ELECTRIC AND GAS ILLUMINATION. 583 



manufacturing, the English report includes purifying, salaries, the 

 wages for carbonizing, and wear and tear, which latter item has al- 

 ready been carried to the plant account. The first of these amounts 

 to 1*82 cent ; the second *82 of a cent, and the third to 7*16 cents, 

 making a total of 9*8 cents per 1,000 feet. This is probably much 

 below the actual amount paid for these items in American works, but 

 I am assured on excellent authority that, in works constructed after 

 the best modern models, purification should cost the gas company 

 nothing, and that all labor in the manufacturing department should be 

 covered by an outlay equivalent to one man's wages ($2.50 per day) 

 for each 40,000 feet of gas made per day. As the same amount of 

 labor would have to be paid for each day in the year as on the days of 

 greatest demand, this would amount, for a daily make of 1,000,000 

 feet, to 25 men whose wages at $65 per month (26x2^-) would be 

 $19,500 * a year, or 9f cents per 1,000 feet of the actual make. Includ- 

 ing the cost of purification, and calling the amount 12 cents, we shall 

 not be far wrong, or at least shall not exceed the actual outlay in the 

 average works of this size. In the case of electricitv the labor re- 

 quired at each station would be : 



One chief-engineer $125 per month. 



Three assistants (at $75) 225 " 



Five firemen (at $60) 300 " 



Total $61 



making $15,600 a year for the whole manufacturing plant, and 7*8 

 cents per 1,000 feet. To this may be added 14- cent to cover salary 

 of electrician and incidental labor, bringing the item up to 9 cents. 



There remains to be considered the cost of the coal in the case of 

 gas, and the expense of running the engines in the case of electricity. 

 The cost of coal per 1,000 feet of gas made was, in the case of the Lon- 

 don companies, 36^^ cents, corresponding to $3.51 per ton, the make 

 of gas being for this amount of coal 9,529 feet. This was offset by 

 the sale of residuals, as below : 



Coke and breeze 1T16 cents. 



Tar and products T - l 3 " 



Ammonia and products 5-72 " 



Total 24-06 " 



which leaves 12*8 cents as the net cost of the coal. 



Compared with foreign companies, both in England and on the 

 Continent, but very little is done with the residual products in this 

 country, and the amounts received vary greatly between different 

 works. Reliable data on this point can not be obtained, but under the 

 most favorable conditions this item can not be taken as amounting* to 



* The engineer furnishing the information on which this statement is based informs me 

 that this should be 112,500, or $2.50 per 40,000 feet of the actual yearly, instead of the 

 maximum daily, make. x This would reduce the item 9} cents to 6-4- cents per 1,000 feet. 



