6 Mf\ Uicardo on Sir W. Coiigreve^s Report [July, 



chaldron ; so that your readers may be better able to form a 

 judgment of the differences. In the Chartered Company, the 

 whole rental is 126,977/.; the number of chaldrons of coals car- 

 bonised 20,678, giving a rental upon each chaldron of 6/. \s. lOd. 



In the City of London Company, the whole rental is 30,839/. 

 the number of chaldrons of coals used 8,840, yielding a rental 

 upon each chaldron of 3/. lOs. 



In the South London, the rental is 14,963/. ; the quantity of 

 coals 3,640 chaldrons, producing a rental on each of 4/. 2s. 3d. 



The cost of each chaldron of coal after deducting the profit on 

 the coke, I reckon to be about 30s. The tar and ammonia may 

 be considered an equivalent for the expence of Hme. This will 

 be the same with each Company. 



The profit I calculate by the dividend which is paid on the 

 capital advanced ; in the Chartered Company the capital expended 

 is 580,000/. ; 8 per cent, on that, which is the amount of divi- 

 dend, is 46,400/. : this is their profit. In the City of London 

 Company, the dividend is 7 per cent, which, on a capital of 

 131,250/. gives for profit 10,240/. 



In the South London Company, a dividend of 7^ percent, on 

 96,000/. gives 7,200/. 



The cost of coals and the profit being deducted from the 

 whole rental leave the remainder for expences of management, 

 wear and tear, labour, and contingencies. In the Chartered 

 Company, the rental upon each chaldron of coals which is 6/. Is. 

 lOd. will be thus divided : cost of coals, 1/. 10s. ; labour, manage- 

 ment, &c. 2/. 7s. Ik/. ; profit, 2/. 3s. 11^. 



In the City of London Company, the rental upon each chal- 

 dron of coals, which is 3/. 10s. will be thus divided : cost of 

 coals, 1/. 10s.; labour, management, &c. 17s. 9J. ; profit, 

 1/. 2s. 3d, 



In the South London Company, the rental upon each chaldron 

 of coals, which is 4/. 2s. 3d. will be thus divided : coals, 1/. 10s. ; 

 labour, &c. 12s. 9d. ; profit, 1/. 19s. 6ri. 



In the Chartered Company, the proportion of capital employed 

 on each chaldron is 28/. 



In the City of London Company only 14/. 16s. ; and in the 

 South London, 26/. 7s. 



It must excite very considerable surprise to those at all con- 

 versant with Gas Companies, that such a very great disparity 

 should exist in the statements given by these three Companies ; 

 first, in the great difference in the quantities of gas produced, 

 and the eq^ually great difference in the waste ; next, in the vast 

 disproportion of expence in management, that of the Chartered 

 Company, with all the great advantages it possesses, being more 

 than three times as much in proportion to the City of London 

 Company, and nearly four times that of the South London. 

 Again, though it has such a much larger proportion of lights 

 upon the length of main ; though it employs a much less number 



