Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-17

dustries was about $500. 900, 600 and this
has now increased to almost $500, 900, 900.
There are, ! am told, about 1900 different
electrical enterprises in the United King
dom and these during the year 1900 paid an
average dividend of IA per cent, Great
Britain and America together have q, 900
miles Of electric car tracks, and Of these
only 300 belong to Great Britain. Still this
country has almost as many large towns as
we have. It's people live in towns and the
most of them in towns large enough to
have electric cars. The towns are situated
close together and in the future the whole
country will be covered with a network Of
electric lines as though by a spiders web.
The field of electric lighting is also great.
Very little of II Is found In private houses,
and the municipalities will eventually sup
ply electric lights to their citizens at a
moderate profit. Fifteen million dollars
worth Of loans were sanctioned by Parlia-
ment for such lights in 1900 and in the two
years preceding the total loans authorized
amounted to more than $50. 900, 900.
Manipulated by Yankees.
So far the chief establishments for max
Ing electrical supplies here have originated
In or have been backed by the United
States. All the companies are under Brit
ish names, and they use to a large extent
British employees. although more or less
Americans are connected with all OF them.
The British Thomson-H Houston company is
closely associated with the General Elec-
trio company Of New York. 1t has Just An
ished building large electric works at
Rugby at a cost OF more than $1,000, 900.
The Dick, Kerr & Co., makes electrical
supplies at Preston, near Liverpool. 1t has
hnnnhf NkA uTolIrA, 49,. - NJ
Sidney Short, who was manager Of the
Walker combination in the United States,
as its head. In addition to these there are
many smaller electrical companies which
are entirely British, but the bulk of the
electrical machinery used here in the flu
ture will be made in the works originated
by the Americans. The people here want
American machinery and even the engi-
neers OF the municipalities frequently stip-
ulate In their contracts that their engines,
cars and dynamos shall be Of American
make.
OF all the electrical works, however, the
British Westinghouse company has by far
the greatest. 1t has put more money into
its business and is doing everything on the
largest scale. Its capital is $40, 900, 900 and
II is already paying 6 per cent dividends
on its preferred stock. l get this from a
statement made by Mr.. George westing-
house at a meeting Of the shareholders
in London not long ago. In his speech he re-
ferred to the wonderful prosperity Of the
Pittsburg works, which had paid Z per cent
dividends right along on a capital of $40,
900 900 and at the same time accumulated
a surplus. He said that the British company
during the past year had made enough to
give the preferred stockholders 6 per cent
and in addition a surplus of 800 900. This
had been done although all the orders had
to be executed In America, and now that
the works in Great Britain were in opera
tion the profits should be much larger. In
this speech Mr.. Westinghouse spoke OF the
gas engines which were being made in the
United States and which will be also turned
out here in Manchester. He believes that
gas rather than steam is to be the future
motive power, and is making simple gas
engines at Pittsburg which will furnish as
high as $500 horsepower.
/ am told that the works here are already
loaded with contracts, among which are
some OF the largest contracts ever ISSUED
One is the transformation of the MerseS
tunnel railway at Liverpool from steam t.
electricity, and others are the power
/ houses and equipments Of the mormon,
i railroad system Of underground London. Th,
| Metropolitan roads. which are headed b,
, Mr.. Yerkes. will have sixty-nine miles o
: double lines and the District railway, whicl
D runs outside these, will have thirteen mile
5 Of double line, the cars OF both companie
: running to a certain extent over the track
= Of the other. FRANK G. CARPENTER.