From condensation, British thermal units per cubic foot: 144.1; 2 46.6; 350.3; 4 47.7; 46.5 6 59.6; 7 51.0. A continuous test of calorific and lighting value, similar to the foregoing, was carried on at the Franklin Street station of the Taunton Gas Light Company, Taunton, about one and a quarter miles from the gas works, on Sept. 27, 28 and 29, 1910. The gas supplied was an unenriched coal gas; the first day the yield of gas was low, owing to fine coal and low heats. On the second and third days the yield was better, the coal coarser and heats higher. Benzol had been used for enriching within two weeks, and, owing to the warm weather, may have had some effect on the candle-power. The gas supply came through a dry governor, and the pressure was constant at 22 tenths inches. The same Junker's calorimeter, wet meter and thermometers, were used as in the test above-described; the water was taken from an overhead tank, with automatic supply and gas-heating attachment; the outlet water was weighed in all the determinations. The candle-power was taken on a 100-inch stationary bar photometer, with wet meter, Edgerton standard, and new F size, Sugg's Argand burner, with 7-inch chimney. Tests were made of the heat given out by the condensation of water formed from the burning of the hydrogen present in the gas, and the results are stated later as British thermal units per cubic foot from condensation. Two samples of gas were taken and the analyses appear in the table of eudiometric analyses. The results in the following tables are the corrected gross British thermal units and corrected candle-powers for 5 feet gas per hour: From condensation, British thermal units per cubic foot: 1 57.1; 2 57.9. A study of the inspections of the companies made during the five years from 1906 to 1910, inclusive, shows the following facts: From Nov. 30, 1909, to Nov. 30, 1910, inclusive, there were 82,643 meters inspected, including 24,300 prepayment meters, as compared with 73,994 during the preceding twelve months. Meters which pass inspection are stamped with a brass badge and a wax seal, which give the inspection number and date. These are so placed that the rate of registration cannot be changed unless both are mutilated. Whenever meters are opened for any purpose, they must be again tested and sealed before being placed in use by the company. Of the meters examined in the year ending Nov. 30, 1910, 328 were known as complaint meters; the others being new, or recently repaired. The follow ing table exhibits a comparison of the number inspected during Under the provisions of section 7 of chapter 483 of the Acts of 1909, the Board established the following fees for examining, comparing, testing and calibrating meter provers and test or photometer meters, viz.: for meter provers, $5 for each two-foot prover, with an additional 50 cents for every additional foot of capacity; and for photometer meters, $2 per meter. Eight meter provers (including one for the office of the State Inspector) and 5 experimental wet meters for photometric use were calibrated during the year. COMPLAINT METERS. Of complaint meters, 328 were inspected during the year ending Nov. 30, 1910, as compared with 415 in the preceding year ending Nov. 30, 1909. Of these, 3 would pass gas, but would not register. The average error of the remaining 325 meters was 1.38 per cent. fast; 158, or 48.61 per cent., were fast, the average error being 4.58 per cent. ; 31, or 9.54 per cent., were slow, the average error being 9.27 per cent.; 136, or 41.85 per cent., were correct within the legal limits, being no more than 2 per cent. fast or slow. Of the fast meters, 119 registered between 2 and 5 per cent., 34 between 5 and 10 per cent., and 5 between 10 and 15 per cent. fast. Of the slow meters, 24 registered between 2 and 5 per. cent., 5 between 5 and 10 per cent., 1 was 20 per cent. and 1, 94 per cent. slow. A more detailed statement of the meter-testing work appears in the following financial statement for the year ending Nov. 30, 1910: |