The Washington times., 1895-03-12

Cial Champion
President Tucker then read report of his
work inan individual capacity inthe attempt
TO procure cheap gas in the District,
While reading the report Mr.. Tucker INDUCED
in explanatory remarks, especially as to the
claim OF the Washington Gaslight Company
that it's NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ofseryicehadre-
duced its profits He criticised what he
termed injudicious and unnecessary extern
sions, upon the ground that this course was
pursued in order that its dividends may not
appear To be too large.
REPORT OF Mr.. TUCKER.
MT fuckers report was as follows:
Washington. D. c., March II
Gentlemen OF the Northeast Washington
Citizens Association:
Having represented the association on
numerous occasions in performance Of my
duty as chairman of your committee on
proposed legislation by Congress ard other
] wise in support Of resolutions adopted by the
+ ASSOCIATION faYOring reduction in the price
/ OF gas ard general bcttement in the serv-
I ice in the District of Columbia and in support
! OF II. L. Bill No. 4279. which provides for
I a reduction in the price OF gas 10 ST per
4 900 cubic feet, an increase in candle
! power, etc, and having been called upon 10
/ investigate statements and figures which
i had been submitted by representatives OF the
! Washington Gaslight Company bearing
upon the subject, ] am impeled by a sense
] OF duty TO submit a report OF the action of
your committee ana the result OF my personal
/ Investigations.
THE association has been represented by
a subcommittee from your committee on
proposed legislation at numerous public
! hearings on this subject by the Comm on
ers the House Of Representatives Committee
! on the District of Columbia. and a sub com
mittee ofthe Senate Committee onthe District
| OF Columbia having the said b n under con
| sideratiOn. Reports have heretofore been sub
mtted to the association relative 10 all Of
| said hearings except the last hearing by the
Senate sub-com mittee on January 24
I 1895. / will therefore confiDe my report
to that hearing and TO my subsequent in
| vestigation.
INVESTIGATED THE FIGURES.
"0n that occasion Senator Faulkner
called my attention TO exhibits Nos. 4,
., 6, and Z, on pages so and 81, in the
report Of the investigation by the House
of Representative committee, said eX
hibits covering the business operations
Of the company for the years from 1889
to 1892, inclusive. and inquired If ! con-
sideTed those figures and statements TO be
]
given the figures careful consideration,
as / supposed they had been thoroughly
invest igated by the House co mmittee
prior TO submitting its report, and having
no means of investigating the statements
OF the officials Of the company, we were
compelled TO depend upon their veracity,
! which / had no reason TO doubt.
THE Senator then asked: Assuming
the figures and statements TO be correct
do you see how ii would be possible for
the company TO furnish gas at 81 per 1000
feet and provide a sinking fund for its
bonded Indebtedness / answered that
there would be no difficulty about providing
for the bonded indebt edness, as the com
pany could Issue new bonds at the ma
turity OF the old ones, probably at a lower
rate of interest, or the capital stock could
be increased sufficiently to liquidate
the entire Indebtedness, and in my opinion
if the company did not make unnecessary
extensions TO its works, it would be able to
make the 20 per cent. reduction provided
for in the bill
Il called the Senator's attention to the
fact that in the exhibits mentioned this
item is very large, varying from $4,000
TO $l65, 600, and that it seemed that the
company makes unnecessary extensions il
order to swell its expense account, so that
the profits of the company viii not appear
too large. A representative Of the company
stated that the Commissioners have author
ity under the law TO order and compel the
company to make extensions whenever a
street is to be improved, and that recently
the company had been required to lay mains
through a subdivision where there was moi
a building.
y then mentioned the fact that main
had recently been extended TO Takoma Park
at a very large expense, which, according
TO the statement of one of the officials OF
the company, supplies only twenty six con-
sumers; this extension was not ordered by
the Commissioners, and while it was de-
sired and asked for by some of the residents
ofthe park, it was notlaid for that reason.
REASON FOR THE EXTENSION.
1.-The obvious reason for making this
costly extension was that a new company
was about to erect plant to furnish gas to
the park and neighboring suburbs. 1t
would appear from this that the 20 900
consumers Of gas in Washington city are
compelled to pay 20 per cent. more for gas
in order to enable the company TO make un-
/ necessary or injudicious extensions to pre-
vent opposition. After several other ques-
tions had been asked and answered, Sena-
tor Faulkner requested me to examine the
| figures contained in the report of the inves-
tigation and to consult with him al a subse-
quent date.
1.-The examination of the figures resulted
III Tue QlStDNtlS Ol seNtIdl cIIOIS. clit VI tuc
most important being in exhibit No. 4, in
which the gross expense of furnishing 600
cubic feet of gas is stated to be 81 SO,
whereas the actual expense (usfDg the
figures submitted by the company is but
81. 80. After calling the Senator's at
tention TO the large item contained i'll the
exhibits known as ''Street lamp distribu-
ton, office, and general expense account, y
amounting to about $125 600, and which
considered needed investigation, presented
the following statement, which is based
upon the figures submitted by the president
OF the company in his testimony before
the House Committee for the year 1898,
which statement shows conclusively that
the company can furnish gas at 81 per
] 600 cubic feet. pay its interest and
dividends, and still have a surplus
1T CAN FURNISH CHEAPER GAS
Receipts for the year 1898, exclusive
of street lamps, S., ole, ,142. 10; 20 per cent.
reduction on the above, S203. OPS ~;
receipts at proposed reduced rate, $s12.-
1855; expenses exclusive OF street lamps