INTRODUCTORY. 9 



of railway. The comparatively small quantity of coal 

 required cannot in any case be secured on terms equal to 

 those for an order for 10,000 tons, and at the best 

 the coal bill is a serious item. But in districts situated 

 five or more miles from the nearest canal or railway 

 depot the cartage may increase the cost 25 or even 50 per 

 cent., with most unfortunate results, as regards business. 

 The price must necessarily be so high as to limit the con- 

 sumption, as it does not do to follow the policy of the 

 Irishman, who sold at a loss under the impression that it 

 was the quantity that paid. Under such circumstances it is 

 interesting to compare the cost of conveying 2,000,000 

 cubic feet of gas per annum, with a maximum of 500 cubic 

 feet per hour, with the cost of carrying sufficient coal to 

 make that quantity of gas a similar distance. 



