The morning times., 1895-08-22

Supt. Leech, OF the Washington Gaslight
Company, and the District Commissioners,
are not all agreed upon the proposition
TO knock off 90 cents from the price of gas
The superintendent and Secretary Bailey
called upon the Commissioners yesterday
TO solicit the recomme ndation OF the board
for an appropriation to meet a bin held
by the corporation against the District for
gas furnished in excess of the requirement
The price fixed 10y law is Not to exceed
$50 90 per lamp" aud each light TO be
furnished for not less than 3 1000 hours per
aunuIn.
Under a schedule furnished for the month
OF june, the company alleges, each lamp
was kept lighted for a period that brought
up the aggregate beyond the 5000 hours
by as much as thirty-siX hours per lamp,
and the Commissioners were asked TO in
clude the item, amounting to $1,000, in
the next deficiency bill submitted to
Congress.
The board promised to take the matter
under advisemcnt, and also agreed TO
consider another claim presented for gas
supplied n 1892, for which the company
claims to have received no compensation.
SUGGESTED a REDUCTION.
Incidenlly the gas tariff was mentioned,
and a member of the board suggested that
the company reduce The price to 81 per
thousand feet
Il wish we were able to do So" re-
sponded Mr Leech There is no man
more willing than am to reduce the price
Of fconSuInptiUn, but we cannot do il. D."
How do you account Tor the success at
tending the reduction Of the price in Phila
dclphia?" he was asked They charged
your present rates there ard out of the
profits paid the cost OF lighting the city"
philadelphia owns the gas plant, - said
the superintendent. There are no charges
for taxes. no interest on bonds, and there
there is here. -
In what respect, Mr. Leccho'
Il have just stated some OF the items,
and might add that the Gas company here
is al the mercy OF the Standard Oil Com
pany, which imposes rules for US that we
have 10 meet For one thing, it requires
US TO erect special tanks in which TO dump
oil delivered at the wharf, in order that it
can ship by water instead OF by rail. We
pay $40 coo in axes TO tie District, out
side Of real estate values.
PAIR OF MONOPOLIES.
You don't have to get oil from the
Standard OR Company unless you want
10, suggested one ofthe Commissioners.
Then how can we make gas?" replied
Mr. Lcech. The STANDARD ol Company
has a monopoly OF the oil business.
why, make it out Of coal. The best
gas is made from COAL said the Engineer
Commissioner.
Another sugges ton was that Philadelphia
had paid for lighting iIs streets from its
gas profits and put SI,OO0,0OO in the city
treasury, whencharging the rates pal here
aud it was inumated TO Mr. Leech that his
company could bring down the cost to the
consumer without endangering its ex-
chequer.
You have had monopoly here for a
long time, ana have made a great deal OF
money"
Yes, but it cannot be done We are in
favor of having cheaper gas Just as soon
as IL can be accomplished. We are willing
to make it Just as cheap al any other com
pauy in the world can produce it."
The tendency is TO cheaper gas"
COMPANY WILLING, BUT
Il know it, and we are willing to meet
1t, but to reduce the price now to 81 would
knock off S225,OOO, or 20 per cent, from
the gross receipts of the company"
do you say il is impossible to declare
a dividend at 81 per thousand fcet?"
Yes; itcannot be done for quite a while,
and we are doing all we can to hasten
the time when il can be done by encour-
aging day consumption and by other
means. The first year the company would
lose money"
The conversation here closed, with the
company placed on record . : anxious for d
reduction in the price Of gas, blt wholly un-
able, financially. 10 stand the pressure,
and the Commissioners not only in favor
OF dollar gas, but convinced that it can be
supplied at a fair profit
The Commissioners have evidently deter
mined 10 make the building regulations
conform 10 the most improved ideas, and TO
that end they are devotng time and atten-
tion and the services OF an expert commits
sion.
A letter was yesterday addressed 10 Sec
rctary Olney, OF the State Department. In
which the purpose OF the board to srame a
complete code is clearly defined.
COMMISSION WANTS DATA
They inform the Secretary that the
Municipal authorities are having the build
ing regulations revised by a special COM
mission, which, in the performance Of
that duty, VIII have occasion 10 consult,
among other data, the building regula-
uons of the principal cities of Europe, no
copies Of which are accessible to it."
In view OF the fact that the readiest and
most expeditions means OF obtaining copies
OF such regulations is through the Depart
ment of State, Mr.. 0lney is requested to
obtain copies Of the municipal laws upon
the subject IN force, respectively, in Stock
holm, Brussels, London, Berlin, Manches-
ter, Copenhagen, Edinburg, Paris, Vienna,
and Glasgow.
The commission in charge Of the work Of
revision is composed of Building Inspector
John i. Brady, James G.. Hile, Robert
Fleming, ". c. Morrison, A. p Clarke,
jr., and W. p. Freeman.
Edwin b. Hess, lately transferred to be
chief clerk il the fire department, has
been recommended by the Commissioners
for appointment as notary public. The
principal reason for the suggestion is the
necessity for the presence of a notary at
the trials OF members of the force by the
tribunal created to take cognizance of
derelictions.
McKINLEY's BID ACCEPTED.
BY an order issued yesterday, the board
Of Commissioners directed acceptance OF
the offer made by William Mckinley to
supply a site for the Ivy City school build
ing. The property obtained consists OF lots