Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-01

stand very well why gentlemen are 80
| FESTIVE when this gas problem is struck
Mr. William A. Somewhat is the rea-
SEM"
Mr.. 'Grout-'If gentlemen will make a
comparison of the figures presented in this
BILL with the figures in the existing law, they
VIII see that we have made here a very
great reduction in the price of the gas which
| Is to be furnished to the public-a very great
reduction-and that accounts for all this
| Dustie when a proposition like this is made
ne gas company Is hurt. cannot myself
beneve that 1t is out of pure devotion to the
spirit OF the law or from a wonderful ad-
mlratlon and difference for the rules of the
Rouse IN their spirit as well as letter that
e erder mn are prompted to raise points of
| order on the provision which has now gone
out ana then to discourse learnedIy with
reference to the impossihility of executing
TINS provision If they Will look at the fg-
ures reported in this bill, they will see 1t is
provided that lamp which before cost
5000 shall now be furnished for SIG and
| that II shall be burned eight hundred and
some ood hours per year more than under
eAistinS law That is what this provision
amounts to when you figure it out; and who
Will say that this does not account for the
great care here displayed lest the rules of
lated?
we provide new schedule. which is no
longer the moon schedule, but from forty
nve minutes after dark to forty-five minutes
before daylight, and a the same time make
this reduction from 5000 per lamp to sic
per lamp. find that those gentlemen who
make objection here are now ready to con-
cede the provision as to price. but they evil
IDENTIFY want to avoid the feature Of compe,
tition. Sir, this bill has not yet been acted
on by the Senate, and returned from that
body In what shape it may come back here
as to the price OF gas no one knows. But,
sGpposing this competition clause be re-
moved, there are suits now pending in which
1t is contended that where a limit is fixed
the meaning is that the whole amount fixed
by the limit, and nothing less, shall be paid.
some lawyer has been SO wise as to plant a
suit upon that basis. Now, 1 believe that as
the result of the competition here proposed
instead of getting these lamps for SIG apiece,
we are likely to get them for $40 apiece:
They can be furnished at SO apiece, and
money made upon them. Gentlemen say
there is no company TO compete. But surely
II the company which my friend, the chair
man of the District committee, promises will
soon be brought into being, we shall then
have competition. 1t has been suggested
that the municipality should own the gas
plant and the electric plant and that might
be wise thing to do. Let me state what
has been the experience in the city Of Phila-
delphia. There the city owns the gas works;
and the streets and public buildings are
lighted. and gas furnished to the citizens at
81 thousand.
A Valuable Franchise.
Mr.. Mahon, in the course Of the debate
said: Il do not believe that the House
should give any company the right to come
and tear I'D the streets of this city. Your
parks are in darkness The magnificent
park around this building is in darkness
Let the District authorities-let the Con-
gress-authoriZe the authorities of the Dis
trtct or some authority to erect a great
electric plant; let the city or the District
own 1t and furnish commercial light as
other cities are doing, and put the revenues
into the treasury of the District of Co
lumbia.
MY objection is to putting in the hands
of the Commissioners this valuable fran
chise. Do you not know that there are
men in this country who would willingly
pay 100000 or $1,O0O,0 600 for a privilege that
Congress proposes to give away absolutely
without a dollar of compensation? You
give me the authority to authorize four in
dividuals or any number of individuals to
come and get permission from the District
commissioners to put gas and electric
mains through the streets and furnish
light and heat to this city, and l will guar
antee to get for you for the District
treasury million of dollars for the right
Attention was called by Mr.. Washington
to the fact that nothing had been paid for
franchise by the present gas company.
Mr.. Dingley said he wished to call the
attention of the chairman Of the commit
tee to danger that might be involved in
leaving the proviso as 1t now reads, after
the second proviso has gone out on the
point of order. AS it now stood the pro-
vision was:
Provided, further, That the entire service
of gas lighting authorized under this ap-
preparation shall be let, after due advertise
ment, to the lowest responsible bidder
therefor.
"supposing,'' said Mr.. Dingley, "and it is
entirely possible, that but one company,
they should put in a bid Of a dollar and a
half thousand or more, do you propose to
ccmpel the Commissioners to accept that
bid?"
81 think T can apsrar coyd Mr. rS,o,,.
If the gentleman will turn to the part
OF the bill above, where it reads that no
more than SIG per annum for each street
lamp shall be paid for gas, &c, he will
because the whole must be read together,
but if the gentleman thinks that is in
sufficient We have not the slightest OBJ
lection to making it perfectly plain"
sle, Electric Light Injunctions.
Mr.. Dockery defended the action of the
committee. He said the existing COM
panies today. under seeming authority of
law, exercise the sinister privileges Of
monopoly, and because company has
recently had the temerity, under charter
from the state Of West Virginia, to enter
this D0trict to compete with the existing
electric light company, it is piled with in
functions now three deep" in the courts.
the United States Electric Light Company
claiming that 1t has the sole privilege of
let us understand the contention I con-
cede there is soma force in the suggestion
of the gentlemen who oppose granting new
charters l admit their sincerity when they
insist that it is sound public policy to con-
troll these corporations by regulating rates
of compensation rather than by the author
iZation of competition.
Our position, Mr.. Chairman, is this:
We would regulate both as to rates by ex-
press provision Of law, and also by invit-
ing that wholesome competition which ex-
lists or should exist everywhere. Now I'M
less gentlemen on both sides of the cham
ber-for this is question not clouded with
partisan considerations-are willing that the
gas and electric light companies shall con-
tinue to exercise an unchallenged monopoly.
they ought to leave these provisos in the
BILL amended as suggested by the dis
tinguished gentleman from Maine (Mr.
Dingley), and then let us go to the Senate
and fight out this battle with the Senate
for cheaper gas and cheaper electric lights
in the national capital. This is the issue. -
After some further discussion the com
mittee rose without having come to any
conclusion.
THE COURTS.
Probate Court-Judge Hagner
In re orphans Of VIM H. McReady: De-
0yynA