Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-17
There May Be Compromise in the
Senate District Committee.
BAKER OF KANSAS MAKES SUGGESTION
A Majority Seems to Favor $I.I5
Per Thousand Feet.
OTHER DISTRICT MATTERS

District committee of the Senate this morn
irg. 1t was hoped that this question, which
has become almost perennial. would be set
tied definitely at today's session of the
committee, but the hope was fleeing and
void of fruition. When the committee met,
the dollar gas forces We're robbed of one
of their strongest fighters, Senator Proctor
of Vermont, who had been called away
from the city on urgent business. Those
who were present at the meeting were
Senators Mcmillan, Gallnger. Baker, Wet
more. Harris. Faulkner, Gibson. Smith,
Martin and Bacon. Senator Hansbrough
has not yet returned from North Dakota,
and Senator Pritchard left the city yester-
day for North Carolina, so that the gas
company had all the advantage of the
situation. Notwithstanding the fact that
Senator Proctor left his vote by proxy for
the dollar gas bill
The early part of the session was devoted
to miscellaneous matters on the committee
calendar and when those had been disposed
of the gas bill was taken up as usual, as
the chief bone of contention. The discus
sion was animated and prolonged. So all
sorbed did the Senators become in the con-
troversy that they did not notice the fight
of time, and it was 12:2O when the sound
of two bells, the Senate signal for a call of
quorum in the chamber, broke up the
meeting, and left the gas question ursct-
tied. Before adjournment, however 1t was
agreed that the question should be taken
up again next Friday, but there was no
definite arrangement that a conclusion
would be reached at that time.
A Compromise Suggested.
There was some surprise felt by the
friends of the bill who are opposed to any
other measure Senators Mcmillan. Wet
more and Bacon, when Senator Baker of
Kansas made the suggestion that a COM
nrnn,iCa hn do ha hoe
out Of the difficulty. He pointed out the
fact that the committee was divided in
opinion. and he urged it as his belief tina,
1t was not fair to the company to compel
a sudden reduction of twenty-five cents a
thousand, or twenty per cent, in the price
of gas. He therefore proposed that the
bill should be amended so as to make the
retail price Of gas $1.15 a thousand instead
of S.25, as at present, and 81, as proposed
by the bill His view was shared by Sena-
tor Gallinger. who has been heretofore
classed as friend of dollar gas. and by
Senator Smith, who Is avowedly friend of
the gas company and an opponent oc the
pending measure. Mr.. Smith is stock
holder in certain gas companies in New
Jersey and that vicinity, and ne frankly
admits that his opposition Is based upon
a fear that the reduction of gas by legis-
lation in Washington will have depressing
influence on gas interests and gas prices in
other cities. But he jumped at the propo-
stion to compromise and eagerly accepted
1t. He was not followed. however, by Sen
ator Gibson, VINO is probably as radically
opposed to the dollar gas bill as any MEM
ber Of either house.
Senator Mcmillan Argues for n Dollar
Rate.
There was no vote taken on the proposi-
tion to accept this compromise and it is
pending only in an informal manner Dis
cussion on that line will probably be re-
sumed at the next session of the committee
Tn, ahot@
favoring a compromise urged that the price
of gas might be gradually reduced by such
steps as that now propc sed to a dollar
thousand, but the friends Of the dollan gas
bill presented figures taken from the com
pany'S own statements, showing that, SELL
ing gas at a dollar thousand, the COM
pany can easily make 10 per cent on its wa
tered capital stock annually and still have
a generous margin over ard above divi-
dends for the purposes of extension and re-
pair Senator Mcmillan declared that he
was convinced that the company could
make handsome profit with gas at dol
lar. Otherwise, he went on, he would not
consent to any such legislation as that pro-
posed. He pointed out that Washington is
one Of the best gas cities in the country
from the companys point of view, mas
much as nearly everybody uses gas, where
as, in other cities of great size. where there
Is a heavy proportion Of very poor people
in the population, the percentage Of gas
consuming citizens is very small. He urged
ter for the company to consent to a reduc-
ton now to dollar a thousand rather than
to oppose the proposition.
1t may be that by next Friday fun COM
mittee meeting will be possible, and in that
event the question may be taken up for
final consideration.
The committee passed upon several mat
ters Of minor Importance. The nomination
peace for the District as favorably acted
upon, and in all probability Mr.. O'Donnell
will be confirmed at once. His present
term expires tomorrow.
Does Not Want Ana1Ostan Island.
Senator Stewart appeared before the COM
mittee to advocate the purchase of Ana
lostan Island, as has been recently pro-
posed to the District Commissioners. There
was some discussion over this matter, but
there YVES no apparent disposition on the
part of the committee to act favorably on
the proposition. 1t was pointed out that
there was nothing tangible now in sight
for which the island could be used, and
Senator Gallinger declared that the propo-
sition to put a contagious hospital in the
midst Of a malarial swamp was something
that no physician would dream of doing.
1t was shown that to put the island in
good shape for use, especially for hospital
purposes, would require the expenditure of
fully $35O,OO0.
Senate bill 1859. amending the laws of the
District as to married women to make
parents the natural guardians of their
minor children, has for some time been in
the hands of subcommittee, consisting of
Senators Faulkner and Gallnger. These
Senator'S have been unable to agree upon a
report, and at todays meeting Senators
Baker and Martin were added to the SUBJ
committee
House bill s1s, to provide for the care and
cure of inebriateS was next taken up and
Senator Gallinger was directed to report
o6y IU n~iNf
preceding this action, the committee being
unanimously of the opinion that in view of
the already large number of public institu-
tions in this city it would be unwise to in
corporate a new one at this time.
Senate bill 274S providing that all judg-
ments In civil causes in the District shall
bear interest was next approved, and Sem
ator Faulkner was authorized to report
it favorably with an amendment fixing the
rate of interest at per cent instead of at
6 per cent.
No Tax for the Pfntsch Company.
Senate bill $780, permitting the Pintsch
Compress Company to lay pipes in this
city was ordered to a favorah}e report. The