the meters fixed and removed on the forms shown in Forms 33, 34, on pp. 419, 420. These forms, after being initialled by the Chief Engineer, are passed on to the Secretary together with the Works Order cards, and, the information required for the books of his department having been abstracted, they are returned to the Chief Engineer and filed away.

It will be observed that, from the moment the application is received to the time the supply is turned on, and all particulars of the transaction are entered up in the books of the various departments, every new consumer, or the additional requirements of an old one, is represented by a concrete card which has to go through a definite routine, and which cannot well be forgotten or overlooked. The importance of this, in practice, in preventing confusion and mistakes is very great.

So much for the connection of the consumer's installations. When it becomes necessary to disconnect one, a Works Order to do so is issued. This is of such a size as to fit into the construction Works Order card, and is pink to distinguish it. This card is reproduced in Form 69, p. 465.

The installation is inspected from time to time by the 'fuse cleaners.' These consist of an intelligent youth who can make a simple test and a skilled labourer; these between them clean all the Undertakers' apparatus fixed on the consumers' premises, renew the fuses (if necessary) and test whether the insulation is good, try whether the meter will start properly, go over all the contacts to see that they are tight, see that the meters and fuses are sealed properly, test the insulation resistance of the consumer's installation, and count his lamps to see that no unauthorised alterations have been made. The results of all these tests are recorded on a card which is reproduced in Form 26, p. 410.

If the lamps have been altered in number, the alteration is reported on the daily connection or disconnection sheets as the case may be.

If the insulation resistance be found to be below the standard fixed by the Board of Trade, the installation is cut off within twenty-four hours, the notice, Form 22, p. 407, having been served on the consumer.

If a consumer make a complaint as to the supply, the Chief Engineer issues the notice reproduced in Form 27, p. 411, to the Installation Inspector, who fully examines into the matter and reports to the Chief Engineer. A register is kept of all complaints made and of the Inspector's reports ther con (see p. 412).

If a consumer dispute his account, a note is issued to the Installation Inspector informing him of the nature of the objection, accompanied by particulars of the account; this form (see p. 413) is filled in and returned by the Inspector.

In the event of any alteration being made by a consumer in his lamps, the maximum demand is ascertained, and reported on the form shown in Form 25, p. 409.

CHAPTER XL.

THE ROUTINE OF MAIN LAYING.

As in the case of connecting a consumer's installation to the mains, the laying of a main trenches on the work of several departments, and in order that the whole process may be intelligible, it will be convenient to describe the routine followed in a separate chapter.

We will assume that it is determined to lay mains in certain streets. If the extension be an important one, the Chief Engineer will first walk over the ground in company with the Mains Engineer, or, if of less importance, the latter will examine the district and report to the Chief. This preliminary inspection should never be omitted, as without it the difficulty of forming a correct estimate of the needs of the locality is greatly increased.

The preliminary inspection made, the first thing is for the Drawing Office staff to obtain as much information as possible as to the streets in question. The number, size, and location of gas, water, and other pipes are ascertained, and examination made for the presence of obstacles, such as main gas or water valves, sewer manholes and ventilating shafts or cellars; the presence of bakers' ovens, especially, should be duly noted, as the heat from them is very likely to cause damage to cables. Enquiry must be made as to whether improvements are contemplated, and whether there is, therefore, any likelihood of the street being widened or the buildings set back; if such is found to be the case, the mains must either be laid within the new line of kerb, or be made strong enough to bear the heavy traffic when they are subsequently left in the roadway.

Having obtained as many of these particulars as practicable, a tracing is made of the whole line of each street on a single continuous tracing, or on several if the route be a long one or the street be much curved. The ten feet to the mile Ordnance maps are used for this purpose, the buildings along the street in which the main is to be laid being shown, but only so much of the side streets as is necessary to clearly indicate the points where they branch off. The pipes are laid down on this tracing, together with the

FORM 70.-Mains Works Order Card-Construction,

[A white folding card strengthened at back with linen joint-size, folded, about 5′′ by 4′′.]

CONSTRUCTION.

MAINS.

2nd page.

Works Order No. A.....

Work begun,.

Date returned,.

190.

FORM-71.-Mains Works Order Card-Maintenance.

[A green folding card strengthened at back with linen joint-size, folded, about 5" by 4".]

Date returned,

190.

new building line if alterations be contemplated, and any obstacles respecting which information has been obtained.

A print, preferably a white one with black lines, is then taken of the tracing and forwarded to the Chief Engineer. He then determines the size of main that is to be laid and the particular kind that is to be used, i.e., culvert, pipe, or solid system, and full particulars of every length are written in by the Chief Draughtsman on the print, and the position of junction boxes marked.

A full description of the work to be done is then written out on a Works Order card, to which a distinguishing number is assigned. This card is shown in Form 70, and is strongly made, folding in halves. The order is written on the inside and signed by the Chief Engineer; blanks are provided at the lower portion in which the cost of the various items can be entered up when the job is complete and a record kept of the total cost. The dates at which the work is begun and ended are also filled in, so that the time taken can be seen. This portion of the card will be referred to later on. On the outside of the card is written the number of the order and the name of the street. It may here be mentioned that when maintenance or repair work is to be done, a similar card is used (Form 71), but it is coloured green in order to distinguish it.

A sample plan of a street is shown in fig. 136 opposite, and the following is a typical Works Order showing the kind of instructions issued on the card shown in Form 70:

Please construct manhole, and fix therein a 3-way Pillar distributor at the corner of the S. E. side of Plymouth Grove, and the corner of the S. W. side of Stockport Road. From this pillar construct 3-way Crompton Culvert, and fix therein three -square inch conductors on the S.W. side of Stockport Road, to the corner of the N.W. side of Richmond Grove. Street crossings to be made with three -square inch vulcanised bitumen cables on Callender's solid system. From the termination of these mains lay three-square inch vulcanised bitumen cables on Callender's solid system, to the corner of the S. E. side of Daisy Bank Road.

The Works Order having been made out, a copy is sent to the Chief Draughtsman, so that he may have full particulars for preparing the print, and when this is ready it is sent together with the actual Works Order to the Mains Engineer.

The first thing the Mains Engineer has to do is to find whether the requisite materials for carrying out the work are in stock, and to requisition through the book provided for the purpose (see p. 432) such as are wanting. He also sees that he has all the appliances and tools necessary.

Everything being ready, he decides upon the number of gangs required, this being chiefly determined by the rapidity with which the work has to be done. A kind of depot is formed in some quiet spot in a side street, and a cabin set up in which the foreman can keep his papers and the tools