Evening star., 1886-06-23

ment of the company
Col. McCaHthy, gas expert and engineer,
who has had wide experience in the manu-
1acture OF gas was present. He asked Mr.. Nc
llhenny some questions, to which the latter re-
| sponded that he had no practical knowledge Of
the cost of gas here He would not care to in
vest money in gas companies TO make only 61a
| per cent profit He said that the cost of gas
varied from S1.1O to 81 80 per 1000, and in
The committee adjourned to await President
Mcllhennys recovery.
GAS AT FORTY CENTS PER THOUSAND FEET.
Col. Mccarthy lin reply to questions of STAR
reporter, said that coal gas of sixteen candle
power can be made in Washington at forty
cents per thousand cubic feet. He added that
he is willing to give bond in any amount to
make gas at that figure here. He remarked to
the subcommittee that he was willing to enter
into bond, to the amount of the value OF the gas
works, to put coal gas of sixteen candle power
in the holders here a forty cents per thousand,
II the government wants 10 take charge of the
works; or he would give bond to establish a
competing company and make the best quality
OF pure gas and sell it at one dollar per thou
sand. He gave it as his opinion, based upon
his knowledge and experience, that water and
coal gas should not be mixed. as is done by the
gas company here. He asserted that the mix
ture resulted in bad gas; that instead of the
water gas improving the inferior coal gas the
said the two gases as supplied in Washington
do not mix, and hence the smoking OF the light
ana the cumming up of the burners.
POINTS FROM SATURDAYS TESTIMONY.
LIE gas conducted Dy senator's
Spooner and Blackburn last Saturday after
noon, after THE STAR report closed, developed
some points of interest.
Senator Spooner asked President McIlhenny,
of the gas company, 10 figure the price at which
gas would have to be sold to yield per cent
annually on capitalization of 81 800, 900.
But we can't figure our capitalization at
that" suggested Mr.. McIlhenny.
"4ou can assume anything" retOrted Mr..
Spooner.
After making a calculation Mr.. McIlhenny
gas would be sold at S1.OS per 1,OOO cubic feet,
"provided," he added, Everything remains as
Mr.. Spooner asked if there was any reason TO
suppose that the expense of making gas would
increase.
Mr.. McIlhenny replied that it was more
creased the cost of supplying decreased; that as
the distribution increased the expense dirnin-
growth of Washington and continuing in.
crease of demand the price would be reduced.
He said tnat the cost OF making water and coal
gas Is about the same.
In response to questions he explained that
the streets are lignted at SO much per lamp, it
being estimated that each lamp will burn six
ieet of gas per hour. He believed that was q
fair average. There is a little key to each street
burner by which the flame is regulated. He
was sure the city was not defrauded by the use
OF this key. The gas company employs all the
lighters Of street lamps and pays them uni
iormiy S2S month. No boys are employed.
but some of the men in cases OF sickness or
other emergencies might send out boys TO do
their work. The street lighting is under the
supervision OF the superintendent of street
lamps-a District official. AS rule Mr.. Nc
Ilhenny believed that municipalities get more
gas for street purposes than they contract tor.
CHEAP GAS; HIGH BILLS.
MIR. Blackburn said he had a huge mass of
old gas bills handed to him by many respecta-
| BILE people Of Washington, with the complaint
that as the price OF gas had decreased the
amount OF their bills had increased.
Mr.. McIlhenny said they were mistaken; that
Sir liar ,nla ainfS
tion had been made, it had been shown that
| there was a proportionate decrease On bills.
Mr. Blackburn said that one OF the complain
ants was
PROMINENT PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER
of this city.
MIR. McIlhenny did not regard that as signify
ing anything.
Mr.. Blackburn said 1t weighed a good deal
with him in the consideration of this question.
Recurring to the street lights, MIR. McIhenny
said the flow of gas could be restricted and the
light reduced by taking the trouble TO turn
down the keys in the burners, but he knew of
nobody VINO would go to such pains. 1t would
only be extra trouble for the lamp lighter,
without any compensation tor it, They have
no orders To that effect. He said
THE GAS COMPANY WOULD BE WILLING TO
SELL ITS PLANT,
but he could not undertake TO say at what
price; the directors would have to determine
that. He said the works are undoubtedly
not be duplicated for $2,4OO, 900. In response
to the suggestion that every item which would
swell the figures had been included in the valu-
alton, MIR. McIlhenny said that was not the
case. Being asked ii he would object to being
questioned by an expert in gas matters, Mr..
McIlhenny replied that he was willing to be
examined, for the committee, by a man of
practical knowledge, but men who had never
made a foot of gas might ask questions he could
not answer. II the committee wanted experts
who knew their business ne could suggest some
names, but there is "a class of men, he said, who
go about getting up new gas companies, and
no a nj
panies.
Mr.. Spooner said the committee wanted to
did not care to call men who are engaged in the
business of making and selling gas, for nat
urally, their interest biased them to a certain
extent. He asked what Mr.. McIlhenny thought
OF Mr.. Mccarthy as gas man.
The reply was that Mccarthy had never made
gas; that he is q chemist, without the knowledge
of the practical manufacture OF gas.
THE SUBJECT OF PROFITS
that had accrued to the Washington Gas COM
pany was discussed, and Mr.. Spooner suggested
that as the company had enjoyed SO fruitful q
field for SO many years, 1t would only be fair
now to let the consumers get share of the BEN
eft.
Mr.. McIlhenny replied that the price of gas
had been repeatedly reduced.
Mr.. SpOOner thought that ten per cent profit
on any investment these days. everything con-
sidered, is excessive. He said money is loaned
on real estate at six per cent and that there is
not railroad in the country that is paying ten
per cent.
1.-The railroad companies are ruined by ruin
Gus competition" said Mr.. McIlhenny
"Well, your gas companies are not, !" suggested
Mr.. Spooner. He added that the gas company
had paid DIVIDENDS aggregating $6,20O,O0O.
Mr.. McIlhenny retOrted that 1t would not pay
any more such dividends. He said the cleo
trio light had not yet had any depreciative ef-
feet upon gas stock, but OF course 1t had pre-
vented that increase in the demand for gas
which would otherwise have existed.
In reply TO questions Mr.. McIihenny stated
that Mr.. Bartol was president of the company
when the books were disposed Of but ne (wit-
ness) had no personal knowledge OF that trans
action. He did not regard 1t as calling for Sc
we're censure because he did not believe there
was any ulterior purpose in doing away with
the books.
AMONG THE Presidents CALLERS to-day
were Senators Mcpherson, COckrell. Van Wyck,
Logan aud Harris, Solicitor General Goode.
Assistant Secretary Porter, Representatives
Evans, Breckenridge. Ark.i Boyle. Allen.
Henley, Barbour, Bragg. Geddes. iawier, C1o. Cslo..
well, Sowden, voorhees,, Owen, Dougherty,
Toole aud HALEY, Ex-Representatiye Elliot,
Buffalo, VIM. A. B0lrs, OF Florida, w. w. Red-
| field, of Ohio, Col. Jno. Overton, OF Nashville,
and Mr.. c. B. Bowers
Ex-SoLDIHEs AND THE CIVIL 6RRvICK Law,
Gov. Robinson, of Massachusetts. has vetoed
the Tobin bill giving preference In appoint
ments to ofiiCe to honOrRbly DISCHARGED soldiers
| and sailors without civil service examination.
The governor reviews and cOmbafs every arnu-