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In 1869 there were five testing-places under the Act of 1868 ; in
1872 there were nine; and at the present time there are 23 testingplaces,
under the control of the London County Council.
Reverting to the Wandsworth and Putney Gas Company, this
Company was incorporated by Act of Partiament in 1856, by which
Act the illuminating power was fixed at twelve candles, with power to
the local authority to test at the works. In 1866 by a further Act the
illuminating power was raised to fourteen candles, with the same
power to test.
In 1880 a third Act was passed, " to raise further capital to meet
increased supply." So far as I can ascertain, up to the passing of this
Act no attempt was made to test the gas on the part of the local authority,
but in 1884 my predecessor, Mr. Williams, F.C.S., was appointed
by the then Wandsworth Board of Works to test the illuminating
power and the sulphuretted hydrogen from time to time at the gas
works.
In 1890 I succeeded Mr. Williams and continued the testing at the
works till September, 1903.
In 1900 when the Wandsworth and Putney Gas Company applied
once more to Parliament for new powers, the Wandsworth Borough
Council obtained the insertion in the Act of provision for the erection
of two gas testing-places outside the gas works and for the determination
of the amount of sulphur other than sulphuretted hydrogen, as
well as the illuminating power and pressure and for daily testings of
the same ; a certain limit was placed on the amount of sulphur which
should be present in the gas and an excess rendered the Company
liable to forfeitures similar to those to which the Metropolitan Gas
Company were liable. It was not until 1902 that a suitable building for
one of the testing-places was obtained at Disraeli Road, Putney, and
the site of the other testing-place has not yet been fixed. In October,
1903, the testing-place at Putney was completed as regards the various
apparatus required and I was able to commence the daily testing of the
gas, which has been continued ever since.
The limitation of the amount of sulphur in the gas supplied by
the metropolitan gas companies imposed by the instructions of the
Gas Referees for many years past necessitated the use of lime in