The Washington times., 1895-03-12

UVltI I'll HNU u DID, IN, ",
and including interest, S606, ,114.07; earn
ings for tie year 1893 with proposed re-
duction, $205, ,999.61.
This would pay dividend of per
cent. on the capital stock and leave sur
plus OF $50, ,99961, or a dividend of 10
per cent. and leave surplus of So, ,999.61.
This surplus would be materially increased
by the profit from the street lighting service,
which, owing TO the absence of figures, is
not included.
In the above statement $40 600 is al
lowed for eXtens ions of works, which
amount would be sufficient for all neces-
sary extensions III any one year On max
ing inquiry relative to the statement that
the Commissioners had ordered and COM
PEELED extensions in new subdivisions, I
was Informed by the Engineer Commissioner
that only one such order had ever been issued
and that had been only partly complied
with, and il appears from investigation
that the Commissioners have no power TO
enforce such orders, as the law under which
it was issued contains no penalty clause.
AT a su bSeqgent interview with Sen
ator Faulkner he Informed me that he had
written to the company requesting an eS-
planation OF the item to which had called
his attention and had received in reply an
itemiZed statement which lie desired me
10 examine. This statement and other
/ statements made by the company not being
/ entirely satisfactory, the Senator said that
4 as President Mclean, OF the Gas Company,
had offered to allow an examination of the
/ books OF the company he would like me TO
examine them, so that the committee would
! have the advantage of information from
/ an impartial person relative to the acCu-
| racy of the figures submitted by the COM
pany.
Il agreed to comply with this request,
! and with letter from Senator Faulkner
/ TO President Mclean, in which the Senator
stated the object of my visit, and that he felt
! assured that Mr.. Mclean would willingly
! do what he could to facilitate the efforts
| of the committee in acquiring information
| relative TO the operations OF the company,
etc, went TO the gas office and was re-
! ceived very cordially by President Mclean,
who stated that he would gladly furnish
to me or TO the committee any information
| desired, but that the secretary, who had
charge of the books was not in.
HOW M'LEANPUT HIMoFF.
Il told him that / understood that Mr.
Bailey is secretary of the company. and he
was in the next room. Mr.. Mclean ex-
planned that Mr.. Onne was the secretary
that he had referred TO, and that he would
be in next morning. On arriving at the
office on the following morning | was met
by Mr.. Mclean, who said that he was
| very sorry, but Mr.. Orme had gone to George
town, but if / would just inform him what
information l desired he would take pleas
ure in sending the same to my residence or
place of business.
Il informed him the Senate SUBJ commit
| tee was to meet that afternoon i'll order to
report to the full committee on the next
day. which was the regular meeting day,
and that Senator Faulkner had informed
me that the subcommittee would not meet
In O
ported to him, l then suggested that, as
IL seemed important that / should report
that morning, perhaps Mr.. Bailey could
show me the books.
ITO this Mr. Mclean objected stating that
| he especially desired Mr. Orme to perform
that duty. He finally suggested that if l
would return later in the day he would en-
! deavor to find Mr. Orne and send him to
| the office, when he would show me the
| books. On returning to the office about
p. m, found that neither Mr. Mclean nor
| Mr.. Orme was present, and while waiting
for Mr.. Crime l employed myself in examin-
| ing the official reports of the United States
| inspector for the previous month, which
! disclosed the fact that we are now receiv-
ing gas which exceeds the requirements of
| law in regard to purity and of about an aver
age of nineteen-candle power, and an eX-
! animation of the instrument tfordetermining
the pressure proved the pressure to be abun-
| dant
After waiting until 2:3O o'clock. Mr.
| Onne arrived and when / had explained
| the object of my mission he said that he
| would be glad to furnish any information
! which ] desired, but that he was not au-
thorized to permit an examination of the
books.
EQUIVALENT TO A REFUSAL.
81 stated that the committee was already
familiar with the statements of representa-
tives of the company, and that the object
of an examination Of the books was to YER
ify those statements, and unless l could
| make that examination my visit would be
fruitfess. He stated that in the absence of
| MIR. Mclean he would have to decline to
permit the examination of the books.
| After reporting to Senator Faulkner
the circumstances attending my visit and
my failure to make the desired eXamina
ton, / stated that | considered the action
of the officials of the company to be
equivalent to a refusal to allow theebooks
| TO be examined, and that did not believe
| that the officials would ever permit an
examination, except by compulsion, and
TO say the least the action Of the Officials
had thrown a cloud OF suspicion over the
figures and statements of the company; if
the figures were correct there would be no
reason for the refusal to permit the eX-
| animation, which could only confirm the
same.
The Senator expressed considerable
surprise at the action of the officials of
the company, and said that he was in favor
of the committee making q thorough
investigation.
This ended my connection with the
matter, and on the following day, to my
! surprise, the sub committee reported
the bill to the full committee adversely"
SIXTH STREET CROSSING.
Mr. Frizzell reported the result of his
interview with Mr. S. t. Thomas attorney
for the District. touching the desired Sixth