Hats as Telephone Receivers.-Attempts are still being made to force the "Pulsion " telephone upon the public, and it is stated that the Post Office has signified its intention of largely adopting the apparatus; this statement, however, we hear on Post Office authority is absolutely without foundation. Notwithstanding the opinion of a number of gentlemen, including Sir E. J. Reed, M.P., that this telephone cannot fail to become extensively popular, we venture to assert that this will not prove the case. If it should be so, the old hat trade ought to be profitable, for we are informed that an ordinary man's hat makes an excellent receiver. This being the case, just think of the result of applying an extraordinary individual's headgear to t'other end of the line!

Work and Wages.—We have received a letter from an electrical lineman whose complaint is that he has been offered 30s. per week by a provincial firm. In our opinion he has nothing whatever to grumble at. There may be no denial of his skill as a workman, and yet there are thousands of cases where responsible mechanics of undoubted ability are in receipt of a sum not exceeding that which has so greatly offended our correspondent. We might point out that very few firms would be inclined to give very large wages when a workman, however skilled he may be, proves by his communication that his education has been terribly neglected in other respects.

New Electric Boat.-Mr. Sargeant is building a second electric launch for Mr. Pears. "He won't be happy till he gets it."

Presentation to Prof. Tait.—In consideration of his long and eminent services as secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, it has been resolved, by the Council of that body, to present Prof. Tait with his portrait. The commission has been given to Mr. George Reid, R.S.A., and the portrait is intended ultimately for the rooms of the Royal Society.

Appointment.—Mr. Sydney T. Dobson, M.I.E.E., late senior assistant engineer at the Vienna Central Station of the Imperial Continental Gas Association has been appointed chief engineer to the St. James's and Pall Mall Electric Light Company, Limited.

Lecture on Telegraphy.-Mr. Moir, of the Postal Telegraph Department, has delivered a lecture to the Bradford Scientific Society on recent improvements in telegraphy. He pointed out that since the days of Cooke and Wheatstone it bad become possible, instead of using five wires for working a telegraph, to obtain, by the aid of the quadruplex and multiplex systems, four, five, and even six. separate mediums of communication out of one wire. The lecturer referred to the large quantities of electrical energy stored up at the relay stations-the great half-way houses of the telegraph system-and showed his andience how perfect and rapid fast-speed telegraphy had become in the hands of the scientife ofcere of the Post Office.

[DECEMBER 13, 1889.

Telephonic Extension in Hampshire.-Another in portant step has been taken in connection with the rapid extension of telephonic communication in the county of Hampshire. On Monday week a new trunk lise connecting Portsmouth, Southampton, and Winchester was successfully opened, and it is confidently antiapated that the new facilities thus afforded for intercommunication between the three most important towns in Hampshire will be widely appreciated by the cor mercial classes, whom it is more particularly intende to benefit.

Explosions in Underground Conduits.-Prof. G. Forbes, in a letter to the Electrical World, suggests that as a more likely explanation than that of gas, a smai leak in the insulation of the conductors would decompose any water in the conduit; there would then be ar explosive mixture of oxygen and hydrogen given of and, as the level of the water fell, contact between the conductor would eventually be broken, with the resni: of the spark. This would ignite any coal gas in the conduit, or, in any case, ignite the products of electrical decomposition, oxygen and hydrogen.

The Royal Society.-Last week the following papers were announced for reading:-0. Wiener and W Wedding: "Remarks on Mr. A. W. Ward's Paper '0: the Magnetic Rotation of the Plane of Polarisation of Light in Doubly Refracting Bodies."" H. Tomlinson. F. R. S. "The Internal Friction of Iron, Nicke and Cobalt, studied by means of Magnetic Cycles of very Minute Range." Dr. Spitta: "A Compound Wedge Photometer." We wonder if the last-named gentleman ever heard of the compound wedge pho tometer devised by the late Robert Sabine Another paper, by Dr. Hopkinson, F.R.S., was dow for reading yesterday :-"Magnetic Properties c Alloys of Nickel and Iron."

Gülcher Electric Light and Power Company.new catalogue has just been issued by this company. in which attention is called to the fact that whereas formerly the company's productions were practically confined to the apparatus required for a particular method of low-tension continuous-current are lighting, the extension of lighting by incandescence led to the Gülcher machine being so much modified to suit the changing requirements of the trade, that it would te improper any longer to continue the old name. The intention is, therefore, to call it in future the Batterses continuous current dynamo. These machines may be used with equal advantage, either as generators or motors. The necessity of advance in the direction of supplying electrical energy by means of alternating current apparatus has induced the company to devote attention to the manufacture of complete equipments for central stations on this system, including the Battersea alternating current dynamo and the Battersea transformer. The catalogue gives particulars of a these, and also of a number of accessories, such as measuring instruments, regulators, engines, boilers, &:

Teachers and Students. Referring to the corre spondence which has recently taken place in our columns on this topic, we may say that in 1872 there was no chairman of the Editing Committee of the Society of Telegraph Engineers. At that period, Pro! Ayrton was not a member of the committee, nor ever on the Council of the Society, so that, naturally, be had nothing to do with the publication of papers o the general management. In 1872 Mr. Ayrton had n gone out to Japan, much less returned from tha country. Of course, this is a complete reply to M Varley's implication that Prof. Ayrton had anything do with the suppression of his remarks in the Society's journal.

The Railway Diary.-We have received from Mess McCorquodale and Co, Limited, the diary for 1890, L should prove useful to everyone concerned directly indirectly with railway traffic.

DECEMBER 13, 1889.]

Social Meeting of the National Telephone Company. -On Friday evening, in the Berkeley Street Hall of the St. Andrew's Halls, Glasgow, the National Telephone Company held their eighth annual assembly, upwards of 50 couples attending. The company was exceedingly ay and happy, everyone entering thoroughly into the nerriment. Amongst those present were Sir Wm. Thomson, Messrs. J. B. Murray, of the State Line; Robert Gourlay, Bank of Scotland; John E. Watson, . Douglas Watson, W. Alex. Smith, resident director; ). Johnston Smith, district secretary; W. R. W. Smith, D. Sinclair, district engineer; D. Dreg1orn, David Johnstone, David Kinross, Wm. Aitken, ssistant engineer, &c. During an interval Sir Wm. Thomson expressed regret at the unavoidable bsence of Col. Jackson, the chairman of the company, whose health, unfortunately, had broken down through he great stress put upon it in managing such a gigantic nd progressive concern as the National Telephone Company. The National Telephone Company was in position of great power for doing public service, and In fact it was in a position of greater power than ever were the telegraph companies-that was, of course, relatively to the extent of the work to be done. He was proud to state that they were now telephonically connected with virtually the whole island of Britain; and, in fact, arrangements were also being made for putting the company in actual connection with every Cown in the island, so that any person, say, in Glasgow, Paisley, or Greenock, might simply ring to the Exchange and be put in communication with Brighton, London, Hull, &c. The National Telephone Company had 32,000 miles of wire in connection, while the "calls" were 73,000,000 per year, which was equal to 380"calls per minute, or more than 6 per second. Sir William concluded by hoping that they would all spend a pleasant evening. Dancing was then resumed, and was continued until an early hour next morning.

678

Copper.-Rumours of the extensive employment of copper for war munitions, if not for the actual construction of guns, point to extensive developments of such process as that of Elmore, and it seems that generally there is a good time coming for those who hold shares in companies dealing with this metal in any form.

Okonite Wire.-Messrs. Laing, Wharton and Down have sent us samples of this wire, accompanied by the following particulars :-" The insulation is practically all vulcanised rubber, treated with a compound which causes it to be absolutely without that porosity and pin-holing, which is almost always present in rubber compounds. It will stand a large amount of rough treatment, such as wires seldom require to undergo, and keeps its elasticity even when subject to weather influences of alternate moisture and dryness. If it were not for chance of mechanical injury it could be put underground in an ordinary excavated trench, without using earthenware or other piping, and keep its insulation. This latter is a very important point, as many wires may test well for short periods and then go entirely wrong. As an instance of severe work, we may mention that the wires in Chicago are run underground in the sewers on brackets coming out from the wall with ordinary common glass insulators. When the Chicago river is in flood the wires, insulators, &c., are completely under water; in the ordinary way they are damp, while at midsummer they are dry."

Sale of Electrical Patents and Machinery.- On Tuesday next, 17th December, Messrs. Wheatley Kirk, Price and Goulty, will sell by public auction, at Halifax, the patent rights, patterns and drawings of the Luther arc lamp and dynamo, with all the machinery, tools, and other effects of Luther, Hanson and Co., Limited, in liquidation.

The Gas Strike and the Electric Light.-The following letter has just come to hand :-"As the gas strike in South London seems to be approaching a crisis, as it has already done in Salford and Manchester, would it not seem advisable for manufacturers and suppliers of electric lighting portable plant to be prepared for lighting the public streets, if rendered necessary to do so by insufficiency of gas? Cable might be strung pro tem. from lamp-post to lamp-post with intermediate supports where required, the electric lights fixed inside the lamp-post glasses, and the whole supplied with current by portable dynamos, or, better still, by dynamos driven by steam-engines on the spot, such as would be found in saw mills, &c. The public would undoubtedly be pleased with the light that came to the rescue, and the comparison between gas and electric lighting would be more strongly brought into notice than ever.-DE MIEUX A MIEUX."

Edinburgh Electrical Exhibition, 1890.-The Brush Electrical Engineering Company, Limited, of 112, Belvedere Road, Lambeth, has secured the contract for the whole of the arc lighting at the forthcoming Edinburgh Exhibition. The lighting will be effected by means of about 350 Brush arc lamps each of 2,000 nominal candle-power run in series from Brush dynamo machines.

Institution of Electrical Engineers. The last students' meeting of the present session took place on Friday evening last, Mr. Gisbert Kapp occupying the chair. A paper was read on "Electric Traction by Mr. A. E. Childs, the discussion being maintained by the chairman, Messrs. Barton, Muir, and Poynton. After Mr. Childs's reply, a vote of thanks to Mr. Kapp terminated the proceedings.

Telegraph School. The Roumanian Directoire General of Telegraphs has lately founded an electrotechnical institute for the purpose of educating pupils for the telegraphic service of Roumania.

Electricity in an Emergency.-In consequence of the serious strike amongst the gas employés in Manchester, and the total failure of the gas supply, the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company decided to light their Victoria Station, which is the largest in Manchester, with the electric light, and, in order to show how quickly the work was done, within 6 hours of the time the order was given, the most important platforms were lighted, and the whole station was brilliantly lighted with about 250 incandescent and a few arc lamps within 36 hours, and yet the current had to be conveyed for about a quarter of a mile, and all the necessary circuits had to be run. The whole of the work was carried out by the company's telegraph and electric light staff, there being only about ten men on the work. The new light gives entire satisfaction, and has been running day and night for a week, and steps are being taken to have the light fixed permanently, the public being so well pleased with what has been done.

Opposition to the Central Railway.-The tradesmen of Oxford Street are opposing the new scheme. Meetings have been held protesting against the railway.

An Electric Light Company for Fareham.-A local company has been formed, and it is said shares are being taken up rapidly.

Chatham and Rochester Electric Light Company.The second annual report of the Chatham, Rochester, &c., Electric Lighting Company, says that although unable to show a profit out of which to declare a dividend, it is now felt assured that the business is established on a commercially sound, and fairly remunerative footing. Quite two-thirds of the lights have been applied for, and are now installed, and as orders are still coming in, it is hoped by the end of the year that the remainder will be disposed of. A change has taken place in the management of the works by the resignation of Mr. Parker and the appointment of Mr. A. Maund.

The Reported Cable Split.-It was stated on Monday by a London daily that the Anglo-American Cable Company had disagreed with the Western Union Company, and that the former intended working alone. According to the officials of the Anglo Company, this statement is utterly without foundation.

Killing by Electricity.-The Daily Press report another death from contact with an electric wire in New York. The post-mortem examinations in the recent cases of death caused by electric wires have thrown much light upon the obscure pathology of such a death. In the above case, burns upon the palm of the hand showed that the current entered through the nippers used to cut the wire. The exit was disclosed by burns upon the forearm where it rested upon another wire. Although the direct path was scarcely one foot long, yet the heart and lungs showed numerous hæmorrhagic punctures, characteristic of death by electricity. The autopsy in the instance of the show-case accident, recently telegraphed, traces the death to an ill-made boot. Burns upon the foot directed attention to the chafing by a nail, which protruded through both sides of the sole, thus furnishing a metal contact with the iron grating. The popular alarm feeds upon such details, which appear to bring death within the circle of any one's daily life.

The Use of Electromotors in Germany.-Industries says: The use of electromotors for various purposes is making a satisfactory headway in Germany, especially for driving small printing presses, paint mills, and coffee roasters. Another use for the electromotor has been found in driving ventilators on shipboard from the same source of energy as is used for generating the current for the electric lights. The firm of Kummer & Co., of Dresden, have made a speciality of this type of apparatus.

[DECEMBER 13, 1889.

Presentation to Mr. MacIver.-A musical soirée, presentation, and ball took place on Tuesday evening (7 ult.), at the Manchester Athenæum, to commemorate the recent marriage of Mr. Kenneth MacIver, manage of the Manchester district of the National Telephone Company, Limited. There was a large gathering of officials of the company and friends. After a pleasan programme of music had been gone through, the presentation of a gold repeater hunting watch to Mr. MacIver, and a pearl and diamond ring and a silver tea service to Mrs. MacIver, was made by Mr. H. P Hughes, on behalf of the staff and business friends. He pointed out that Mr. MacIver was generally understood to have the longest record of any telephone official in the United Kingdom; and, as regarded Lancashire and Cheshire, he had been identified with every step in the progress of the telephone during the past 10 years. His individuality had left a permanent impress upon the form or mould of telephony in this important district. To illustrate the commercial development of the tele phone during late years he might mention that there were now somewhere about 11,000 miles of telephone wires in Lancashire and Cheshire, about 5,000 being in the Manchester district alone. The total number of messages passing through the Manchester switch-room alone was about 9 millions per annum, and no fewer than about one million of these represented message between towns. The subscribers and business friends held Mr. MacIver in high esteem, and there was a bond of friendship between the manager and the staff. As practical embodiment of the kindly appreciation and good will entertained towards Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth MacIver he had been deputed to make that presentation to them. Mr. MacIver briefly returned thanks on behalf of himself and his wife.

A New Cell. It is said that Mr. Edison has perfected a new cell for telegraphic use which possesses some remarkable points in its favour. A cylinder of zinc, and inside this a thick stick of caustic soda in water constitutes the cell. It is claimed to have an internal resistance of only 0.025 ohm, and permits a discharge of 15 ampères, with an inappreciable loss by local action: an E.M.F. of about one volt, and to be free from polarisation, and never needs cleaning. These are very wide claims, and if they are substantiated in practice, the cell will have an extensive field of usefulnessNew York Electrical Review.

DECEMBER 13, 1889.]

675

tuted." This was confirmed on the 27th ult., and was filed 5th inst. The alteration relates to the numbering of the founders' shares.

Northern Electric Wire and Cable Manufacturing Company, Limited. The statutory return of this company, made up to November 12th, was filed on the 5th inst. The nominal capital is £20,000 in £5 shares; 1,462 shares are taken up, 660 of which are considered fully paid. Upon 802 shares the sum of £1 108. per share has been called, the calls paid amounting to £942, and unpaid to £261. Registered office, Square Road, Halifax.

Woodhouse and Rawson United, Limited.—The statutory return of this company, made up to the 26th ult., was filed on the 5th inst. The nominal capital is £350,000 divided into 40,000 ordinary and 30,000 preference shares of £5 each. 27,651 ordinary and 16,858 preference shares have been taken up, and £2 103. per share has been called upon the former and £3 108. per share upon 12,458 of the latter, 4,400 shares being considered fully paid. The calls paid amount to £93,780, and unpaid to £10,606. Registered office, 88, Queen Victoria Street.

Cambridge University and Town Electric Lighting Company. Limited.-The statutory return of this company, made up to the 2nd ult., was filed on the 23rd ult. Only 7 shares are at present taken up, upon which no call has been made. Registered office, 2, St. Mary's Passage, Cambridge.

NEW COMPANY REGISTERED.

Morris Brothers, Limited. - Capital, £5,000 in £1 mares. Objects: To purchase and continue the busiess of electricians and general scientific apparatus manufacturers carried on by Messrs. Morris Bros., at Hartington Works, Branston Street, Birmingham. To ontract for the erection and supply of artificial illuination, signals, and cognate undertakings, and to hake and sell steam and other engines, plant, machinery, instruments, articles and ingredients elating to any such business. Signatories (with 1 share ach): W. R. Morris (electrician), 246, Wheeler Street; Vm. Canning, Handsworth; Timothy Morris (electriian), Lozells; Oliver Morris, Lozells; F. Simmons, 8, St. Paul's Square, all in Birmingham; E. Powell, Harborne, Stafford. Registered 5th inst. by Messrs. Kerly, Son and Verden, 14, Great Winchester Street.

OFFICIAL RETURNS OF ELECTRICAL

COMPANIES.

Electric Arms and Ammunition Syndicate, Limited. -An agreement of 9th October, filed on the 23rd ult., provides for the purchase by this company from the American Electric Arms and Ammunition Company, f New York, of certain European patents relating to lectrie guns, cartridges and primers, for the sum of 23,500, payable £2,500 in cash, and £21,000 in fully aid shares of the syndicate. An agreement of 20th lt., filed 23rd ult., confirms the previous agreement. Registered office, 6, York Buildings, Adelphi.

Electric Wiring and Fittings Company, Limited.An agreement of 22nd ult., filed on the 23rd ult., cites hat the company undertakes to allot to Messrs. Latimer Clark, Muirhead & Co., Limited, or their nominees, ,500 fully paid shares of £1 each. Registered office, 2, Duke Street, St. James's, S.W.

Notting Hill Electric Company, Limited.-An exraordinary meeting of the company was held 12th ult. t 9, Austin Friars, when the following resolution was uly passed :-"That in Article 5 of the Articles of Asso. ciation the figures 9,548 in the fifth line of the said Article be struck out, and the figures 9,458 be substi

I. That the council be requested to place themselves in communication with the councils of the following bodies :-The Institution of Civil Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Iron and Steel Institute, and the Institution of Naval Architects, with a view to the five institutions organising themselves somewhat on the lines of the British Association, having a general council representative of all five bodies, each body, however, retaining its autonomy.

II. That the council be requested to take into consideration the advisability of instituting voluntary examinations, and issuing certificates of competency as electrical engineers to those who pass such examinations with success.

The current year has seen the change of the Society of Telegraph Engineers and Electricians into that of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, involving as its idea the alteration of a Society having as its original aim mutual enlightenment and advancement into a body having a semi-public standing. The first resolution seems to us to be a further extension of this, inasmuch as it proposes to ally the Institution of Electrical Engineers, kindred societies, with that of the Civil Engineers, which is a body having by virtue of its Royal Charter a definite public standing. The idea of such an amalgamation is not new, having been proposed some years ago by the late Sir W. Siemens, whose scheme of the Hall of Applied Sciences will be in the recollection of most of our readers.

The matter then fell through, we believe, from the difficulty of finding a common basis on which the standing of the members of the separate bodies could be defined. This is now apparently attempted to be met by the second resolution, which obviously aims at inserting the thin end of the wedge for the establishment of a close corporation. Voluntary will soon become compulsory examinations, shortly to be followed by application for Parliamentary powers to enforce the validity of their diplomas and prevent unqualified persons from recovering fees, as in the case of the medical and legal professions.

This, we believe, to be an absolutely mischievous idea, even if it were possible to be realised, which we deny in toto. Mischievous, because in a profession like that of electrical engineering, an examination held to-day upon which a diploma might be granted would form no criterion of proficiency-say, five years hence. Mischievous again, because we utterly disbelieve that any examination can, in the present state of the science, be framed which would enable the examining body to decide whether the candidate was or was not a competent engineer; and because it must often happen that the candidate is a thoroughly competent man in some branch of which the examiners are absolutely ignorant.

The professorial element already has too great a share in the management and conduct of the business and meetings of the

Fstitution, and if this resolution passes the Institution will soon Br develop into an assemblage of examiners and mere "examination passers," whilst the genuine engineer will be absent. By all means let the admission to the society rest on something more than it does at present, and let the standard be raised for the members and associates by insisting on their having been engaged, with credit to themselves, in some substantial engineering work, and then no examinations will be necessary to give members of the body a status, and the other institutions will be more ready to listen to a suggestion of amalgamation.

We trust that the Institution, as a body, did not endorse the ideas involving a close corporation by agreeing at four days' notice to the resolutions recited above, more particularly to the second of them.

CITY NOTES, REPORTS, MEETINGS, &c.

The Gülcher (New) Electric Light and Power
Company, Limited,

The directors in their report state they are now able to present to the shareholders the first balance sheet for the twelve months ending June 30th, 1889, of the reconstructed Gülcher Company. The shareholders are already so well acquainted with the conditions of the reconstruction of the company that the balance-sheet calls for but few observations.

Although the agreement for sale by the liquidator of the old company was signed on February 23rd, 1888, the new company was unable to complete its purchase until August 31st, 1888, and therefore, had been on June 30th, 1889, in existence as an actually, trading company for ten months only.

The second debentures were issued to enable the company to carry out the lighting of the City of Wellington, New Zealand. The value at which the New Zealand contract is assessed in the balance-sheet is the actual cost price expended in time and materials on June 30th, 1889.

The central stations at Wellington were finished in the month of September last, and the public lighting has proved to be thoroughly satisfactory. The commercial success of this undertaking will depend entirely upon the ability of the company to provide capital for private lighting. The directors have laid down plant capable of distributing the current to the remotest parts of the City, and with a comparatively small further outlay a remunerative revenue could be obtained.

The directors propose to carry forward the surplus appearing to credit on the balance-sheet.

Particulars of other contracts undertaken and carried out during last year will be supplied at the general meeting, when a detailed profit and loss account will also be submitted to the shareholders. Several alterations have taken place in the board of directors since the 23rd February, 1888, but all the directors on the board at present are original directors of the company.

This being the first general meeting of the company, all the directors retire, but, being eligible, offer themselves for re-election. The directors having appointed Mr. Russell Day, formerly secretary of the Gülcher Company, to investigate, on their behalf, the accounts involved in the transfer of the Gülcher Company's business to them, decided to appoint him to audit the first balancesheet and profit and loss accounts. It will be for the shareholders to appoint an auditor or auditors for the ensuing year.

Balance sheet to June 30th, 1889, is as follows:-Dr. Capital issued, £12,241 19. 4d. ; to Six per Cent. (1st) Mortgage Debentures, £8,000; to Ten per Cent. (2nd) Mortgage Debentures, £8,862 10s.; to bills payable, £2,375 59. 10d.; to creditors (trade debts, interest on debentures to date, rent, rates, and taxes, law costs, &c.), £3,675 10s. 5d.; to National Provincial Bank, £789 193. 11d.; balance, £405 138. 10d.; total, £36,350 18. 4d. Cr.: By preliminary expenses (less written off), £800; by plant as valued, £6,726 39. 1d.; by stock as valued (at works and in London), 89 valued (at agents' in England), £15,961 133.; by stock £1,151 19. 3d.; by stock, plant, machinery, and buildings (at cost), being installation in Wellington, New Zealand, £9,598 18s. 8d; by trade debtors and bills receivable, £2,054 183. 5d.; by cash in hand, £56 88. 11d.; total, £36,350 1s. 4d.

Fowler-Waring Cables Company.

THE statutory meeting of this company was held at Winchester House on Friday last, Mr. Wm. Fowler in the chair.

The Secretary having read the notice convening the meeting, The Chairman said: They were aware that the meeting was merely a formal one. Immediately the company was formed the first point they had to consider was where should they proceed to work, to arrange for procuring machinery and the other things necessary for the work of the company. It was decided, if possible, to commence in London, and after a great deal of enquiry they found a place on the Thames at North Woolwich, formerly used by Mr. Henley, a great maker of cable, some few years ago. In Mr. Henley's time he visited the works, and when it was suggested that they would be suitable he thought so too. They had been secured on very favourable terms, and the company had made a most

[DECEMBER 13, 1889.

excellent bargain. Of course it would cost something to place the buildings in condition, but that would not be a very serious matter. The buildings were substantial and grand in their way, if he might be allowed such an expression. In his opinion if the whole were bought it would not exceed the amount which would have to be paid for erection. The machinery, to some extent, was already on the place, engines and boilers were up, and that very day the shafts were turning round. Early next year, in his belief, they would be in a position to take orders there for cables. As the shareholders were aware from the prospectus they had not been without business, because under the arrangement with John Fowler and Co., of Leeds, they would receive certain profits on the business. As that firm had been very busy making cables ever since the formation of the company, they were practically earning money now. Although cautious in making promises or prophecies he expressed his confidence in the company being a real success, and believed that they had got hold of a business which would be very satisfactory to the shareholders. He repeated that no time had been lost in endeavouring to set to work, and they were likely to do so practically within four months from the formation of the company. They could not very well have done more, and it was only by the accident of finding a place ready that he was able to make that statement.

Mr. Potter said cables were being used in Leeds similar to their own, this fact was rather alarming to shareholders, who thought they enjoyed a monopoly.

Mr. Eddison (engineer) said the cables used in Leeds had been supplied from Chicago to the National Telephone Company. Those cables, however, were drawn through leaden pipes, while the Fowler-Waring cables were covered with lead. He might say that the National Telephone Company had placed with them an extensive order for Leeds.

The Chairman said, had there been any question of infringement, they would soon have been down on the infringer.

An extraordinary meeting was then held for the alteration of certain words in the articles of association, which concluded the business.

TRAFFIC RECEIPTS.

The Brazilian Submarine Telegraph Company, Limited. The tramo receipts for the week ended 6th December, 1889, amounted to £4 944.

The Western and Brazilian Telegraph Company, Limited. The traffic resta tor the week ending December 6th, 1889, after deducting the fifth of the gro receipts payable to the London Platino-Brazilian Telegraph Company Limited, were £3,63%.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND ELECTRIC LIGHTING.

Ar the meeting, last Tuesday, of the London County Council (Lord Rosebery in the chair), Mr. C. Harrison moved for, and obtained leave to introduce, the London Subways and Overhead Wires Bill, the heads of which were agreed to in October last.

The following report of the Highways Committee was agreed to without discussion:

"1. Your committee have considered a letter from the Board of Trade forwarding a copy of the regulations and conditions which the Roard proposes to issue under the provisions of Section 10 f the South Kensington Electric Lighting Order, 1889, for securing the safety of the public and for ensuring a proper and sufficient supply of electrical energy. The Board requests that any observations which the Council may have to offer with reference to these regulations and conditions may be sent in at the earliest possible moment; and your committee, having received and considered a report on the subject by Mr. T. P. Gunyon, of the engineer's department, are of opinion that there are a few points upon which it is desirable that the Council should suggest to the Board of Trade that some slight modifications should be made They therefore recommend-That a letter suggesting these midfications be sent to the Board of Trade.

"2. Your committee have had before them an application from the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company for permission to run a service cable, in wood casing, from the company's main in the subway in Northumberland Avenue along the wall of the Grand Hotel lateral, for the purpose of supplying electricity to the ships under the hotel. Your committee see no objection to this, pro vided that proper precautions be taken for securing the rights f the Council with reference to the subway; and they there! re recommend:-That the sanction of the Council be given to the laying by the Metropolitan Electric Supply Company, of a servix cable from the main in Northumberland Avenue subway to the shops under the Grand Hotel, subject to the condition that the work shall be carried out, and that any damage which may be done to the subway shall be made good, under the supervision and to the satisfaction of the proper officers of the Council and at the sole cost of the company; and further, that the company, bet re commencing the work, do give an undertaking, to be prepared t the solicitor, to pay such an annual amount for rent for the use the subway as may be settled by agreement, or, in case of differ

ence, by arbitration."