First.—After having read the contradictory tatements contained in the several reporte submitted, it will be difficult for you to at the facts and form a correct ion; Tpropose, therefore thats Committee Meare B. McLean" and Vinay "for. the vestigation be appointed—composed of
Accounts, and Mr. Legras, Engineer of the French Municipal Council, to make a Report on the condition of the French Gas-works to be read at the General Meeting in January next.
Second.—I did suggest the removal of Mr. Ulbrich, but the Agents insist in renewing his contract.
Before deciding this question, it may be advisable, however, to await the result of the Company's works during L. Picnox, Vice-President-of the French Gas Company.
The Cuaimstaw was ready, if the share-boldero wished, to answer the points raised, in detail t, Dr. Pichon says, the gents confess to a ment of their figures which represent a value of Tls. 1,200 in coke." hi directors have already explained in th pamphlet that th in the accounts, The Agents make, every year, table designed to show as much a8 poss ble the details of the working; and in thi table they put coke instead of coal. He would quote the pamphlet "A mistake has bes i ug to the makes a difference of Tls. 1,200. stake, which exists only in the table, does not alter in any way the accounts of the Company, which are quite correct."
When the Company was started, they got an Engineer from Home to build the works, and organise the concern. Mr.
came and built the works, and in ord to produce gas, the qui or hot they would Ue able to sell coke, They succeeded in selling a small quantity, difficult to find purchasers, and.
ish Company had the same experience. It was, therefore, for the interests of the Company' to use as much as possible for fuel, and sell the balance. They had always cold all that had been asked for, and burned the rest to heat the ovens.
'There had never been any account opened for coke, because it was mostly consumed a little' was sold, and ench year tha amount so realised was entered. "It would be no use to open a coke accotint, the result would be nil. They would amass n quantity and find no market, While Mr. Ulbrich was in Japan, and Mr. Fitz-Henry was in charge of the works, the latter acted differently, He accumulated a stock, which resulted in great Joss, because it was exposed to wind and rain, and was spoiled. Dr. Pichon we have not accounted for this los The coke is still there; that is to say, a heap of dust is there which represents that coke.
Dr. Prcuow remarked that, in "74, when they had a large quantity of coke, they sold Tls. 1,400 worth, whereas in the next year they had sold much les The Cramsan said they had never refused to sell a pound of coke when it was asked for. In some seasons the demand was greater, and then less was used for fuel.
Dr. Prcuow said there was not a pound of coke shown in stock on the 1st January therefore, if anyone wanted to buy coke, he must have been refused.
The Cmatmatan repeated that no purchaser had ever been refused. The only large consumers were the Agents, who took 50 tons for warming their cocoons, but otherwise the purchasers were very small, After some further couveraati The Cuarmman anid the works were conducted now on the same principle on which M. Pelegrin inaugurated them; and 40 far as the Directors could see, by com-the Eng-more with kago was less, Not being experts they could say no more they could only take results, He repente the Tis, 1,200 was only a figure badly placed in the table.
Turning wow to Dr. Pichoin's third point, "73 tons of coal i therefore, with liar economy could have been 1875. But that is not the fact, because the agents have monthly memo-tanda signed by the Engineer, givin 1 total of 803 tons consumed, instead 727 as atated in his accounts. When they came to inquire into the matter, they found that the Engiveor had burned more conl than there was; it was therefore plain that thi was very difficult to go into details of the matter. In 1866-67, when the Company was started, M. Pelogrin made a return of 60 tons of coals to show the pri which they could produce Gas, put down 60 tons as producing 12,000 metres, and they were now actually burning exactly what M. Pelegrin had established, at the rate of one ton per 200 produced. After Dr. Pichon reports, the Directors went matter and took an average of years consumption of coal they found the result gave for 800 to 810 tous to produce a given quantity of gas, De. Pioaox aad he had tried to prove and he had proved, that M. Goddard used lees coal than Mr. Ulbrich.
The Cuamaaw repeated that the return which showed that result was a mistake they had memoranda of consumption showing it was otherwise; and the best proof was that, although they were sup posed by M. Goddard's valuation to have 73 tons in hand on the Ist January, on the 5th January they had to buy coal:
Dr. Pron produced a memorandum signed by the Agents, giving the Slat January as the date of purchase, The Caasmsan said the memo bore date Slat January, asit bore date 28th February, and 30th April. The Agents had set down the quantity bought during the month, and had in each case act down the last day of the month. At the end of 1874 the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.