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energy of dust is used as fuel; it will do work for the parish instead of being a substance which
costs a great deal to got rid of. (Hear, hear.) Till now it has cost 3s. 2d. per ton, paid to
bargemen to carry it away and sink it in the depths of the son. Now it comes hero and does
work of which I will not say how much per ton is the value, but which will bo good, beneficial
work for all the inhabitants of this parish. the next thing we did was to open the Shoreditch
Electric Lighting Station. That I did by moving a needle about 40 yards from the place
whore we stand, and you saw the result in the instantaneous lighting up of these lamps. the
undertaking which is thus auspiciously opened I think I may safely say is well worthy of the
Victorian era. It is an example of the combination of scientific knowledge and forethought
with mechanical and engineering skill, and with courage in the entering upon new undertakings,
courage which does not belong to the classes of gambling and adventure, courage to
bring into practice carefully worked out engineering results and capabilities. (Hear, hear.)
Shoreditch may well bo proud of what its Vestry has done for thorn. it is the premier Vestry,
preceding all municipal bodies in this bold undertaking. There are many interesting features
in the Shoreditch system of electric lighting. Destructors have boon tried by various municipalities
and other bodies for several years, but they have hitherto not accomplished more or
scarcely accomplished more than getting rid of the refuse of the dust bins at a lower cost than
that which is required for carrying it out and laying it on the land or emptying it in the sea.
As an economy merely for the purpose of getting rid of the dust and refuse the tentative efforts
of the furnace method of burning have boon made with very promising success ; but hitherto
practically nothing has boon done in the way of getting up steam from these crematories. the
Shoreditch electric light commences with dust and dust only for its fuel. the contractors
undertake to give 120,000 tons of steam per annum from about an equal weight of dust. There
can bo no doubt that more and more will be done. We only see a small beginning to-day, but I
believe the dust of this parish will very soon bo all used for the purpose, and what is more,
unless neighbouring vestrie and municipalities are very quick in following the example of
Shoreditch they will come to Shoreditch and offer I will not say how much, but I think I
might suggest 2s. a ton for taking their refuse, and Shoreditch will gladly take it and make
light and power of it. Shoreditch Vestry has gone in advance in another important direction.
It has made arrangements for the supply of electric light and power in a district occupied by
the working classes and largely filled with mechanism for carrying out their work. Shoreditch
has within its bounds the centre of gravity of the cabinet-making work of London and of a
much larger area than London. the work in cabinet makers' shops is partly by hand, but
largely at present by gas engines. I think I may say it is almost certain that what the Vestry
can now do for them will load to the substitution of electric motors for gas engines, and that a
largo part of the power work of Shoreditch will be done by power drawn from the fuel here and
transmitted through electric wires to the place where the energy is to be applied. That Which
wo think of most habitually in respect of electric lighting stations is that they wore begun for
electric lighting ; but in the future and not I think the dim and distant future the supply of
power also. All electric light companies and corporations are waking up to the capabilities
scientitically demonstrated, theoretically 50 years ago by Joule, and practically 20 years ago by
Sir William Siemens and many other far-seeing men of that time, of the prospect of using
electricity for the transmission of power. Do not imagine that electricity is a power in itself, it
is only a moans for the transmission of power and as such it is brought into use by the Shoreditch
Vestry. But there are other important matters connected with the realities of this electric
lighting station that I am sure you will be interested to hear of. This is a district very much
occupied by working men who could not afford the luxury of electricity as used and paid for in
the west of London. the system which this Vestry begins is to supply electric light at sixpence
per unit for the first two hours and fourpence per unit afterwards. At those prices I believe the
people of Shoreditch may safely outer upon the employment of the electric light. I believe they
will find it to bo loss costly than gas at 2s. 10d. per thousand cubic feet, which I believe is the
present price of gas in this district. I would advise all the people of Shoreditch to try it. You