Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-17

The House committee on the District of Co
umbia to-day heard additional arguments
touching the ACCESSIBILITY Of incorporating
new gas company.
Mr.. James Crutchett. who Is the patentee of
| new system and one of the leading 1ncofpora-
tors OF the bill pending before the committee to
incorporate the Atomic Gas company, made
scientific argument in favor of his patented sys-
nished probably at 81 per 1.00a feet; that the
present rip Van Wrinkle" system does not ex-
tract one twenty-fifth of the carbon in a ton of
coal He opposed the proposed Municipal COM
pany, because the Atomic company will supply
gas at 81 per 1000 for light and 20 cents for heat
and power, with per cent. Off for prompt pay
the Atomic company will supply the govern
ment with gas at % cents per 700 feet.
| Edward Stern, of New York. who is the lead
| ing mover to have the pending bill ito 1ncorpo-
rate the Municipal Gas Company" passed, made
an argument in favor OF the bin. He said a COM
| pany under his patent was now supplying gas
| Of over twenty three candle power in New York
city. His company, he said had sent out more
gas in New York than any other company in the
| city save the Manhattan company. The NUM-
cpal process had been sold to the New York
Gas Company for 5000 600: the process is hydro
is the principal ingredient. He denied that the
! process was pr ohibited to be used in France on
| account of danger, but that ii was not used
| there because coal and labor was so cheap and
naptha so high and 1t had to be exported from the
| United States that it would not pay. The price
Of the gas by the m. municipal process would
| U
He denied that If all the gas companies USED
the process that naptha would go up, as h.
could get a contract to supply all the naptha he
wanted at ruling prices from the Standard Co :
that as long as petroleum is plenty naptha VIII
| be cheap. The municipal process does not re-
| qr ire the use of retorts at all. In New York he
| said one could tell the difference between the
| 'Municipaf' gas and the old gas half mile
distant. The cost of production by the muni-
process All of the gas companies had adopted
| the municipal process. The price OF the gas in
Washington, he said, would always depend on
the competition. In New York the company by
its charter was allowed to charge $3.50 per thou
sand feet. 1t supplied gas at 81 and 81 .25 per
thousand feet since July last and had declared
present Washington company, if a charter is
granted the municipal company, will reduce its
price probably to keep US out or Will compete
with us to furnish cheaper gas to keep custo-
| merS from us.
Judge James (of the committee).-Will not the
electric light reduce the price of gas?
Mr.. Stern.-I think there is probability that
you will cross the ocean in balloon before Edf-
son will give light for practical use by cleo
charter, in couple Of years or less it would
supply Washington with gas at $50 per thou
sand feet. Six hundred feet of the gas by the
municipal" process will last as long as 1000
| feet of the old process. He denied that his pro-
cess was any more poisonous than the system
in use, and held that it was not so dangerous,
Weight he held i the less the leakage. he said
that there was no doubt that gas would soon
| be used for industrial purposes and that Ii his
! company received a charter it would furnish
gas to such as used 1t for heat and light at from
sl.50 to $1.15 per thousand cubit feet. The con-
sumption OF the municipal gas in New York
was now about three million feet per day. The
| price is regulated by the consumption.
Mr.. Stern was asked If he would furnish the
United States with his gas at s12o per thousand.
sWin you furnish your gas of 16 candle power
|. to the United States at $3.50 per thousand!'
Mr.. Brainard warner filed petitions, numer-
ously signed by citizens of the District, remon-
strating against theincorporation of new COM
pany. but requesting Congress to regulate the
present one.
MI. McIlheny, the engineer OF the Washing
ton company, said President Bartol was de
tanned by reason of sickness He said that an
agent of Mr.. Stearn had offered to sell the mu-
E1cipal process to the Washington company.
Mr. Stern said 1t was an untruth; that he had
Chairman Hunton said he would not allow
such personalities to be INDUCED in.
Mr. McIlheny said the Municipal company
for $500 900; then the company went to Brook
Ign, and with the money they raised in New
York made similar levy on the company there
tied in Paris. 1t Las no smell, and one can bt
poisoned with 1t without knowing it. The com
mercial value of gas does not depend upon it,
eminent uses about So. 900 900 cubic feet OF ga
in a year and the city about 10000, 900. gas
company doesn't generally run all over TIN
|
the Municipal" company get charter they
will want at once something for their patent
Mr.. McIlheny said he owned but little stock III
| the Washington company. The average Of wha
he paid was s29 a share,
: Chairman Hunton.-Will you sell your stool
| at 500 a share?
Mi. McIlheny.-I will
Mr.. Stern.-I will take it.
? Mr.. McIlheny said the Washington compan,
| had invested here two million dollars. w.
7 have run service pipes in every vacant lot. w,
| q mi e ora I .
new company is given half of the supply, it vii
} have to make dollar on every thousand feet t
5 are invested here, it will be Impossible 10
5 either company to make anything The result
| will be a combination, as there could be NJ
: companies who get charters is to sell thei
stock merely for speculative purposes. Tn
( washington gas company Is willing to furnish
vance of ten per cent of its cost, If we ar
given an assurance that the contract will b
permanent.
MIR. Nea.-Don't you get more than ten pc
Mr.. McIlheny-Yes: but what assurance hav
,, we that next year we may be wiped out.
MI. Tenney said that VIM. H. Morrison had
; been offered by Mr.. Bailey 5000 if the pro
!, | posed new company would stop all further agi
tation and leave the matter just where it was.
, MI; Hunton-I heard the same statement from
, | another source.
Mr.. McIlhenny said he thought he could stat,
it emphatically that Mr.. Morrison had not beer
, offered s25. 600 to take his name Off OF the cor
porators OF the new company.
Chairman Hunton directed that MI. Morrison
and Mr.. Bailey be required to come before The
| committee and make their statement.
! MI. Tenney said that all he knew about the
matter was that Mr. Morrison told him thai
Bailey had offered him S25, 600 to withdraw his
name as cOrporator.
Chairman Hunton directed that President
Baftol be requested to give the name OF the
agent OF the municipal company who had Offered
TO sell out to the Washington company.
Mi. Stern said that his company could not be
bought and the Washington company did not
have money enough TO but it,
MI w. c. Dodge said that he thought the
washington Gas Company ought to furnish gas
at 81 per thousand cubic feet and make hand
some profit He read an article from London
paper to show that the London gasght COM
pany furnished gas at so cents per thousand Gu
bic feet and still made profit of ten per cent
He thought gas could be reduced fifty per cent.
In price, and still afford handsome profit.
At2 O'Clock the committee adjourned.
The pending bill is a bill to incorporate the
Municipal Gas Company OF the District. The
incorporates are Charles s. Franklyn, Thomas
Swami, w. Fl. Morrison Elias c. Benedict. VIM.
u. Clark, Samuel Hawk, Edward C. Dean, JAS
H. Rodgers, F. Tenney and Geo. W. King. The
Dill authorizes the company to lay mains, &c
The capital stock is fixed at $780, 600 in shares of
500 each. The company is prohibited from in