Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-21

L.
To the Editor of The Evening Star:
In the report of Senator kyles remarks
on the gas bill In The Star he is rep
resented as giving me as authority for
the statement that the adoption OF the
new standard, as proposed by the Senate
committees amendments, will not improve
or change the quality of the gas. That is
practically true, but he does not need to
rely on my statement, as The same Is
shown by the statements of the president
OF the gas company and its hired ex-
perts, Love and White, both in 1856 and
now.
On page SO of the testimony in the
Spooner investigation President Mcllhenny
stated that he had Prof. Love of New
York test the gas here with the fat-name
burner, the same that the Senate amend
ment substitutes for the present Argand
burner, and that by this fiat flame burner
1t rated as twenty-five candle power. He
repeats the statement more at length on
pages u and I3. On page 70 he says:
Our gas when tested with this flat
flame burner showed a difference of eight
candles" And again he says: 'If we had
the privilege of testing by some burners
we could make it twenty-four candles"
This statement was repeated over and
over again at the hearing Of the gas COM
pany before the Senate committee this
session by Messrs. McIlhenny. Love and
White, Whereupon Senator Gallinger re-
marked, Then if we change the burner for
testing 1t. as the company asks, the pres
ent gas will rate as twenty-four candle
power gas; SO there was no misapprehen-
sion or misunderstanding Of the fact that
the quality Of the gas would not be chang
ed materially.
The House bill requires twenty-four-
candle-power gas tested by the present
standard-an Argand burner having fifteen
holes and a seven-inch chimney burning
five feet per hour, which standard was
adopted from the English by Senator Nor
TIL and embodied in the act of 1872, and
has been the standard ever since.
The Senate amendment ostensibly raises
the candle power to twenty 'ix-tWo more
than the House bill, but as 1t also changes
the burner by which 1T Is to be tested
from the Argand to the 1at-fiame burner,
| which, as Mr.. McIlhenny and the two eX-
perts say, will make the present gas rate
as tWenty-four or twenty-five candle power,
1T will be seen not only that there will be
no material change in the gas. but that If
the Senate amendment be finally adopted
we will have gas six or seven candle power
less than we would have if the House bill
were adopted.
1t is very nice scheme in the interest
| of the gas company. but, as shown by the
gas company and it's experts, the public,
while paying for so-called twenty-siX-can-
dle-poWer gas, will get practically the
same gas as now. at most not more than
one or two candle power higher
not1ce IN the debate the reason assigned
for changing the standard was that it
was an Anticipated affair. 1t is the same
that has been in use in England ever since
a standard was required by law; the only
change that has been made is to use a
| burner having more holes-twenty instead
OF fourteen-and it was by this twenty-hole
Argand burner that the pure coal gas sold
| in the principal cities Of England for an
| average Of GO cents per 1000 feet, as pub
lished in The Star Of May 5, Is tested.
There cfo r1 A1Gpuhara
the United States. the only standard being
such as may be agreed upon in the con-
tracts between the various gas companies
| and the cities. In New York they vary
from twenty-four to thirty-one candle pow
er by the flat-fame burner.
I desire to state also that while numer-
Gus hearings We're given by the Senate
committee to both the gas company and
the advocates Of the proposed new com
pany, no hearing was given to the citizens
committee. l asked for five minutes time
to explain about the standard and was
not given 1t or permitted to say a word on
the subject of the bill. w. c. DODGE.