The morning times., 1895-11-16
Gas ONLY SIXTY CENTS
Total Cost of Manufacture to
the Washington Company.
BUT $50 PER CENT Is CHARGED
Calculations of the Board of Trade
Committee We're Based Upon
Misleading Statement of the Com
pany's-Report to the Secretary of
Interior Disclosed the Difference.

discovery which was made yestertlay y 1t
the Interior Department shows that as
far back as 1898 the legitimate cost OF
manufacturing gas was only 60 cents per
thousand feet, instead OF &c 1-2 cents per
thousand, the proper calcula ton on the
basis of the figures furnished by the Wash
ington Gaslight Company to Congress. 1t
Will be recalled that when a committee OF
the business men of this city asked the
Washington Gaslight Company for ia Ia on
which to estimate the cost OF gas here as
compared with other cities, the officers
of mat company referred the inquirers to
the Congressional reports.
Acting on these reports, the special com
calculations, the conclusions of which were
vigorously applauded by the members of
the board.
PAYMENTS FOR COAL
One of the indisputable points was from
the showing of the company itself, that
the cost could not have been more than
sixty-six and a half cents per thousa nd
feet. For this they charge S1.25 per
thousand TO people VINO can pay promptly
aud 81 so to people VIII o are behind in their
payment as mucn as eight days
The Washington Gashght Company is
obliged TO make to the Secretary OF the
Interior each year report as TO the con-
tracts they make for coal. The last OBJ
lainable reports were for the year 1893,
Notwithstanding the fact that The COM
pany had filed report for 1894, on May
"a, and no information was offered by the
company as TO that important tact.
In the report OF 1893 the CCst Of coal
was put down by the company at s Si53,000
and on this basis the special committee OF
the board or trade with other data made
the cost OF production to be siXty-siN and
q half cents per th6dsaDd feet.
On the 24th of May, 1894, President Nc
Lean OF the company, sent 10 the Interior
a statement, signed by c. B. Bailey, sec
retary; and John Leech, general manager
of the company; as follows:
ENOUGH FOR TWO YEARS.
ITO the Honorable the Secretary of the
Interior In accordance with the act of
Congress regulating gas works, approved
port that the contracts tor bituminous coal
made in 1893 were so large that we have
made none other since our letter of
May 10, 1898, save and except for
5000 tons uf NestmUreland iuughy coal
at 81. This Increases the average price
from S3.97 53-100 to S3.e7 71-10O."
This increase, little as 1T was, was big
enough to indicate that at least ON the
score of the price of coal there would
be no reason Tor the reduction of the
price for gas.
1t will be noted, however, that the
special committee, not having the infor-
nation contained in this report of 1894,
proceeded ON the basis that the S153 900
Tor coal was for one year, whereas 1t
was for two years as the company made
contracts in 1898 To cover that year and
1894.
One of the committee, with these facts
before him, made the calculations yeSter.
thousand feet, as above stated. The man
who pays the 81 so for gas pays exactly
one hundred and fifty per cent. more than
the cost of gas to the company.