The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-06-16
CIT Y IN Il ELLIGE EN- c E
For AddaiOnal O.ty L,aeatgenoe see FifM Paqe.

The PHILADELPHIA GAS WoRKs.-The
Committee OF Select Council appointed to eX
anime into the affairs of the Philadelphia Gas
Works, held an adjourned meeting last evening,
Colonel Page lresIding. Colonel Page stated
that he had received no answer from the Trus-
tees to the communication OF the 30th of May.
At the last meeting OF the Committee Colonel
Jones had promised to answer certain intcrroga
tories. He was not yet ready, as he had not
secured the necessary information. p. z.
Mr. John Roberts, Foreman OF the First Ward
Works, was present, and testified as foilows:-
Have been foreman about six years; at the
present time we have from 325 to $50 men EN-.
plOyed at the Point Breeze Works; the "stokers"
are required to be skilled; tue result of employ
ing unsk lied labor would Dc TO 1niure the mate
Tlals and works; IN order o make good coke is
ece5sary tor the coal TO Ds tully carbonized;
since january, 1865, we M { had the requisite
amount OF skilled 'labor,' early in 1865 We dis
charged, with one or two exceptions, all who
were not OF the same political party as the ma
iorlty OF the YIustees-thIs as done at the order
OF the Engineer. The places we're Tiled by taking
''helpers," !" and making them "stokers, y and en-
ploying new hands "helpers;n y Tins did not require
us to pay men to instruct the "helpersT the
"nelpersn receive S2'l5 per day; the 'stokersn
receive 1926 per day; never heard of man re-
ceiVing pay tor service, not rendered, except
when he has been injured at the works; from At
TO AZ cubic feet is the average for pound OF
coal; there can be leakage OF gas after it is
nut lnto the hGiuerj gas maJ leak at the retort
or in the pump; we had but one "blow" o, gas
IN 1865, and lost ABOUT 6OOOO CUBIC leet OF gas
1t considered TO be the result OF carelessness
and the man was discharged; it was one OF the
old hands; in 1864 the men az the works in the
First Ward stood two-thrds Democrats and one
third Republicans; in 1864 Mr.. McCready, an
efficient foreman, wasdiscnar2ed by Mr.. Stewart,
their Engineer, as he alleg d, tor political cause
Mr.. Stewart was a Democrat, and Mr.. Nc.
Cready Republican; the break h the holder
occurred IN 1864; / don't knew Of return of
less amount OF coal than that actually con-
sumed, IN order to cover up the defcienc es in
the yield; such thing could have been done
without my knowledge; the average conSump.
ton OF coal per day Is now about 100 tons;
IN the winter we use more; the exact heat re.
quired in the manufacture OF gas Is ascertained
through practice; that IA the reason why skiIled
labor is required; iron Ieorts will last, on an
average, seven months we have had some that
gave out in eleven days; the worst resoTts W.
ever had were received in 1864 and 1866; StiIemaI
% Ellis furnished retorts in May, 1865, and they
suffered the loss; | saw tue Cameron coal
tested it, and It's average Weld was about AIT
iRcombination with other coal, the yield wa
400; the greatest yield with Cameron coal alone
was 4'3s; the highest OF Penn and Westmore
Wand on section work Is 8; the average las
month was 4'33, with portion OF Cameron coa
ust9i would prefer the Penn and Westmorel
10 Inc Cameron; have had something less tina
iOOO IONS OF the Cameron coal; so far as tn
works are concerned, think they are as we