Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-23

ment. however, on the part of all the wit
nesses examined on that point, that fol
awhile last fall at the beginning of colder
weather, the service seemed worse than
usual and generally unsatisfactory. The
probable cause assigned by the company
and substantially concurred in by the in
spector DR.. Ford, is the crystalizatio OF
naphthalene in the service pipes, the cause
of which seems not to be definitely under
| stood, but which, according to DIR. Ford
statement is not peculiarly attributable
! to the method of making distributing the
gas furnished by this company. DR.. Ford
states that three-fourths of the gas manu-
featured in the Ucited States is made by
| the same method In use by this company.
Inspecting Meters.
| As to the inspection Of meters the gas
company has nothing to do, as that work
gas for the District of Columbia, who is
appointed by the President of the United
States and confirmed by the Senate, and
paid a salary of $1,000 per annum, and
gives an Official bond in double that sum.
There is also an assistant inspector ap-
pointed by the Commissioners OF the Dis
| trict Of Columbia, whose salary Is $1,000.
which Is paid by deposits OF money mace
annually with the collector OF taxes Tor
the District Of Columbia by the Washing
ton Gas Light Company, and the George
town Gas Company, in proportion TO the
sales of gas annually made by said COM
panies.
In order to provide for the proper inspec-
ton of gas. and gas meters, as required oy
| law, there have been established, In aodltion
to the office Of the gas inspector, two addi-
tional laboratories in the city Of Washing
| ton, the expense Of which is paid by the
Washington Gas Light Company, and one
| in Georgetown, the expense OF which Is oe-
frayed by the Georgetown Gas Company.
| The law provides that no meter shall be
| used by either company until 1t shall first
have been inspected and sealed by said In
spector; and in case Of the removal Of any
meter head, after 1t has been sealed, for
/ purposes of repair, ETC., 1t cannot be again
| used until reinspected and sealed. The in
| spector calls to the attention of the commit
| tee the fact that no penalty is attached by
| existing law to violation Of the law and
| suggests an amendment to cure this defect;
and your committee respectfully recommends
| the adoption of the same. in connection with
| the bill submitted with this report. With
reference to the method Of inspection your
committee has nothing to suggest. The
/ propriety and wisdom of making this i'm
| portant work entirely Independent, as it
now is, of the gas companies whose service
! is thereby to be regulated in the interest of
the public, is too obvious to admit of any
argument; and it is with pleasure that we
can conscientiously state that we have dis
covered nothing in the work of the present
lncum bent to diScredit either his competency
or his fidelity in the discharge of his official
duties he testified, however, that the work
| VI MS ONCE mas grown to such DrOnOrttOnS
as TO make 1t necessary for him to have the
services OF a clerk; and your committee ac-
Ceptns the truth of such statement from
the facts presented by the inspector. re-
assistance.
The Important Point.
In the estimation of your committee
the most important thing to be considered
py Congress in connection with the subject
REFERRED 10 Is the question Of price at which
gas should be supplied to the public and
10 that question We have devoted consider
able time and labor. Under direction Of
the committee letters of inquiry were d.
rected TO the mayors of about seventy of
the largest cities Of the country contain
ing queries as to the gas service of those
cities To most Of these letters responses
were made, and the substance of the in for
nation acquired by this means. as well as
some OF a kindred nature, and bearing on
| the same point taken from Browns Di-
| rectory OF Gas Companies, which is ac-
| cepted as standard authority, is presented
ne,eWit n IN tabuiated form. Your COM
| mlttee md that there is great variance in
the price charged at the various places for
substantially the same kind of gas and
that, In some instances, there seems TO be
little relation between the price paid for
coal and other materials used IN the mann
lacture and the price obtained for the
| product. The amount of the OUTPUT ether
conditions being the same. ought to be an
| which gas can be sold, but investis,a ton
| proves that this seems to have little to
90 with the case. and that some cornuanies
WIN large product sell at higher prices
thah others paying similar prices for ma
terials used in manufacturing and selling
much smaller amounts. The price charge ed
seems, therefore. to be more or less arbi-
| rary, and Your committee felt that ms
best and safest test of the price at which
gas can be probably sold in washington
Is what IL costs and what it sells for as
measured by the expenditures and receipts
OF the gas company. The price now ,harp.
ed for gas in this city and District na,oeiv
Sl25 per 1000 feet net, would not, as com
pared with prices charged by other cities
approximately near to Washington in popu.
iatlon and consumption of gas appaar I'M.
usually nigh; in fact the price charc ed
mere seems to be below the aver lge charged
IN such cities; but. after a careful examiha.
U INTO the financial condition OF the
| washington Gas Light Company as shown
py the statement made by its presi,len
and secretary before your COMMITTEES. COW.
ering Its business operations for several
sst - past ana examinations of witnesses
as 10 cost OF gas, We conclude that it is
| prcatlcable for said company to furnish
gas of the quality now being Stumbled 10
the public at 81 per 1000 cubic feet and ma Y
in the business.
Would Leave Plenty.
The testimony Of Mr.. John r Nolan
the president of the company, shows that
Tor the year 1893 the gross receipts of the
company We're sl.135, 1905. 20 and that the ex
pehol'ures, exclusive of dividends and ex
tension OF works. were $SS1, 2T7.57 leaving
net earnings Of s454.O2S.O3 Deducting from
| these net earnings $1,000 invested in ey-
tension of works leaves still a net surnIus
or sl6io2S. Upon the basis of last years
business reduction of 70 cents per ON
Feet for gas to private consumers. making
| the price II per 1,OOO feet would be a re.
auction OF SGT ,O61 II in gross receipts. which
Would leave ssoS,24i- As as the gross receipts
| ior the ensuing year, and deducting from
| THIS expenses, including interest on bonds
ana certificates of Indebtedness, which az
| gregate $6S1, 271.57. would leave 500 068 81
which would pay dividend Of 500 600 10
per cent on the par value Of the stock. and
leave surplus Of sc, 966. 81 for inciden lis.
| Comparisons Difficult.
| Your committee. therefore respectfully
recommends the passage of H.R. No. 4279
fixing the maximum price to be charged for
gas sold by the Washington Gas Light Com
pany at the said price of 81 per 600 feet.
| The committee prints with this report such
tables Of Information as to price Of gas,
etc, as may be Of service for purposes of
| reference.
AS to the price of the gas furnished by
| said company to the District for the pur-
poses of street illumination your committee