1823.] Gas Light Establishments. 413 



a waste of gas in these works, which is avoided by the London 

 Company ; and, indeed, this waste is admitted at the works, and 

 even stated at a higher rate than it thus appears to be. 



The various and important checks, therefore, that may thus 

 be obtained, show the necessity of these general investigations, 

 and of the calculations arising out of them. I shall, therefore, 

 in future Reports, cause a still more detailed survey of them to 

 be made than has in the commencement of the present system 

 of inspection been hitherto practicable. 



By thus determining the actual consumption and waste of gas 

 to each lamp, together with the expense of generating it, allow- 

 ing for wear and tear and outlay of capital, which must also form 

 the subject of future surveys, more in detail, a just estimate, not 

 only of the actual cost of the gas to each company, but of its 

 real value, supposing the best system to be adopted, may thus 

 be made with a view to a fair regulation of prices, and to such 

 other measures as the legislature may think fit to enact for the 

 further proceedings of this great public concern. 



It might have been imagined that the enormous quantity of 

 coal thus shown to be consumed in the generation of gas, would 

 have greatly enhanced the price and increased the quantity of 

 coals brought into the port of London since the introduction of 

 the gas-light system ; this, however, has not been the case ; on 

 the contrary, the increase in either of these is inconsiderable,, 

 owing to the compensation arising from the quantity of the 

 surplus of coke produced. 



The quantity of coke generated, in the first instance, is at the 1 

 rate of 120 or 130 chaldrons for every 100 chaldrons of coal car- 

 bonized ; of this quantity, about 20 per cent, is consumed in the 

 furnaces under the retorts, in the process of carbonization ; the.' 

 whole of that operation being now effected by the coke produced 

 on the spot, without any addition of coal whatever ; deducting, 

 therefore, 20 per cent, from the increased measurement of coke 

 produced, there remains, in measurement, nearly, or perhaps 

 rather more than the same quantity of surplus disposable coke 

 to be applied as fuel in the metropolis, as of coal used in the 

 process ; so that the coke seems nearly to amount to a compen- 

 sation for the coal as fuel. But were the enhanced price of coal 

 greater than it is, it could scarcely be doubted, that, as a ques- 

 tion of economy, there would be a very considerable public sav- 

 ing arising out of this system, when the value of the light thus 

 produced were set against this increased price ; and certain it is, 

 that some parts of the population of this metropolis are peculiarly 

 benefitted by it. The poor have, by this means, access to a very 

 serviceable fuel, at a comparatively moderate price ; the coke 

 being now sold by the companies at from 20s. to 30a. per chal- 

 dron ; and the fire produced from it being, in all respects, ade- 

 quate to the necessities of the lower orders. 



