Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-21
Position Of the Commissioners on
Question Of Light.
COMPANY OFFICIALS ARE SURPRISED
An Interesting Interview in the
Board Room Today.
ALL OVER AN EXTRA BILL

There Is no doubt about the Commits
sioEers' position regarding dollar gas.
They are unanimously in favor of it, and
will make a hard fight before Congress to
get 1t at the next session.
This fact was brought out at a special
session of the board of Commissioners,
called this morning at the request of the
Washington and Georgetown Gas Light
Company, to consider a bill the company
had against the District for extra service.
No one dreamed that the subject of cheap
gas would be called up, and when the
Commissioners sprung the matter the gas
officials present were greatly surprised.
The Commissioners were loaded with facts
and figures, and VIXEN they turned the
fusillade upon the gas people they hemmed
and hawed and tried to get away. 1t was
the opportunity long wished for, and the
Commissioners took advantage of every
moment and piled the gas people with
questions, the replies to which meant but
one thing, viz, that gas could be produced
right here in Washington and furnished to
the citizens at 81 per thousand cubic feet
and the company make money.
The Gas Company's Claim.
Superintendent John Leetch and Secretary
Charles B. Bailey, representing the gas
company. arrived at the District building
at II o'clock. They had a hearing arrang
ed for that hour with the Commissioners
to discuss a claim aggregating nearly $1,000
for lighting the city streets over the 1900
hours allowed by law. The entire board
was present to hear the discussion. Mr.
Leetch explained how the company he
represented had early in June pointed out
to the authorities that the 5000 hours al
lowed for lighting the city had nearly oX
pired. The result was that a new schedule
was furnished. in which the time for light
ing the streets was cut down. Subsequent
ly another sc hedule was furnished and the
company directed to light accordingly.
That was after the 5000 hours had been
exhausted. The company did as requested.
and when it made the claim for the addi-
tional service the auditor for the District
recommended that the claim be disallowed.
Heretofore there was always a clause put
in the contract regarding extra service. but
last year 1t was left out, and the auditor,
after citing the lew in the case said he
did not see how the claim could be paid.
1t was apparently a just claim. and the
Commissioners practically agreed to put
the claim in the deficiency bill. Every
thing was running smoothly. Supt
the Commissioners how anxious the gas
company was to help the Commissioners
in any possible way.
Dollar Gas Discussed.
'Why, gentlemen" he said, 'ff you only
knew how hard we try to please you. am
sure you would have a better feeling for
u.s.
1--WE wish you would give us dollar gas"
said a Commissioner.
mo man would rather do that than l."
rejoined Mr.. Leetch. 1.-The gas COM
pany is willing also, but we can't see our
way cle1r to do it,
''Why, that's peculiar" said one of the
triumvirate. somewhat surprised. 1T
seems to us it could be done"
I, I,,A Il L.
ters," interrupted the gas company's presi-
dent. I'VE have to pay from 10 to 10 per
cent more each year to produce it. The
Standard Oil Company have a monopoly
They won't make contract with us for
more than one year at a time, and, beside,
compel US to Go anything that they want.
AS an Illustration, we have been compelled
to erect two large tanks. with a capacity
Of 10000 gallons each. We had no option
in this. The company decided to ship by
water instead of by rail, and we had to
submit
You don't have to get oil from the
Standard Oil Company unless you want
to-, suggested one of the Commissioners.
Then how can We make gas?" replied
Mr.. i4eetch. 1.-The Standard Oil Com
paEy has monopoly Of the oil business
why, make it out of COAL The best gas
is made from COAL" said the Engineer
Commissioner.
ITS all very well to talk about reducing
the price of gas, but it cannot be done at
this time To reduce the price of gas to
one dollar per thousand cubic feet would
bankrupt the company" said the super
intendent, returning to The original propo-
sition.
Gus in Philadelphia.
How do you account for the fact that
Philadelphia furnishes gas to its citizens
lights the city streets and public buildings
pays all expenses and turns over big sur
plus to the city each year?'
"Oh. that's different" replied President
Leach hurriedly. philadelphia owns the
plant, uses state officers to do the work
and pays no taxes"
How much taxes does your company
pay?" queried the Commissioners.
About $4,000 annually
What is that on?"
"Why, on real estate and the capital
stock"
mo matter about that, the city of Phila-
last year.
And they charge exactly what you do
here for gas"
You are mistaken there. said Mr..
Leetch. 1.-The city of Philadelphia charges
$1-5O per thousand feet for gas, while our
company only charges 81 % nett
There was brief pause, when suddenly
cne of the Commissioners suggested that
perhaps Mr.. Leetch was mistaken, and Of
fered in evidence a report from Philadel-
phia, in which the price of gas was placed
at $1.25 per thousand cubic feet.
The Time Has Come for Cheaper Gus.
'Mr. Leach" said the Commissioners,
"the tendency all over the world is for
cheaper gas. Your company has long en-
jcyed a monopoly in this District, ani
made a great deal of money. 1t seems to
US that the time has come when you should
furnish the citizens with gas at the rate of
81 per thousand cubic feet"
Gentlemen, no matter how much We
might be inclined to comply with your
wishes, replied Supt Leetch, delib-
erately, cit could not be done without great
loss to US. reduction such as you sug-
geSt means an annual loss Of $225 900 in
our receipts, or 20 per cent of the entire re-
ceipts of the company. While you can
make money by supplying gas at $1.25, it is
an entirely different matter when you take
off % cents on every thousand cubic feet
supplied
you surely don't mean to say, Mr..
Leach" said the Commissioners, that you
couldn't make a fair dividend on dollar
gas"
mot for long time, SIR" was the reply.
"Our company is in favor of giving the
city the best article of gas as cheap as
possible. Personally 1 do not believe in
big dividends. A nice, honest, legitimate
business is all 1 want. We are in favor
just as early as possible, of meeting the
wants of the people of Washington"
An Attempt to Turn the Conversation.
The conversation was getting altogether