Flash-point agitation. excluded. The terms "mineral oil" and "mineral spirit" were substituted for "high-test" and "lowtest" petroleum, the dividing line being, as before, a flash-point of 73° F. (Abel). Mineral spirit in quantity above three gallons was only to be kept under licence, but mineral oil, with an exemption of sixty gallons, might be kept either under licence or under registration; the rules to be observed and the quantities to be kept in the latter case being laid down in the Bill. A table regulating the relation between quantity kept and distance from protected works appeared as a Schedule. In the case of licences, certain general rules to be observed were laid down, but power was given to the local authority to impose additional conditions. The Bill also contained a sort of instruction to local authorities not to be too hard on places which had been licensed under the Act of 1871, in cases where such places did not strictly conform with the new requirements. The expressions "depôt" and "tank depôt" were rigidly defined, the definitions in the former case being framed so as to provide against outflow, while the tank forming a tank-depôt was to be constructed in accordance with a specification laid down by the Secretary of State. The Schedule containing the description and instructions for use of the testing apparatus was fuller and more accurate than in the Act of 1879, and a table of corrections for barometric pressure was added. The remainder of the Bill was on the same lines as that of 1883, but it was even longer and more elaborate than the latter, and contained in all seventy-one clauses. Up to this time there had been no suggestion that the standard should be altered, but in 1892 the Scottish oil producers commenced an agitation with a view to inducing the Government to raise the flash-point. According to the evidence given by the general manager of one of the Scottish Oil Companies, before the Select Committee of 1894, action had not been previously taken in this direction owing to the existence of an understanding between the Scottish and American trades, by which the latter undertook to keep down the production of paraffin wax, on condition that the question of altering the standard of flashpoint in this country was not raised.* In 1894 a Select Committee of the House of Commons Select Committees was appointed, and after having taken a certain amount of 1894 to of evidence, recommended that the Committee should 1898 be re-appointed. In 1896 this was done, and the Committee which sat during that year and was again re-appointed in the following year, made their report in 1898. It is impossible within the limits of this chapter to do more than glance at the immense amount of evidence collected by these Committees, though this evidence has been extensively made use of in other parts of this volume. The statements of several of the witnesses were directed to showing the deficiencies in the existing law in regard to petroleum, and much valuable evidence on this point was supplied by the late Sir Vivian Majendie, who also furnished records of accidents which have occurred. The necessity of legislating for petroleum above the legal flash-point was very fully considered, as also the form which such legislation should take. One group of witnesses sought to prove by their evidence that accidents would be largely or entirely prevented by the simple expedient of raising the flashpoint to 100° F. (Abel). The question of defects in the construction of lamps was entered into very fully, and some witnesses attri * Select Committee 1894. Question 597 et seq. K Mr. Reckitt's buted the majority of lamp accidents to these defects. Representatives of the lamp trades were heard, and some of them admitted that the construction of lamps should be improved. The views of municipal authorities were heard, as also those of the coroners of England. In general it may be said that the evidence represented almost every interest concerned. It need hardly be said, therefore, that the most conflicting opinions were expressed. Had the Committee been able to present a unanimous Report, such Report would have been of immense value, and would have cleared up the whole question once for all. However, so far from the Report being a unanimous one, the Committee were almost equally divided for and against every recommendation. Indeed, whether any particular recommendation was put forward or not appears to have depended almost entirely on the number of members who happened to be present. As a consequence of this the Report contains contradictions, and is of very little value or guidance to the Government in framing fresh legislation. In one part of the Report the Committee recommend that the flash-point should be raised to 100° F. (Abel), while in another they report strongly against such a measure. They recommend legislation based on the lines of the Bill of 1891 in regard to all oils, and statutory powers to be given to the Secretary of State to make regulations as to the manufacture and sale of lamps. They further suggest that steps should be taken to spread information among the public as to the nature of petroleum and the management of lamps. In the following Session a private Bill was introduced by Mr. Reckitt, a member of the Committee, to raise the legal flash-point to 100° F. (Abel). This Bill was rejected on its second reading by a large majority in a full House. The amount of "lobbying" which had taken place on this occasion was such as to induce Mr. Healy, in a humorous speech, to express wonder whether "all this was pure philanthropy." Meanwhile a Government Bill had been prepared in which an attempt was made to meet some of the more prominent requirements, but as yet there has been no opportunity of introducing it. This brings the somewhat remarkable history of petroleum legislation up to the present date. In the main, it is a history of laborious attempt and discouraging failure. Committee after Committee have sat; volumes of evidence have been given and recorded; Bill after Bill has been prepared, only to be thrown aside; so that truly it may be said that, in the number of its failures, petroleum legislation rivals the Bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife's sister. CHAPTER VIII. Petroleum 1881. EXISTING LEGISLATION RELATING TO PETROLEUM THE law in regard to petroleum in force at the present Acts, 1871 to time is contained in the Petroleum Acts of 1871, 1879, and 1881. For convenience of reference these Acts, together with some explanatory notes, have been printed in Appendix II., the Act of 1879 being incorporated with that of 1871. In the existing legislation there is no prohibition of the importation, keeping, sale, or use of any particular description of petroleum, nor, with one exception, is there any restriction whatever which applies to mineral oils-i.e., petroleum above the legal flash-point. The Acts merely impose certain restrictions on the importation, storage, and sale of petroleum spirit flashing below 73° F. (Abel). The fact that oils sold for use in ordinary lamps are always above this flash-point, has led some persons to suppose that the sale of petroleum spirit for this purpose is prohibited by law, whereas in reality this is only an incidental effect. At the present time there is little difference in price between oil and spirit, so that naturally the majority of traders stock only such oils as they are able to keep and sell without restriction. It is not impossible, however, that at some future time, owing either to alteration in the law or to other circumstances, this condition of things might be largely modified. Petroleum spirit not prohibited for use in lamps. If, for instance, it were found that either a better or much cheaper illuminant could be produced below |