24 CONSTRUCTION AND MANAGEMENT OF SMALL GASWORKS. 



the outlay with a moderate and reasonable price for gas, in 

 a district that is never likely, by any reasonable possibility, to 

 take more than 2,000,000 ? It does not follow, as a safe rule, 

 that there will invariably be an increase ; and at any rate 

 the future may be left to take care of itself. Things, if they 

 move at all, move slowly and deliberately, and there is no 

 fear of being caught napping by such a sudden increase in 

 demand as to overtax the resources. While exercising care 

 in regard to expenditure, there are one or two directions in 

 which it is well to be liberal. Land is fairly cheap in rural 

 districts, so it is as well to secure sufficient at the start, to 

 last, so far as one knows, for all time. Landowners, as a 

 rule, take up the position that the gasworks is an undesirable 

 neighbour, likely to depreciate the value of surrounding 

 property. But if a gas company, having a site of half an 

 acre, finds that additional land is required for extension, 

 and offers to relieve the adjacent owner of a part of this 

 depreciation by taking over another half acre at the original 

 price, it is not an uncommon thing to find that the land has 

 improved in value, perhaps to the extent of 100 per cent, by 

 its being in the vicinity of the gasworks. So a wise plan 

 is to imke sure of no trouble as to additional land, for the 

 next generation. An excess of land can be turned 

 to account as garden ground or otherwise. With 

 this exception there is no part of the plant that 

 need be expensively in excess of present requirements. 

 An advantage of plenty of land is that the build- 

 ings and plant can be so disposed as to admit of 

 enlargement at any time, with a minimum of taking down 

 and alteration. Taking down existing plant, or moving it 

 to a fresh site, is a dead expense. It is a good plan to so 

 arrange the principal buildings that one wall is on and forms 

 part of the boundary line. The expense of a fence or party 



