LAYING OUT THE DESIGN OF WORKS. 35 



distance to be traversed by the carts is a quarter of a mile, 

 the contract price of hauling coal is 6d. per ton. At 

 another, where the distance is nearly a mile, the cor- 

 responding figure is gd. 



There are several reasons why the works should be well 

 in the centre of the district. The distribution question is 

 paramount, as if the works are at one end of a long 

 straggling district, or on one side of a fairly square and 

 compact one, it follows, as a matter of course, that to ensure 

 sufficient pressure at the far end or the far side, there must 

 be an excess over at least half the area supplied. That is 

 supposing that there is only one main leading off from the 

 works, which is the usual thing in a small district. On 

 this point, there will presently be more to say. The lamp- 

 lighter usually commences and finishes his round at the 

 gasworks, and the working manager also attends to con- 

 sumers' complaints, and is continually going backward and 

 forward in all parts of the district. If the works are some 

 way out from the centre, both lighter and manager lose a lot 

 of time in back journeying, or covering the same ground 

 twice. Under such circumstances it is worth while to 

 consider the question of town stores for consumers' 

 materials, such as meters, cookers, service pipe, etc. If 

 the stores are at the works and a consumer at the far end 

 requires his meter or stove changed, there is the out journey 

 with the new article, and the home journey to return the 

 old one. A suitable building for use as a workshop and 

 store, in the middle of the district, can usually be secured 

 at a small rent. And in the case of the larger class of 

 works, doing 6,000,000 cubic feet a year or so, and where 

 fitting and maintenance are also undertaken, the town store 

 may well include an office and showroom, and be used as a 

 centre for all outside business. Sometimes it can be 



