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26

MR. A. W. FLUX, M.A., ON CITY GOVERNMENT AND

of the City of Manchester, and the population of the area also considerably greater tban that of the city. In the case of Copen- hagen the area of supply very little exceeds that of the city itself, the population supplied being less than 1| per cent greater than the city’s population. Gas for lighting purposes being sold there at a higher rate than gas for power or cooking, many consumers have two meters, so that the number of consumers cannot be derived from the number of meters. There were, at the begin­ ning of last year, 46,510 meters for gas for cooking, etc., 19,204 for gas for lighting, and 231 automatic meters, all of which were for cooking-gas. There were also 4,946 public lamp-posts and 439 private. Last year witnessed a tenfold increase in automatic meters. Compare these figures with the 1897 figures for Manokester, namely, 86,688 ordinary meters, 13,959 automatic meters, and 9,403 gas cookers and stoves, together with 13,084 public lamps in the city and 3,010 outside the city. The Manchester mains were about 750 miles in length in 1897, when those of Copen- hagen were about 140 miles in length. The candle-power of Manchester gas is stated at about 19, that of Copenhagen stands - at just under 16 Hefner candles.* The gasworks occupy an area of 75 acres in Manchester and about 50 acres in Copenhagen. The consumption of gas from the Manchester gasworks has, during the last ten years, increascd by about 25 per cent. In Copenhagen, in the same interval, it has increased by close on 80 per cent. The whole of this latter increase arisee from the increased use of gas for cooking and motor purposes; in faet, the consumption for lighting purposes has actually decreased. In 1888 the consumption for lighting purposes was 71 per cent of the production, that for cooking and motors only 4 per,cent. In 1898 these proportions stood at 35 and 50 respectively. The reasons for this change are two. In the first place, in the middle of 1888 gas for cooking and warming purposes was reduced in price, being charged at 3s. 10|d. per 1,000 cubic feet, as against

* The Hefner candle and the English standard candle are of approximately- the same illuminating power. .