e moulding itself; and the other
is a cap to connect permanently to the end of the lamp or iron cord,
which may be snapped into place in a second. Since there are a great
many designs of separable current taps on the market, it is well to
select one design and stick to it throughout the house, so that any
device can be connected to any outlet.

The code permits 660 watts on each circuit. This would allow 12 lamps
of 55 watts each. It is well to limit any one circuit to 6 lamps; this
will give leeway for the use of small stoves, irons, toasters, etc.
without overloading the circuit and causing a fuse to blow.

Having installed your distributing board, with its cut-outs, figure
out the course of your first branch circuit. Let us say it will
provide lights and outlets for the dining room and living room. It
will be necessary to run the wires through the partitions or floors in
several places. For this purpose porcelain tubes should be used,
costing one to three cents each. Knock holes in the plaster at the
determined point, insert the tubes so they project 3/4 inch on each
side, and fill up the ragged edge of the hole neatly with plaster.

[Illustration: The distributing panel]

When all the tubes have been set in place, begin laying the moulding.
Run it in a straight line, on the wall against the ceiling wherever
possible, mitering the joints neatly. Whenever it is necessary to
change the run from the ceiling to the wall and a miter cannot be
made, the wires should be protected in passing from one slot to the
other by being enclosed in non-metallic flexible conduit, called
circular loom.

In running wooden moulding, avoid brick walls liable to sweat or draw
dampness; keep away from places where the heat of a stove might
destroy the rubber insulation of the wires; do not pass nearer than
six inches to water pipes when possible--and when it is necessary to
pass nearer than this, the wooden moulding should pass above the pipe,
not below it, with at least an inch of air space intervening, thus
avoiding dampness from sweating of pipes.

[Illustration: Snap switch connections]

Places where chandeliers or wall bracket lamps are to be installed
permanently are fitted with wooden terminal blocks, which fit over
the moulding and flush with the plaster. These, after holes have been
bored in them for the wires, and the wires drawn through, should be
screwed firmly to the wall or ceiling, always choosing a joist or beam
for