points being covered by patents still in force, and mainly, if not
wholly, in the hands of the one large firm which is now carrying on
the manufacture in this country, and is controlling the market.

The one weak spot of the ammonia-soda process, as we mentioned before,
is its inability to supply hydrochloric acid or chlorine, and so allow
of making bleaching powder. Time after time it has been announced
positively that the problem was solved, that the ammonia-soda makers
had devised a method of producing hydrochloric acid or chlorine, or
both, without the use of sulphuric acid. But the announcements have so
far proved baseless, and at present the Leblanc makers are getting
incredulous, and do not much excite themselves over new statements of
the kind, though they know that if once their rivals had this weapon
in their hands the battle would be over and the Leblanc process doomed
to rapid extinction.

Such is at present the state of the struggle in this great industry,
and the above outline sketch of the two processes is designed to give
some idea of the conditions to such of our readers as may not have any
special knowledge of these manufactures.

At the present moment great interest is being taken in a new process,
about to be put to work on a large scale, which is designed to take up
the cudgels against the ammonia process and enable the Leblanc makers
to continue the fight on something more like equal terms.

We allude to the process proposed and patented by Messrs. Parnell &
Simpson, and about to be worked by the "Lancashire Alkali and Sulphur
Company," at Widnes. We recently had the opportunity of inspecting
fully the plant erected, and of having the method of procedure