GAS IN PARIS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 270, 10 November 1873, Page 2

GAS IN PARIS.

An Arab chief, upon being asked what he most admired during his stay in Paris, is reported to have answered, "The stars that you puf inside tha lamps every evening.*' There can be no doubt, in fact, that Paris, is much better lighted than any other city, and the Parisian Gas Company, if it enjoys a monopoly, at all events does not abuse its power j as was apprehended might be tbe case when it first obtained its charter. M 7 Maxime dv Camp, whose sketches would find many fresh readers if •they were translated into English, gives j some very interesting statistics concerning this branch of industry, from which we \ learn that while the gasworks at La? Vii- ! lette consume 720 tons of coal a-'day' during the winter, 330 tons are found sufficient throughout the summer months, aricT; that the^ price paid for coal hy the company during the past year has been close upon /half a million sterling. The consumption of gas has increased from forty millions of cubic metres in 1855, and one hundred . and sixteen millions in 1865, to close upon one hundred and fifty millions in 1873, aiid the totjj length of the pipes laid down is rather more than a thousand: English, miles. The gas company pays the municipality a sum of £8000 for the right of laying On the gas, and it is further obliged to bear the cost of repairs] whenthe pipes have to be replaced, to eky nothing of a tax of two centimes upon every cubic metre of gas consumed. Fromthis latter source the city of ParisJlerived more than £100,000 during last, year, while, by the terms* of another agreement giving It a fixed share in the profits, its revenues from the gas company amounted to a total nearly tbree : times •as large. There. are 750 lamplighters for the whole of Paris, who, so excellent in their organisation, perform their. lighting functions in forty minutes, while it takes thefa eveia less time to extinguish tha lamps/ As\ the distance of ground covered is little short of 950 miies, each man has' to get over about 2200 yards in forty minutes. For remainder of news see SuoplSnent.