The morning times., 1896-03-18

benny, that the coke which. results, / sup
pose, in your works after the gas is ex
ira cted, has better safe in manufacturing
cities than in Washington, and that gas
companies in those manufacturing cities
get better prices, whifc you find it diff
cult to get rid of your coke at any price:
Mr.. McIlhenny-I will explain that. The
first thing in making water gas is 10 aseer-
tain how not 10 make so much coke and
to produce gas Of higher candle power,
anuthey found that when they Were making
only one-;hird OF the gas out OF coal and
coke the product was very hard to sell.
The clfairman-We should now like to
hear from the president OF the Georgetown
Gaslight Company in regard TO the actual
price OF coal.
STATEMENT OF Mr.. WIN SHIP.
Mr. Winship-Mr Chairman, shall say
what l have to say as representing the
Georgetown ,Gaslight Company, as well
as coal merchant? / would rather take
it all at the same time, If that lie the
pleasure of the committee.
The Chairman-No, / think not An we
want at present from you is the price OF
coal. You say you deal III coal?
AIR. Wnshp-I am coal merchant.
The Chairman re want you to give us
tbe actual cost OF coal The other ques-
tions we shall have TO take up at the
next meeting.
Mr. inship-Ifthe gentleman, Mt Sands.
VIII haud me that letter he read, think
] can state that in about two seconds.
About "a year ago this gentleman, repre-
senting the firm OF Golfer & Huff came
TO see me, representing my house, Mere
dith. winship & Co, ard represented to
me that he was not only cOai maB, but
that ne was a member OF Congress. /
held at that time the coal contract with
the Washington Gasiight Company and
the Georgetown Gaslight company, and
/ have held il for many years.
Why Because L. as coal merchant,
could furnish the ceal for less money than
anybody else. ] and my facilities were
part and parcel OF a system of tranSporta
tion from the mines to the gas WORKS
This same Mr. Huff came 10 me To obtain
from ne portion OF this very coal supply
for the Washington GaSlight Company
After talking ana talking and talking and
talking, / said: Huff, what can you deliver
for?'
COST OF COALLAID DOWN
He finally agreed to furnish me the
eoal for the use OF the Washington Gas
light Company and the Georgetown Gas
light Company, delivered on the cars on
the tracks OF the Pennsylvania Railroad
for SO go a ton. He stated TO me, what
and every coal man in the community know
TO be fact, that the cost of transporta tiDn
from WeStmereland county to the city of
Washington is So so q ton. / defy any man
or any concern, to bring pound OF coal
by the Pennsylvania Railroad or by the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from West
moreland county for gas purposes unless
they pay So 80 ton, freight, and freight
only Since this question has been raised
any merchant knows these facts: Go to
the Pennsylvania Railroad and ask them
for schedule OF their freight rates TO
Washington on gas coal, and you will
find that the schedule rate is So 90 per
ton of 2240 pounds. 10 To the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad and ask The same
question, and there you viii see that
their schedule rate is 81 so per ton Of
2.240 pounds OF coal 10 this very locality
The city or Washington.
Now Ia Ike the class or coal that enters
into the manufacture, OF gas. 1t is not
such coal as this. They require The very
best qualities of YoughIogheay or West
Virginia coal, screened through an inch
and a half screen, and tue price OF that
coal at the mouth OF the pit is1oday SI-10
per ton. You know ii, Mr. Chairman, and
every merchant and every business man
knows it, O.
CHARACTER OF COAL.
The ceal that they aretaIking about here
today is steam coal, not gas coal, not the
coal that enters into The production OF
Illuminating gas in the city of Washington.
II Mr.. Huff brings that coal here TO the
city OF Washington, and the Penns ylYania
Railroad Company, or the B. & o. Rail-
road Company or any other railroad com
pany finds it out that it is being used for
gas purposes, they VIII find out that they
have got to pay $3.50 per ton for it, or
else they can't get it at all. They will
find that they cannot get car
Senator Galiinger-Do these railroad com
panies discriminate as between one kind
of coal and another kind in the matter of
freight rate?
Mr.. Winship-I am telling you the facts
and | state 10 you. Us o merchant and
coal man, that ! sell on the market nearly
a million tons Of coal a year. and ! am
perfectly familiar with the whole business.
Senator GaliingeT-BGt want to under
stand this. Does the Penns ylvauia Rail
road Company or does the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad Company charge more for
carrying 2. 80 pounds of one kind of coal
than il docs for carrying the same amount
Of another kind?
Mr.. Winship-Cnquesti they do.
All you have got to do is TO go o any rail
| road and get It's schedule to find that ont
There is no secret about ID: il is known
to every coal dealer in the United States
Senator Gdllinger-What is the distance
from the point where they convey this
coal from 10 Washington?
hIr. Winship-It is about $50 miles.
Senator GalIinger- What do they charge
on ordinary coal as against $3.50 for gas
coal?
FREIGHT RATES AN ITEM.
Mr. Winship-If the coal was to be used
for steam purposes the freight would be in
the nelghborhood of 81. 80. but If it isto be
used for gas purposes the freight is $3.50
per ton. That is the very point that en-
ters into this matter. This is not qucs-
ton of difference of cost as between this
City and the city of Chicago, but the ques-
ton is as TO what it costs to produce gas
here in the city OF Washington.
Mr.. McIlhenny-Mr. Thomas T. Worrell
is here. He has been referred to III this
hearing today.
The Chairman What is his connection
with this question?
Mr.. Mcilhenny He is president of the
West Chester Gas Company.
The Chairman We shall be glad 10 hear
from him. l did not know he was here.
STATEMENT OF MR.. THOMAS 2. WoR-
RELL.
Mr.. Worreli-I should like 10 tel the
committee. with your permission, Mr.
Chairman, percisely how il happened that
the National Heat andiPower Companys
process is used in West Chester.
Senator Fauikner-Are you president of
that company?
Mr. Worrell-I am.
Senator Faulkper-Now?
Mr.. Worrell-Yeg-notG or the National
Heat and Power Company, but | am
president OF the West ChesterGas Company.
Senator Fauikper-P roceed.
Mr.. Worfell-In 1902 it was suggested
TO ne that the stock OF the West chesterGas
LII