The Washington times., 1894-03-30
TOPICS OF LOCAL MOMENT
A Company Proposing to Furnish Gas
at rs Cents per Thousand.
THE NEW PRINTING OFFICE
Of Gas In the District the New Com
pany Can save-New Public Printer Ex-
pected Any Day.

The proposition Of Maryland and New York
capitalists to furnish gas to the people of
Washington for IS cents per thousand feet is
attracting much attention among business
men. gentleman well posted in the gas
business has lately been exhibiting the follow
ing figures:
The Washington Gas Company gets feet
OF gas for every pound Of coal; that is
II, 200 feet to the ton. The coal costs them
less than IS a ton. Allowing a big per cent.
for leakage and wastage, each ton Of coal
nets the company 5000 feet, which, at 81 25
profit Of over sc.
But that is not all. The sale OF coke
after the gas has been extracted and the
coal tar will pay the original cost of
the fuel, leaving the price received for
the gas to be charged only with the operating
expenses for labor and the interest on the
cost of the plant. The water gas used very
largely by the Washington company costs
much less.
The new company proposes to supply gas
to private consumers at 75 cents and to the
government for so cents. They also offer to
will have more than twice the illuminating
power OF that now furnished. 1t Is also
thought that with gas at 75 cents it would be
extensively used for fuel
The most deeply interested in the projected
new Government Printing Office are begin
ming to think the end of the controversy over
site is near. 1t has been charged that the
,l.I. el...
by interested real estate spectators, who have
urged upon the attention Of Congress the
superior advantages of certain localities. No
doubt the persistence of these men has COM
plicated affairs, but members of the commit
tees of the two houses say that the delay has
been mainly occasioned by an honest effort to
decide which Of the various sites is really the
most advantageous for the government.
Moreover, the question of price has had deal
to do with 1t. Public Printer Palmer. when
asked the other day which site was preferred
by those employed in the office. said that they
most wanted a prompt selection Of some site
and the speedy erection of a building. The
fear was that the government, on the score of
economy, would only provide for sort of
annex, and still use the present structure for
good part OF the work. They want to va
cate entirely from the present building. 1t
seems probable at the Capitol now that the
hone site. so-called.
The report that Mr.. Benedict would again
represented that Mr.. Cleveland's DELAY in
making a change has been occasioned by his
anxiety to prevail upon Mr.. Benedict once
more to assume charge of the Government
Printing Office. 1t is now said that Mr.. Bene-
dict has yielded to the wishes Of the Presi-
dent. and as soon as he can arrange some
business matters at home will be in Washing
ton. 1t is expected that his name will be sent
to the Senate soon. 1t is certain that the
President has intimated that change at the
Government Printing Office may be looked
for any day and that Mr.. Palmer does not
expect to stay.
Zone evil effect OF street railway combines
is painfully evident to the business man of
Boston. remarked the Boston tourist, land
that is the method employed Of running cars
of different routes over common tracks in the
heart of the city. You may stand in front of
the Old Colony depot for hours and see a
variegated assortment of cars passing. and
yet the car that is desired, which usually
traverses that route, will be conspicuous by
its absence.
may pc StTdiiliuS tuo trutH sOmcWudt,
yet the fact remains that l have waited fully
twenty minutes for my car to come along. 1
hear that the spirit of combination has seized
hold of Washington in the matter of street
railways. but let it be your earnest hope that
this evil may be ayerted."
THE question of paving between the tracks
has agitated the Commissioners for years and
Is still uneettled," said all old resident ''The
Washington and Georgetown for years strived
to evade the subject. and now the Metropoli-
tan is following in the footsteps of its con-
temporary.
'.Connecticut avenue is not very conspicu-
Gus street in the point of beauty, at any rate.
and taxing the rough cobblestones into view
the street is very inadequate to the picture
coniured in the minds OF the people of the
country as to the elegant sections of our city.
when was a boy they had tenders in the
rear of their cars used for the purpose of
keeping street gamins from stealing rides.
If now they would show a like amount of
energy and provide tenders to keep off the
children OF those same gamins the street
transportation goose would hang very high"
HS-