ROSA: REGULATION OF NATURAL MONOPOLIES 213 



heating value, its candlepower, and its chemical purity, as well as 

 in testing meters and measuring gas pressures. This will be 

 embodied in a separate publication which will be frequently- 

 revised and kept up to date, in order to be as useful as possible 

 to gas inspectors and engineers in determining whether gas 

 meets the specifications under which it is sold. 



A third investigation scarcely begun, but which is much needed 

 and deserves extensive study, is on the safety and efficiency 

 of gas appliances. Too many fatal accidents result from defec- 

 tive gas appliances, and the contamination of the atmosphere 

 thru imperfect combustion due to defective appliances is a serious 

 matter, even when no fatalities result. This is a question in 

 which co-operation of all the interests concerned cannot fail to 

 yield important results. 



Investigations of electrolysis. Another important investiga- 

 tion carried out by the Bureau of Standards which also concerns 

 public utility companies is the damage by electrolysis produced by 

 street railway currents flowing thru the earth, upon gas and water 

 pipes, lead covered cables belonging to telephone, telegraph, and 

 electric light companies, and the reinforced concrete foundations 

 of buildings and bridges. Such insulated double conductor 

 systems as those of New York, Washington, and Cincinnati 

 provide for the return of the current to the power houses without 

 flowing thru the earth, but most cities use the single overhead 

 trolley, and permit the current to return in part thru gas and 

 water pipes and other underground conductors. Where the 

 current leaves such metal conductors, the latter are corroded 

 electrolytically, and in some cases holes eaten thru, thereby 

 interfering with the service and involving expensive repairs. 

 Many remedies have been proposed, but as yet comparatively 

 little has been done to cure the evil. The Bureau undertook a 

 thoro study of the question for the purpose of testing some of the 

 proposed remedies and arriving at a solution of the difficulty, 

 if possible, that could be applied generally. This investigation 

 is not yet completed, but already vd,luable results have been 

 reached and it is hoped that shortly information will be made 

 available for the use of the street railways that will permit them 



