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use in incandescent burners, in which a non-luminous hot flame is
required; (3) the greater scientific value of the calorific power as
a standard of quality of gas as compared with the illuminating
power standard, which long experience has shown to be in many
respects uncertain and unsatisfactory.
All these and other considerations make the general adoption
of the calorific power as a standard of quality a practical certainty
in the near future.
It is with genuine gratification that I am able to refer in this
present Annual Report to the final accomplishment of this desirable
end and to some other distinct advances in connection with the
testings of gas supplied to the Borough. On December, 1911,
I received from Mr. H. G. Hills, the late Town Clerk, a copy of the
Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Epsom District Gas Bill, and at his
request sent a detailed report on the same, dated January 24th,
1912, which was printed. In that report I called attention to various
matters connected with the testing of the gas in which change or
reform had long been urgent. The most important points raised
may be briefly summarised as follows:—(1) The setting up of a
standard calorific power, based on the tests for information which I
had made for some months previously. (2) The abolition of fixed
times for testing. These hitherto had been restricted to certain
hours after sunset under the Gas Works Clauses Act, 1871, an act
which was passed over forty years ago, at a time when the illuminating
power was apparently the only special value attaching to gas,
other applications not having then been contemplated. (3) Uniform
testing at all testing places in the district covered by the amalgamated
gas companies.
After various consultations with the gas companies, in some of
which I took part, the Council succeeded in amending the Bill to
their satisfaction without formally presenting a petition against it,
and it has now, in the amended form, passed through both Houses
of Parliament.
The Wandsworth, Wimbledon and Epsom District Gas Act, 1912,
comes into operation on January 1st, 1913, and I may now note
the coming changes in the testing of the gas, to which I have briefly
referred above.