Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 2.djvu/404

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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

producing over fifty million cubic feet of gas in 1895 are included in the following table :

Companies in Order of Size

Per cent, of cost of coal obtained from sale of residuals in

Increase

Decrease

1885-1886

1894-1895

29-9

53-6 33-3

26.6

35-3 37-2 45-8 43-o 29-4 31-0 37-1

60.5 ('93-4) 55-6 62.3 24-3 59-7 48.5 54-5 84.0 54-0

49.5 44.0

30.6 2.0 29.0

24.4 II- 3 8. 7 41.0 24.6 I8. 5 6.9

2 3

Lowell

Cambridge ....

\Vorcester.

Lynn

Charlestown

Lawrence

Newton. ...

Jamaica Plain.

Holyoke

If an average of the preceding percentages be taken without regard to the varying amount of gas produced, it appears that in 1886 these large companies received 36.6 per cent, of the cost of their coal from the sale of residuals, and in 1895 they received 54.5 per cent., the improvement being thus equal to over one- sixth of the cost of the coal.

I may briefly recapitulate the changes which by way of extended illustration have been shown to have occurred, and presumably to be still progressing in Massachusetts, and not improbably elsewhere under the system of private control subject to state supervision.

(1) The manufacture of coal gas increased five-sixths in nine years.

(2) The proportion of this gas unaccounted for and so attributable to leakage has fallen to about three-fifths of what it was eight years ago.

(3) The quality of the gas has improved, especially in the case of the larger companies.

(4) The number of high-power gas lamps and of gas stoves has been rapidly increasing.

(5) Meanwhile the number of public gas lights has fallen about two-fifths.