THE LEGAL POSITION. 15 



contested case may absorb the whole of the year's profits. 

 There should be a cheap and easy way of settling any 

 dispute that may arise, by an appeal to the Board of Trade, 

 or other independent authority, and the company should be 

 relieved from the cost of such portions of the replacement as 

 can be proved to be permanent improvements. 



The objections advanced in respect to sections 6-12 also 

 apply to those governing public and private consumption, 

 which are, in many respects, absurd. In all cases where a 

 fixed and definite obligation is laid on one of the 

 parties concerned, there should, in common fairness, be an 

 equally fixed and definite duty on the other. In this 

 respect, the law is one-sided. While it puts specific 

 obligations on the gas company, there are no corresponding 

 ones on the public authority or the private consumer. 

 Section n of the Gasworks Clauses Act empowers any 

 occupier within 25 yards of the company's main to 

 demand a supply of gas, and states that the company is 

 to provide a service pipe up to 30 feet in length at 

 its own expense. This means an immediate outlay, and 

 a standing responsibility in the matter of wear and tear. 

 All the consumer is required to do is to guarantee to 

 use a minimum, represented by 20 per cent, on the cost 

 of the service, for at least two years. The 30 feet 01 

 service can be provided at a cost of about i t which 

 means that the company can only demand a guirantee to 

 the extent of 45. per annum. A user of such an absurdly 

 small amount is not worth having at any price. He 

 does not pay even an aliquot share of the establishment 

 expenses. If the company is entitled to any guarantee at 

 all, it should be sufficient to give a fair and reasonable 

 return on the outlay, after paying all other expenses. Or 

 there might be a minimum charge of, say, 153. per annum, 



