Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-13
. The Proposed New Gas Company.
REPORT OF THE MINORITY OF THE HOUSE COMMITTED
AGAINST THE NEAsuRE

The Proposed New Gas Company.
REPORT OF THE MINORITY OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE
AGAINST THE MEASURE
The views OF the minority of the House COM
mfttee on the District OF Columbia on the bill to
incorporate new gas company in the District are
quite lengthy. It sets forth that the Washington
Gas company has to-day capital and plant suf1i-
Gent to supply twice the quantity OF gas required
by the city OF Washington, and 10 permit a COM
peting company to enter In the business would be
simply to increase the capital without increasing
the business. The report shows that competing
companies have been begun in the following
Orleans Charleston. SC, Memphis, Tenn, St
Louis, Chicago. Buffalo, Detroit, Albany, New
Newburgh, NY. Trenton, Nj, Harrisburg, Lam
caster, Pa, and Baltimore, Md. In all these cities
gas is sold at a higher rate than In Washington
We admit that II any existing monopoly be un-
controlled. either by competition or legislation,
be done the public by charging exorbtant prices
for an article OF prime necessity; but happily, In
this case, no such fear need exist, for by existing
laws the Washing on Gas Light company IS as
absolutely under control OF Congress, as far as
the prices are concerned, as Is the waterworks OF
competition Is not needed it is here, where Con-
gress fixes the price and quality; and If the price
Is not low enough Congress has only to say how
authority several times, namely, June go 1861 !;
July II, 1862; January 20, 1865 April TO- 1869; June
%. 1874 These reductions were general, to the
pany have made several reductions, voluntarily,
and instead OF useless warfare and loss, why does
not Congress exercise this authority again. and
compel the existing company to sell their gas as
low as 1t is offered by the proposed opposition,
and prevent the tearing up and DETACHMENT OF
your streets?
Gas companies. by their nature, cannot seek
business one foot beyond their pipes, and it APP
Congress has established an agreement with a
corporation to grant it certain privileges and I'm
munities, and have thereby induced the corpora
ton to invest Its means for specific purpose, and
that, too, In such shape that the corporation
cannot resume its capital again for some other
purpose, even though these immunities be in
fr1nged and these privileges contracted: that
Congress Is bound by every principle OF justice
and equity to not only refrain from impairing by
from mpairing in any degree these original rights
or grants which constituted the strongest induce
ment for the corporation to invest its capital, es-
peclaly In this case, where Congress has the right
to fix a fair price.
Two sets or gas pipes in the streets are a null
sance, and lead to conflict of opinion as to which
set of pipes are leaking: the leaks therefore go
unchecked, endangering the health and comfort of
the citizens, or both parties tear up the streets
company there IS no doubt as to who Is RESPONSE
Die, and but one excavation is necessary to find
one leak.
The laying OF gas mains under sidew alks should
De positively prohibited, for gas goes in the direc
tion OF the least resistance, and ii pipes laid
under the sidewalks when leaks take place the
gas soon finds it way into cellars and vaults,
thereby endangerlng the health and sometimes
the lives OF the Inhabitants by explosions Be-
the sensible and tnsens1ble leaks OF gas come in
contact with the roots of the shade trees and kill
laid the trees will suffer If they are too near
them.
Before the asphalt and other roadways were laid
careful manner and at great expense, relaid and
Stopped any leaks In their pipes In the streets
q cfHovxyo 1lyc
recently laid on Pennsylvania avenue and other
streets the company was required by the Commits
sioners TO renew their service pipes for house sup
ply to all persons using gas, and were further
required to lay such service pipes to points and
places where gas may be needed In the future
why this requirement by the District Commission
ers? 1t was that the expensive and smooth streets
and sidewalks should rot be torn up by doing
such work again. II the new company be admit
ted, at least $50 miles of main trenches will have
1e aug IN the II they get half the con-
trenches Will have to be dug, creating a nuisance
for many years to come.
Streets and sidewalks such as are in Washing
ton cannot be taken up and put down again to be
or look the same before. In proof of this it is
only necessary to look at the DETACHMENT and ugly
scars where the surface has been disturbed by ex.
cavations or cavng in of sewers and where the
pavement was put down again. No skill can, it is
asserted, prevent more or less settling OF the dis
Is an unsightly and unsatisfactory substitute for
the original uniform surface.
Inc iale commissioner OF streets IN Philadelphia
In speaking of the cost OF maintaining streets
When the mains and gas and water connections
are permitted to be laid after the streets paved
said:
"It is this system which is really the bane OF
street paving. During the present year $4,000
breaks were made in the streets to permit the per-
Torrance Of work which might as well have been
done before the pavements were laid"
And. pointing to street in view, he said:
" That street has been repaired three times over
the ditch dug by the underground telegraph COM
pany. and 1t Is sinking again"
mo labor or skill said he, "can ever repair over
a drain and preserve the level OF the street In
property owners to make water and sewer connec-
nections before the streets paved and to grant
no authorCy 10 tear up the streets under any cir
cumstances in which 1t could be prevented"
The report concludes as follows: 1.-THE bill ask
Ing for charter for the United States Light and
Steel Company for the District OF Columbia is de-
1ectve In many particulars. 1t places no restric-
tons on the company in the issue OF bonds, and
provides no safeguards against injury to the pipes
and property OF the existing company as 1t should
The company, under this bill, may run under or
over the present gas and water pipes In an unscien-
tifc and careless way, and, as in cases therefore,
when no remedy was provided for In the charter
Ing OF the new company, lead to continual injury
TO one or the other to conflict and litigation. The
washington Gas-light Company has no watered
stock and no bonds. its stockholders scattered
from Alabama to Maine, but nearly one-half of the
stock is now held in the city OF Washington, and
sixty widows and orphans Estates nearly all Of
whom reside in this District, to many OF whom
the loss OF even one years dividend would
some the necessares of life. Congress ought to
look well into this matter before disturbing con-
Germ In which so many people OF this District are
interested, and especially so when Congress has