The morning times., 1896-03-18

a great deal more than the company does
! in Washington; they re selling Ii at 81.
! The Philadelphia company sells about four
times as much as the Washington company
| does; they are selling at 81. The Pittsb burg
] company sells at 81, but not quite as much
| as we do
The Chairman-There has been consoll
dation of The gas companies in Chicago, has
| there not?
Mr.. McIlhenny-Yes, sir: believe they
sell at 81 there. They have consolidation
in Chicago; that is known as the Chicago
| gas trust.
CHICAGO GAS TRUST.
The Chairman-There are three or four
companies consolidated, il L remember
correctly?
Mr.. McIlhenny-Yes. Five altogether.
But what ] have said is true, that there is
| no such thing as the existence OF competing
J gas companies in any cities in this country.
One company in il city may furnish gasto
consumers at one price, and another at
another; but they have backlists, SO that if
| q man does not pa 3 his bill TO one company
I the other company viii not furnish gas
to him.
Senator Harris-Do you know whether
or not these dollar gas companies Of which
you have spoken have paid, and re pay
ing dividends; If so, about what?
Mr.. McIlhenny-The Pittsburg company
! has paid dividends at one dollar, no doubt:
WE do not know how much. But the Phi!a-
delphia company is not making anything
like enough 10 pay interest on its capital
| / DO not think the Boston company s either.
know their bonds are selling at a very
! low figure.
The Chairman-Is not That because they
| have very large capital stock, watered
| stock, to great extent?
Mr.. McIlhenny-I DO not know about
the watered stock. They have built very
I ,axt .,sll
cost to it. have no doubt. however, that
| the stock has been watered, but / would
| not like TO assert it.
| Senator Galiinger-There is certa iniy
not much doubt as TO that concerning the
| Bay State Company.
Mr.. McIlhenny-Fcry likely.
PRICES OF COAL.
Senator Faulilner-What is the differ
ence between the price of coal in Pitts
| burg and here?
Mr.. McIInenny-Coal in Pittsburg sells
at about 81 a ton, from S1.10 to $500.
Senator Gibson-Are there not reasons
why gas must necessarily he manufac-
tured at greater cost in Washington
than in any other city in the United States?
Mr. McIlhennyI do not know that it
| would do 10 say greater than in any other
| city. On the Pacific coast coal is very
nies there have TO charge higher prices
| for gas than we do. But there is no city
on the Atlantic coast, I think. where 1t
| costs more TO make gas than il does in
| Washington.
Senator Galliuger-Is not labor very
/ cheap here?
| Mr.. McIlhenny-No. The gas people
| are paying very high wa yes.
Senator GaIlinger-What factors are there
entering into the cost OF the manufature OF
gas here as compared with other cities?
| Mr.. McIihenny-One or the troubles here
| In making gas is that we have no yaiua bic
manufacturing plants In this city. In man
ufacturing cities like Cleveland Detroit and
/ Pitisi5dTg the coke is yaiua bic and can be
| used in the arts and manufacturing. TIE
| tar and ammoniacal liquor are worth more
there Than they are here.
! Senator ProctoF-What kind OF coal do
/ you use?
Mr. McIihenny-W Virginia coal and
/ PENNSYLVANIA coal.
Senator Proctor You say Pennsylvania
| coal: what brand or kind?
Senator Faulkner He means whether
| hard or soft.
Mr. McIlhenny-Ia making water gas au-
| thracite coal is used exclusively. In making
coal ga 5 the West Virginia gas coalsareused.
! The Pittsburg or Youghiogheuy Goals are
| used III connect ioR with West Virginia Goals
| Senator Proctor-In what proportion do
! you use these different Goals?
| Mr.. McIlhenny-ThatI could not tell you.
! / think the Pennsylvania Goals are used
| mostly.
Senator Proctor BY Pennsylvania do you
! mean anthracite?
Mr.. McIlbeHny-So, sir / mean the
| Peuns ylyania gas Goals, " hat wo call
/ YUughiogheny basin coal.
Senator Proctor-You do not use very
| much anthracite then?
MIR. McIihenny-0h, yes there is q great
| deal of il used. Il is used for making
| water gas exclusively.
Senator Proctor-About what proper
! ton in water gas?
| Mr. McIIGeuny-A two-thirds is wa
| ter gas made in this city, and oBe-third
coal gas.
Senator Proctor--Do you use more OF
! the anthracite than you do OF the soft
/ coal?
Mr. McIlhcGny-Nc, sir; because it does
| not take so much anthracite TO produce
| ] 900 feet as itdoeS OF the bitaniGous, for
the reason that the oil is the basis OF the
/ water gas. 1t is not gas coal. The other
] is just fuel to make heat; it is only fuel;
just like we have 10 have fuel to make
steam under a boiler.
The Cbalrmau-You have examined this
Rose Hastings process of making gas,
| have you?
Mr.. MciIhenny-Oh, yes.
The Chairman-Do you think that gas
can he made any cheaper under this pro-
| cess than under your process? y
| Mr.. McIIhenny-I think not, sir. l hon
esty think not. They simply use soft
coal, where we use anthracite. That is
| the explanation. ! would say that gas
] making, like making everything else, de-
| pends very largely upon the locality. If gas
! is made in locality where anthracite costs
( S6 or 81 q ton, or even, perhaps, So ton,
! they might use the Rose astines pro
| cess and use the coke that is produced.
/ we buy coke to make this water gas. and
| put it in and make fuel OF it. 1t is simply
| fuel for producing gas. Every one
| knows that air is destructive to the ilumi-
| mating power of gas. One per cent OF
| air destroys per cent of Illuminating gas
! effectually, and 40 per cent completely
| destroys it. In the process of growing
up, il they use soft coal the air
| in that drives into the generators and has
a bad effect on the Illuminating qualities
of the gas. l really think that anthracite
coal, costing anywhere around between
/ So and Sd, is the cheapest.
Mr.. Sands-What do you pay for btu
minous coal here?
Mr.. Mcflhenny-About $500.
| Mr. Sands-Do you not think it possible
| to get it for less than that here?
WORKING TO THAT END.
| Mr.. McIlhenny-we are making efforts
! all the time to get it cheaper. But
| really could not answer that question cate
| gorically. We are making efforts in the
| company ali the time to get coal for less
| price. Mr.. Winship, who knows about