Evening star., 1896-02-12
about soo. 100000 cubic feet for private con-
sumption.

Public Lamps.
The District government pays us 5000
per lamp per year, each lamp to burn 5000
hours. cubic feet per hour. or $1,000 cubic
feet Of gas per year. After deducting cost
of maintaining lamps. namely, lighting,
cleaning. extinguishing and repairing, which
is over $4.50 per lamp per annum 1t will be
seen that the remaining SIG Is the net
amount for the $4,000 feet of gas burned, or
80 cents per 1.O0O The company receives
8 5-S cents per night for each lamp, less all
expenses. I
Cost of COal.
The average price for gas Goals used by us
during the year 1895 was 1894 per ton. Com
pare this with Pittsburg, Pa, where it is
sold the companies for less than 81: Cincin-
nati from 81 to 81. .25 per ton; Detroit, about
s1.75 per ton.
In most of northern cities coal is from 80
cents to 81 less than In Washington. Our
present contract for gas Goals, as made in
1898, comprises about 3S, 600 tons of gas COAL
from 5000 to 10000 tons of anthracite and
about 5000 tons of steam coal. We have no
assurance that we can duplicate the con-
tract for the same price.
Bituminous Goals used by this company
are: Youghiogheny. Pa, cost $500. net, per
ton; West Virginia, Monangah 49, so net
per ton: West Virginia, Despard, s. so, net
per ton. Anthracite Goals delivered at east
station, $3.50 per ton; anthracite Goals de-
uSeTeu AT west station, Sf.ZJ per ton.
The average cost of 1891 tons of coal
now In our bins is 1874 per ton.
Nnphthn.
Naphtha is the only enricher that can
produce the high candle power demanded at
| the present time. Our contract for this ma
terial expires in July. The price suggested
for a limited contract is about 40 per cent
more than we now pay, which advance
would increase the cost of about two-thirds
OF our entire production, seven cents per
LOCO cubic feet over 1885,
Rcsfdunls.
Coke, tar and ammoniacal liquor find
poor market in Washington. In many cit
les companies realize from 25 per cent to I'D
| per cent more than we can get. We re-
ceive for coke from 81 to @ cents Der
| hushel, limited sales
| Tar Is sold for less than three cents per
| gallon.
! Ammoniacal liquor brought us in less
than 3d. 400 in 1895.
| Extension of Mains.
| Owing to the extensive use Of asphalt for
| street pavements in Washington, ard the
great width of many of the avenues and
streets. the cost Of laying mains is in
creased from three to five times more than
the same work would cost where there is
brick or cobblestone used, and the District
| government reserves the righ. to make re-
| pairs to all other brick pavements.
BY an United States statute we are
| bound TO lay gas mains wherever streets
| are improved on order of the Commission
ers, and where streets are OF unusual
width, main on each side, at a large ex-
penditure of money without reasonable
| hope of compensation until such improved
| streets are occupied.
1t is only necessary to call the attention
of business men to the problems presented
| to the management Of the gas company in
| fnflIra Nd ha 4
| ties in the way of making much reduction
| in the present price of gas.
Cost of replacing street pavements when
| cut: Sheet asphalt, So per square yard
| granite blocks, $l.35 per square yard; COB
| biestone, 40 cents per square yard.
Effect of Reduction in Price.
| Taking the above as a basis of eXpendi-
ture for one year in the production and
distribution of. say, 9O0OO0,0o0 cubic feet
! Of gas, it will be readily seen that any con-
siderable reduction from the present price
Of gas, as now charged for private con-
sumption and for street lghting-viz: ST.
net per 1000 cubic feet for private con-
| sumption and 5000 per lamp per annum
| for street lighthg-would result in serious
| loss to th0gas company. AS, for example
| suppose that your honorable committee
after full investigation into all matters
| pertaining to the price of gas in Washing
ton as compared to prices charged both FOL
public and private uses, with a careful
comparison of all the circumstances and
conditions pertaining thereto should de
eide to report that hereafter, say for the
term Of five years, the price of gas r
Washington city furnished by the Wash
ington Gas Light Company shall not ex.
ceed S1-23 gross less 10 cents per 1,00t
cutic feet discount If paid within seven
days from date of bill
From this you will readily see that II
cents reduction would reduce the net re-
ceipts the basis of a consumption OF
a00,o00,000 cubic feet s90,0o0, and the re-
duction of the gross charge of sl.50 as now
per 1000 cubic feet, to $1.25 gross, would
make On the aggregate about $780, o0a Thi.
amount of loss is upon the presumption
that the present price, 5000, for stree
lighting, remain now. To reduce the
price as suggested in the bill before you Il
81 per 1890 cubic feet would result in 9
loss to the gas company, on the above basi.
of output, to s225000 per annum, thus alb
sorbing the entire amount necessary to pay
the dividend on the capital stock, and S25
900 of the sum required to pay interest OF
the bonded indebtedness.
Mr.. Leach, in concluding, assured tn,
committee that the gas company woult
be glad to permit the committee to in
spect its books at any time, but would no
throw them open to public inquisition OF
the part Of unauthorized persons. Witt
this the hearing came to a close.
T.&