Shorter Life For Lamps

New York Commercial-Advertiser: A short life rnd a merry one is to be tlie guiding principie of the new order oí lainp manufacture. At one time an incandescent lamp cost so much that it was made to last as long as possible, even if it had to te run at much below itB nominal candle power. Now, lamps r.re cheap, and people insist on having light. A significant sign of the tendency of the times is that the twentyfive-candle power lamp is daily being put in in place of the original standard sixteen-candlp-powor lamp. It is asKumed that when Edison adopted the sixteen-candle power standard for hls lamp he took wbat was probibly a very gooa average of the illumination given out by five-foot gas bunkers the country over. But. during the ïast fiLteen years the gas standard has been i raised through improvements in manufacture, and whereas twenty-cnndle gas wa3 once seldotn geen, the larger cities of this country now average well up to twenty-five-candle gas. The public has not been Blow to see this, aud now demands a unit of light at least pqual to the prevailing standard gas unit. The central stations, fortunately for them, re:ilize the situation, and the use of high economy lamps is growing. it is noted, too, that the time-honored 600 hours ol life is not nearly so often insisted on as formerly. Indeed, the specific requirement now commocly made is íor a lamp that will maintain its candle power at high economy for from 300 to 400 hours. The introduction of lamps of twenty-five-candle power, although already started upon, will doubtless be gradual, as it must naturally be accompanied by a corresponding change in the fittings, outcutB, wiring, etc, if applied to existing insla] latious.