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256
(averages) of the daily testings, at the Ladbroke Grove Station,
of the "common gas," manufactured by the Gas Light and
Coke Company at their Kensal Green Works.
1. With respect to illuminating power.

It appears from these results that the illuminating power
of the gas at the Station was higher than the Parliamentary
standard. But it was stated, in the Annual Report of the
Metropolitan Board of Works for 1884—and as the result of
testing with a portable photometer—that there are parts of
London the inhabitants of which do not always get their gas of
the quality which it was thought had been secured to them by
Act of Parliament; the gas having been frequently found to be
inferior in lighting power to the prescribed standard, sometimes
by as much as one candle. There is no way of preventing
this, the companies in default being subject to no forfeiture or
penalty, as they are when the gas is shown to be defective at
the regular testing places. The above facts point to the
necessity for an alteration of the law. The gas referees, it was
stated, approve of the testing of gas by means of a portable
photometer; and the Metropolitan Board of Works have
advised the Board of Trade that statutory power should be
obtained for that mode of testing, so that gas companies may
be liable to forfeitures for gas which the portable photometer
shows to be defective in lighting power.