^uly l?, 1886





The  Record  and  Guide.





919





An Automatic Heat Regulator.

A few days ago a representative of The Record and Guide examined
the principle of what is known as the electro pneumatic valve invented by
W. S. Johnson and which is now in operation by the National Electric
Service Company, No. 686 Broadway. The apparatus is nothing more nor
less than a self-acting electric register which is so applied as to make the
deshed temperature of a room stationary at the option of the occupant.
The apparatus can be applied to any kind of furnace or to steam coils, and
can be operated at will by night or day. If it be desired to maintain a
temperature of say 70 degrees the doors of the furnace in the basement
are so connected by electric current that the slightest deviation from the
precise amount of heat needed can at once be ascertained and rectified.
The temperature is controlled by an electric valve working in connection
with a thermostal, which resembles an ordinary thermometer in appear¬
ance, although differing from it in detail. When the desired temperature
is reached the circuit is closed by the valve and the excess of heat is shut
off. The apparatus appears so exceedingly simple that it requires but Uttle
attention. The invention can be applied to large buildings as to private
houses, and in addition to an agreeable uniformity of temperature it is also
claimed that a saving of from 12 to 20 per cent, in fuel is effected.





Bay Windows.

" Subscriber " is informed that the law in relation to the erection of bay
windows was published in The Record and Guide, May 15,1886, page 640.





The World of Business.

In tbe Great Wheat Fields.

It is seasonable to take a glance at the wheat crop of the United States
and of the world, so as to get a notion of their magnitude and meaning.
First let us note our own crop, as to its extent and what becomes ot it. We
should not take the crop of 1885, for that was much less than the average,
that one having been in round numbers 357,000.000 against 513,000,ti00
bushels in 1884:. We should take, rather, an average of the last five years,
including say 1881 to 1885. This shows the average annual production to
be 435,685,524 bush(jls; the proportion of this used at home for food being
2.57,249 962 bushels; the annual exportation, 116,161,494 bushels; the quan¬
tity retained as seed for the next crop, 53,882,084; thus leaving an annual
average remainder of 8,391,984 bushels unaccounted for. From that show¬
ing it will be observed that the wheat crop grown in the United States
amounts to between seven and eight bushels a head for every man, woman
and child; that the proportion actually consumed here as food amounts to
between four and five bushels for every person in our population, old and
young; that the proportion exported to foreign countries is somewhat (but
not a great deal) more than one bushel out of four, or about a quarter of the
whole crop; and that about one bushel out of every eight bushels grown has
to be retained as seed to plant for the next year's crop. These facts are
important as well as extremely interesting, and, while we have given
the precise figures as to the millions of bushels in the aggre¬
gate and in the several divisions of the distribution, we have
given short round figures easy to remember as to the bushels
grown per head of population, the bushels per head consumed and
the proportion of bushels kept for seed. Most of our people know, or think
they know, that our country is the greatest wheat growing country in the
world. They are right about that, but if asked to name what country is
the next greatest wheat grower, many even among the most intelligent
would be bothered to furnish an answ«^r. Some well informed persons
would say Russia, othei"S quite well posted up with late markets would say
India, but it would only be a scattering man or woman here and there who
would say France. But such as named France would be right, for that
country in 1886 came with her 313,000,000 of bushels next after ttie United
States, India (whose figures for 1885 we have not) was probably next, and
Russia next, with 209,000,000 bushels. Although the United States is the
greatest wheat producer, it is not the greatest wheat consumer per capita
of population. As already stated the wheat consumed as food in our
country averages between four and five bushels for each person, old and
young; but in France the consumption is estimated to reach nine bushels a
year for every man, woman and child. This looks to be encrmous, averag¬
ing, as it would, from a pound to a pound and a half of wheaten bread a
day for every person of every age. We may be excused for doubting the
accuracy of the estimate. The French, it is true, are great bread eaters,
aud have no such variety and abundance of other farinaceous and animal
foods as we have, yet still we may take a large pinch of saltltoan average of
a pound and a half of wheat bread every day for the French babies as well
as the adult workers in the field, the shop and the mine. Exclusive of the
crops of Asiatic Russia and China, the world's wheat product for 1885 is
set down at about 2,110,0u0,000, of which our country supplies about one-
fifth. Continental Europe grows as much as is needed for consumption
there, with an average surplus for stiipment, though not large. Great
Britain consumes far more than she grows, and it is to supply the shortage
there that in most years the United States, India, Russia, South America
and other regions contend in the Liverpool market. There is and has been
a great glut there, and that's what's the matter with the price of wheat
there and here.—Philadelphia Ledger.

England's Silver Trouble.

The action of the British and Colonial Chambers of Commerce Wednes¬
day night in passing a resolution by a decisive majority in favor of the
lemonetization of silver, is a marked evidence of the growicg strength of
the movement in England. It is rather a curious circumstance that accord¬
ing to the cable reports the chief opposition to the passage of the resolution
came from East Indian merchants, who argued that the depreciation of
silver would flnaUy ruin the wheat and cotton industries of this country
and build up those of India. The decline of silver has indeed stimulated
exports from India, since, as that country is on a silver basis, the decline
of the currency is reflected in rising prices for the commodities of trade,
thus encouraging producers by giving them what appears to be a rising
market. Inasmuch as the balance of trade between India and England
must be settled with the latter in gold, the totality of Indian interests, how¬
ever, suffers by the state of affairs. For one thing the finances of India are
sorely distressed by it, the loss on exchange in the last fiscal year being
$■^,185,000. The last budget statement of the Indian government was a
prolonged wail over the fall in the value of silver. " It is fruitless," it was
declared, "to persist in economics or to devise sources of increase in our rev¬
enue, if the result of economy, prudence, taxation alike disappear in the great
gulf of exchange." English interest in the silver question is not confined to
the East India trade. The agitation is general and active, and the sUver ques¬
tion is being more vehemently discussed in England than in this or any other
country. When our government was endeavoring to secure international
concert of action in regard to the matter, England held aloof, not at all
displeased to see our currency values unsettled by the decline of sUver, Its
own currency being on the gold basis exclusively, the supposition was that
lb would ba safe from biie pirpiexicies t&ib had befallen countries where
bimifcallism had prevailed.   The truth of the matter was that the action of





Continental Europe and the United States in maintaining silver in mone¬
tary use, was what had given stabUity to its own monetary unit. The
imitation by other countries of its example in making gold the exclusive
standard deranged values the world over, and England, as a centre of pro¬
ductive industry, has been the chief sufferer. The fact that since 1873
prices have declined 25 per cent, shows how great and paralyzing has been
the strain. The appreciation of gold stUl continues, and the enhancement of
its purchasing power will be refiected in further decline of prices. The
industrial interests now clearly perceive the causes of the stricture from
which they suffer, and the British government cannot long shut its ears to
their loud complaints. When a movement for international action on the
problem is made again, England will give it a different reception from
what it did before.—Pittsburg Commercial Gazette.

Tbe Natural Gas Question.

At the rate capital is going into enterprises for developing and supplying
natural gas it would seem that sagacious capitalists regard it no longer as
a problem, either as to its stability or the demand for it in the future.
What they are going to do with all the gas, is a natural inquiry.
Almost any one of the present operating companies hereabouts could sup¬
ply Pittsburg for some time yet. There being half a dozen companies, all
expanding or preparing to expand, of course the capitaUsts who have put
their money into them expect a market elsewhere. Doubtless before
embarking in the business they saw their way clear. N( r is it strange
that they should have grounds of confidence. Only the first lesson in the
business has been taught, and indifferently at that. And it can be said
that experience has in every instance increased rather than diminished
confidence. Sagacious men of business doubtless contemplate other mar¬
kets than Pittsburg, the transporting of the strange and almost magic
fuel long distances for a market. They have faith, and a strong enough one
to put in their money by the millions. The history of the discovery and
development of natural gas points out the analogy between it and oil in
some interesting particulars. At first oil was carried comparatively short
distances, as gas is conveyed now, and finally long distances, as it seems
probably gas will eventually be. Competing gas companies even now are
pushing their pipe lines considerable distances, and the problem bids fair,
while theorists are bothering themselves about different ways and means to
solve itself. Certain we are there are those who are confident of the long piping
of gas, even to the sea-shore, supplying intermediate places in the operation.
The demand for gas as fuel in Pittsburg and the immediate surroundings is
constantly increasing, and, paradoxically as it may seem, .that which to-day
is hardly sufficient is liliely to supply this increasing demand. The import¬
ance of less wastefulness is felt. There probably never was such waste¬
fulness seen on earth as has attended the development of this mysterious
agency to man from the depths of the earth. It has seemed a sacrUege the
way it has been permitted to go to waste. The future will see less of it—
there is less now—and a reasonable economy of an element which all the
world beside would bid high to possess, will become the rule. It is obvious
that an increased consumption of gas will depend on new manufactori(ts
and the enlargement of present ones. We run no risk in predicting both.
Already we have the proof that in both respects there is early to be a
reasonable realization; and one may say, also, that it wUl be at a cheap¬
ening of the fuel's cost in the economy of its use, and the rate at which it is
furnished. In this discussion natural gas has been considered only as fuel.
As an illuminant its importance in the future cannot be questioned. In
this respect it may equal its importance as fuel. It is to be observed that
at no time since its discovery has natural gas in any respect disappointed its
users. The storing and transporting of this new element is a problem of
great magnitude. It is the next step in dealing with this great agency
given to man for his use in development and civUization. It would seem
that those who are putting their millions into natural gas companies had
looked into the question and were satisfied.—Pittsburg Times.

The Age of Gold.

There is a rage, it seems, in New York for government bonds. No won¬
der. They draw steady interest; the man who holds them evades pay¬
ing taxes on so much of his fortune as is invested in them; there is every
present prospect that the debt will ba made perpetual if those in power can
make it so; why should there not be a demand for them? But if it is a
good investment for the citizen why should it not be for the government ?
If the money in the treasury was to be used in calling them in, the interest-
bearing debt would be reduced one-fourth; the credit of the government
would be strengthened; there would be at least $350,000,000, now lying
idle, which would be put in active circulation, and capital to that amount,
instead of drawing interest from the public, would be forced to bear its
proportion of the burdens of the government. It is not quite the thing for
the bonds of a country like ours to be in better demand than any other
form of property. It shows clearer than anything else that capital is con¬
trolling legislation, and that the plan of making the many work for the few
is the one which now has the call. There are still fields to cultivate, miaea
to open, ships to build; with all our resources there area million of stalwart
men who are idle; we have no fiag on the sea, no footing in foreign lands;
but capital turns from all these fields and prefers to take for its
gold some bits of paper with the stamp of the government upon
it, because that paper secures a steady income, and because, as
property ia steadily falling, the money thus invested increases in
purchasing power so much that the man who holds bonds not only
evades taxes and secures a steady interest, but is able after Ave years to
purchase twice as much property with his money as he could have pur¬
chased when he bought the bonds. But this will have to stop after awhile,
because the men who work are losing too much. California expects to
harvest this year 60,000,000 bushels of wheat, but she does not expect to
realize as much for the crop as when she harvested only 40,000,000. The
Ontario mine is suffering a loss, through discount on silver, of probably
$1,000 per day, and this has been brought on the country while it still owes
an interest-bearing debt of $1,300,000,000, which the original creditors
bought at a discount of from 20 to 50 per cent., and agreed to take their
pay in coin, which meant gold or silver, as the debtor might elect. Under
such injustice as this the people will one of these days become tired. They
should be right now, and should demand a new deal and ask that, inasmuch
as the course of England, Germany and the Netherlands has placed too
heavy a burden upon our gold, our country should change its basis and
make the first unit of value established by the fathers—the 412>^ grain
silver dollar, the unit now. Then men would seek investments in property
instead of government bonds, and such prosperity would follow as always
comes when the business of the people is to carry on a nation's work and not
to change all the working capital of a coimtry to the fixed capital column.—
Salt Lake Tribune.

European and American Coal Supply.

Among the interesting statements furnished to the English Parlia¬
mentary Committee on depression of trade is that by Sir Lowthian Bell, on
.the coal supply. The area of the known coal fields of England is about
8,000 square miles. The production in Durham county, where the coke is
made, is over 29,000,000 tons a year on the average, and it is manifest that
the field will not long continue to yield so large a supply, A comparison
is then made with the enormous coal area of the United States, and the
advantage which Pittsburg has in natm-al gas. France imports about ten
milUon tons of coal a year, which is about one-half the amount of her pro¬
duction, Belgium exports about four and a-half miUiou tons of coal and
a miUion of coke, and nearly all of it to Prance. Mr, Bell gives the price
of coal at the pit in Belgium as $1.78 and $2.57, according to quaUty, which
is much the same as the price in Prance. In Westphalia, in 1882, he was
told that the price at the pit was $1.29    "Westphalia may therefore be