupling. II. Photome,ers. -. Electro
dynamometer5. II. Thermopies. u. lamps
for mining and submarine wor.s. Is. Medical
MeaHwhile gas companies continue to pros;
per. On the 26th ult. nine original shares OF
the Frome Gas Company were pHt up al AUG
op The rn nomai yGqS l of IMaTe nns is h2 hlsn
10 per cent. per aInum. Six Of ~ shares sold
for 1886 each and the Others AZ ! -. Inc Gas
shf and C?ks ComPgG} Of Lo%on at its 81 osi Il
nearly all the gas companies OF London have
on preferred shares. Yet the pric" II ia, mas
declined steadily ever since the Edison ac9r,'
mort north u the Thames IS now, now SupIliel by tn"
Gas Light and CoNe Company At about &c cen Is
per 1000 cubic feet, and south Lonl' n ut 80
cents, In Mllebotough it costs - cents.
The Lecls corporation supplies gas to that
town Mt 10 cents per 900 and the engineer oil
t9 consumers at profit for p c"qts per loou
Very lew large towns Of England pay more
than 10 cents at present. In eNccutioual cases
however, II costs sl.jb. or even more. These
arr mostly small towns.
the metropolis about 2l6 per cent, a. an av.
eraEC. Tn" av"rGg" is now about l75 per cont ~