The morning times., 1896-02-13


of New York, came here he found that
the gas rated here at 8 candles would be
rated by his standard at about 26 4-1O
he was the gas inspector for the city OF
New York. When you have gas here rated
at 8 candles, which is about the usual
standard of il. the usual quality OF It, you
will find that the gas, according to the
New York rating, is about 81 or 2s candles
OF course there are times when people
complain OF gas, and times when they
justly complain. There are times when
the services are stopped up, or when cold
weather comes and produces napbtlialine
in the pipes, or something of that kind,
when the flow cannot be maintained. But
] baye seen on one side of fixture a poor
gas light and on the other side very fine
one.
The Cnairmam-what kind of coal do you
use here?
Mr. McIIhcnny-we use Pennsylvania and
Virginia bituminous coal, the richest gas
Goals in the country.
Mr.. Richardson--Do you use any anthra-
cite coal here at all?
Mr.. McJlhenny-A nthracite is used in the
process OF making water gas. tits the fuel
for producing water gas. but in making
coal gas it is the rich bituminous Goals that
are used. ] would like to impress this upon
you-that the cost of producing gas is a
great deal more here than it is almost any
where else in the country. Men are paid
larger wages here at the gas works. That
has grown here from time to time. Coal
costs more, and, above all, the residuals
are nearly valueless. These residuals have
a certain value in England and in Germany.
Germany is the country where the residuals
are best taken care of.
THE RESIDUALs. r
Mr.. Richardson-Name them, please.
am notaneXpert and do not know what they
are.
Mr.. McIlhenny-The first is coke then tar,
then ammonacal liquor. Ammonia cal liquor
is converted into the salts of ammonia, and
becomes the basis of fertilizers, and that is
exhaustively treated all through Europe.
We have NOT got at it yet i'll this country.
II these residuals were worth as much here
as they are in the west. for instance, any
where west of the Allegheny mountains, we
would gladly reduce the price of gas TO 81;
and yet we would make a fair return.
Ii was not the quality of the gas in that
case that was a fault; it was the quality of
the burner. People neglect their burners TO
great extent, and suffer for their neglect
in that particular. / know, too. that any
complaint that is made by consumer is
diligently and at once attended To by the
gas company here. Weare Exceedingly anx-
ious to have an opportunity to do something
for the people in that line; but like all peo-
pie who are managing any business, we
want to make little profit out OF it. we
want TO make good profit out of it. One
of the troubles in this city is that the value
of the plant far exceeds the value of the
company's capital. The charter confines
thecapitaltoS2 600 900. but there is great
deal more than that spent here There has
been twice that amount spent here. should
think, on the plant. II we were allowed to
capitalize this plant up to its value, as is
done nearly everywhere else
Mr.. Hulick-You mean its cost value?
Mr.. McIlhenny-Yes; the actual cost
there would be no talk about these excess
sive dividends. People would get three or
four or five or six per cent year. and
would be contented, because it would be
upon the actual valuation OF the plant. If
the original money that was put into the
sand dollars, had been put into lands here
in Washington who would have complained
| of the man who had sold his land for more
than he bought it for fifty years ago? If
these people had put their money into land,
tit would have been-worth far more than the
stock of this company. Is it fair to say
| that the people who hold the stock of this
company shall not reap some benefit from
the prosperity OF this great city?
| Mr.. Hulick-When is that to end?
THEY WANT TINE.
Mr.. McIlhenny--It willend by cutting the
price down. The price has been cut down
| from time TO time, as told you from S4
until it is now SIPS. We, as, gas men,
know that il has not reached the bottom,
but we want time TO make these improve
ments TO meet it.
| Mr.. Huick-How much time?
Mr. McIlhenny-That cannot tell.
| Mr.. Huhck-This is a practical question
| that we have TO meet, whether it shall be
done today, or next year, or in ten years.
| Mr.. McIlhenny-ft may be done next
| year, but it is not likely, on account of
| the fact that the prices of materials and
! the cost III making gas have increased in
! the ldSI year very L luS price
OF oil has gone up from about 8 cents a
| gallon to cents gallon.
Mr. Hulick-How about coal? Is not coal
cheaper than it was year ago?
Mr.. McIlhenny-I do not know whether
| it is buying for less or not. / think it is
about $4 or 1895 per ton this year. 1t has
| been ranging at about 81 for u great many
years. 1 am glad you asked that question.
In places like Pittsburg you can get coal
| from 8 cents to dollar. All the lake ports,
like Detroit, have a great advantage over
| Washington in getting the coal. They buy
coal there at from 50 TO So. Is, and some
coal as low as $1.95. / got a telegram the
other day informing ME that a contract had
been made for coal at $2.17 for a Western
! city.
MR.. LEETCH'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. John Leetch, general manager of the
Washington Gaslight Company. then said
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the com
nittee, ! have hastily made a short state
ment of actual facts relative to the business
of the year Se5 of the Washington Gas
light Company,
Mr.. Richardson-What position do yoJ
hold?
Mr.. Leetch--I am the general mana ger OF
the washington Gaslight Company. and
have been for the last three years.
Mr. Richardson-What is tue POSITION OF
Mr. McIlhenny;is is he president?
Mr.. Leetch--No, Mr.. Mclean is president
Mr. McIlhenny-I am consulting engineer
of the company.
!, Mr. Leetch-I would refer, before pre-
sentng this short statement, to some oil
the statements that have been made as tC