No doubt most of you will have noticed the satisfactory results obtained by Mr. Hack, of the Saltley Gas Works, Birmingham, and by Mr. McMinn, of Kensal Green, with the furnaces employed by them for gaseous firing without recuperation, whereby they are enabled to save fuel and carbonize more coal per mouthpiece than with the old system.  Still they admit that the saving by this setting is only in fuel, with increased production, but without any economy of labor—­one of the points in favor of regenerative setting being a saving of at least 25 per cent. in the latter respect.  Even where regenerative settings cannot be had, I think the system of using gaseous fuel is well worthy the attention of managers; the expense of altering the existing settings to this method being very small.

IMPROVEMENTS IN GAS PURIFICATION.

I must now, however, pass on to some other topics.  After the proper production of the gas, we have still the processes of purification to consider, and how this operation can best be effected at the smallest cost, combined with efficiency and the least possible annoyance to residents in the immediate vicinity of gas works.  I think all gas engineers are agreed that in ammoniacal liquor we have a useful and powerful purifying agent, although each one may have his own particular idea of how this can be most efficiently applied—­some advocating scrubbers, others washers.  But these are things which each one must determine for himself.  But in whatever way it is applied, we know that it can be profitably used for this purpose; and I am not without hope that it may soon be found possible to remove nearly all the impurities by this means.

At present, however, this is not so.  And consequently we have a variety of other methods employed for the complete removal of the impurities.  But, by whatever means it is effected, it is unquestionably the duty of the gas engineer to send out to the public an article from which the whole of the impurities have been removed.

In Scotland, no doubt, our chief purifying material is lime, although I know that several of our friends have for some time been using oxide of iron, and perhaps they will favor us with their experience and a statement of the relative cost of lime and oxide.  I am not aware that either the Hawkins method or the Cooper coal liming process has yet received a trial from any Scotch gas engineer.

BURNERS AND REGENERATIVE LAMPS.

But even after we have been able to produce and send out gas of the greatest purity, our troubles are frequently only beginning, as, very often, consumers do not use, but simply waste and destroy the gas by bad burners and fittings.  Nothing, however, will convince them that they are in any way to blame for the light being poor.  I am certainly of opinion that gas companies would do the public a service in supplying them with suitable burners for the quality of gas that is being sent out for consumption.  I have myself for some years adopted this policy, and almost invariably find that complaints cease and consumers are pleased with the results.