The Washington times., 1894-12-12
CHEAPER GAS A POSSIBILITY
Two Companies Anxious to Supply 1t
for Less Than Present Rates.
ONE FOR rs CTS. THE OTHER 81
The Former Proposes to Give an Absolutely
Pure Article Fres from All Poisons and
Impurities Opposed by the Washington
Gaslight Company-The Pending Bills,

Gsslight Company-The Pending Bills,
Gas at half the current price is one of the
matters now being strenuously urged by a
company praying Congress for the right of
supplying the Washington public with cheap
light and heat The question of cheap neces-
saries Of life comes home to every man. woman,
and child in Washington. People will, there
fore, like to know what legislation is now
pending in their interest before Congress.
The price Of gas is now -. so to those who
cannot make prompt payment of gas bills
when they fall due, and Sl.25 10 those who
have the cash TO meet the collector when he
pays his inevitable visits.
There are two bills before Congress asking
for charters TO establish companies here. One
OF these is known as the Cooper" bill. orth
dollar gas" bill. the other is the bill of 1.-The
National Gas and Electric Light and Heat
Power Company" This latter company pro-
poses TO furnish gas at rs cents per thousand
feet 10 the public and at 60 cents to the gov
ernment.
Mr. +. p. B. Sands, who is urging the bill
lor the latter company, spoke quite interest
ingly on the subject OF cheap and pure gas
yesterday to a TINES reporter. He said:
our company proposes to give the public
an absolutely pure gas, free from all poisons
and impurities, such rs are now found in the
gas used throughout the District and ofwhich
great many people complain. We propose
10 furnish gas at 80 cents to the government
and at IS cents to the public. The difference
10 l. .
consumer is explained 10y the fact that there
Is an expense in the collection of bills from
private parties.
'In our endeavor to have the company es-
tablished we were met by the opposition of
the Washington Gaslight Company. We got
Col. Livingstone 10 go 10 work in favor of
our bill, and the only objection urged against
Us was that it would possibly cause dupli-
cation OF pipes. and perhaps an over-capiial-
ization. The objection as 10 duplicating pipes
is absurd, because gas company can't do
business without laying pipes. l suppose it
will not be denied that cheap and pure gas is
material question for people who have the
bills to pay, and il would certainly be a solu-
ton Of the difficulties that caused the inyes-
LEGATIONS of 1886 and 1888.
There Is another bill pending. known as
the Cooper, or the dollar gas bill This
had been introduced by Mr.. Cooper, of In
diana. and contained the simple proposition
that there should be furnished in the District
OF Columbia gas at 81 per thousand feet with
prOyiso TO the effect that persons who did
not pay within ten days after the bill was
rendered should pay Sl.25, this last amount
being the same as that charged by the Wash
ington Gaslight Company for bills paid
promptly. Viewed from the standpoint Of
I the consumer, this is a discrimination against
those who are not able to pay their bills as
promptly as those who have an abundance Of
cash-Or in favor OF the rich against the poor
! don't believe in that kind of discrimination.
We have no such provision as that.
The Cooper bill was amended by the addi-
tion OF three sections which, to my mind,
contained palpable effort TO deceive both
Congress and the people into the belief that
there was something excellent in the bill. In
section 2 it had proyiso for gas OF twenty
two candle power to be supplied, and TO con-
tain moi more than twenty grains OF sulphur
per hundred cubic feet and ammonia i've
grains to the hundred cubic feet. Then it
goes on TO provide against the poison known
as sulphuretted hydrogen with tests to dis
cover the presence Of the poison. Note this
they say, that ii an impurity or defective
candle power is found by these tests they
shall be reported by an inspector to the COM
pany. To whom? To the company itself. The
inspector who discovers reports to the person
who creates on the defects. There is also a
provision for 500 fine for every day the i'm
purity is allowed TO continue. In order that
the company shall not be punished the bill
further provides that in case it makes any
reasonable excuse for tie impurity no pen
atty shall be enforced.
''Ihe other amendments relate to the crea-
ton of an Office. Section 2 is the vice of the
bill. for it in effect legaiizes the manufacture
! OF gas with an impurity TO the degree | have
mentioned in the Washington Gasight Com
pany, and provides loophole for the escape
from a penalty as to sulphuretted hydrogen.
That bill should have been condemned from
the beginning.
Congressman Grady framed bill show
! ing how gas could be made pure and cheap,
and this was referred to the Commissioners.
| This bill provides for daily inspections and
reports by the inspector and for penalty of
/ 81 600 for violation of the act as TO poisons,
and makes the offense cognizable before any
tribunal in the District, one-half of the fine to
| 60 TO the informer What did the Commits
sioners do? They criticised it by saying that
| II provided for only eighteen-candle power,
when the existing candle power was only six
/ teen. The Cooper bill provided for twenty two
candle power, but they said it was Objectionable
! in being twenty-five, and further that there
was no standard provided for establishing the
| amount ofcandle power. although at the end of
the first section of Mr.. Grady S bill he did have
a test, according to the recognized standards
/ for ascertaining the purity OF gas. Then the
| Commissioners said that the Cooper bill had
| been recommended by them, had passed the
| House and was before the Senate, but should
/ the Senate see fit not to pass the Cooper bill
with the amendments they suggested they
would favor the Mr.. Grady bill. Grady then
/ Immediately presented a new bill which raised
! the standard to twenty-five candle power and
mentioned Bunsen's photometer as the test,
! thus making his bill one that, under the
recommendations of the Commissioners,
! should have the preference over the other.
Il don't think that the Commissioners can
deny the necessity for pure and cheap gas.
Our bill provides that after the first five years
1 Gn which tine we hope TO recover the ex-
! penses Of construction. etc. there shall be a
! reduction of cents per thousand. and in the
! next five years a still further reduction of 3
cents. Section 10 OF our bill provides that
any consolidation with or sale to any other
! corporation shall forfeit our charter.
/ This surely removes the afflictIon which is
urged against new companies that they are
often speculators with the only and ultimate
! view of sale or consolidation"
-d -S-h-
Carrier Pigeons IN BuFiness-The carrier
| pigeon service carried on by Mr.. James G.
| Addison, the paper dealer is operated be.