Evening star., 1896-02-07
THE GAS BILL QUESTION
Now a Burning Issue sAp!s in Many House
holasi
Complaints AbOutnsIncreases in the
:sRr s~-1ra+.
January Bills-Inseresting State
mcnts by HoNsekeepers.

January gas bills sill seem to be sub
ject that is occupying the attention Of the
citizens of the District, and it is quite evil
dent that there Is a lively curiosity, to
state it mildly, to know why the bills for
the past month have increased to the pro-
portions they have. In addition to the in
quiries and complaints made at the gas
office, the following are samples Of some of
the communications received at The Star
office. One citizen writes:
"Like other Washington householders. 1
am delighted to see that The Star has taken
up the January gas extortionS. 1t Is evil
dent that public opinion is thoroughly
aroused on this question. In Georgetown,
where reside, expressions Of surprise ana
indignation at the size. of the gas bills for
January are heard on every hand. Like
most others. 1 received a bill this month
just cne-third larger than that for Deeem-
Der. Going to the Office to inquire the rea-
son therefor, / received from the weary
clerk the automatic excuse that the longer
nights during the thirty days for" which
the bill was rendered accounted for the in
crease. This explanation might have suf-
feed had the comparison been with July or
August, but, as The Star has shown De-
cember is longer month, from the gas
standpoint, than January. The officials OF
the gas company should put their imagina-
tons to work and devise an explanation for
the recent tax ON consumers not quite so
oDVlOuSly absurd. Apart from 'ne QueS-
ton of longer or shorter nights, l am alb
solutely certain that q great deal less gas
was burned in our house during January
than III december. Special care was taken
last month to prevent waste, and lamps
were substituted wherever it was possible.
Another unpleasant feature of the gas bills
is the wide difference in the size of bills
sent to those who are wont to pay them
without question. AS compared with the ac-
counts received by those who protest their
bills On every occasion. neighbor CT ours
who has watched his bills closely received
one this month little more than one-tenth
as large as ours, although occupying sim
liar house, having the same NUMBER IN his
household, and, as We found by comparison,
burning the same number of jets for about
the same hours. Apart from the fact that
we are charged for gas We do not. burn
the price charged is exorbitant when we
consider the quality Of gas supplied. We
ind the gas furnished in Georgetown prac-
tlcally unit for any purpose except to give
a faint, uncertain gliElmer in Railways and
to Interrupt. to some extent, the gloom of
bed rooms. We tried the experiment re-
Gently of lighting five burners in one room
and did not succeed in lighting it nearly as
we'll as one small lamp does"
1855 A Houseiseeper's Experience a.
"A Housekeeper'' writes: .,, -, ,,.,
"Will tie reduction in the price of gas
avail anything to -colsumers9. l have dis
covered that gas burning in the District of
Columbia Is anything but a pleasure, and
nave chiefly, recently. Used lamps In a
reighboring city, where the price of gas
was the same, used it without stfnt-that
is, we used four constant lights with hal
and dining room lights "bes1Gs In some
rooms we -Durned taper OF gas, all night
My bill never reached the sum of four dol
lars per month. L began in the District to
use three lights, but found that NV hills
we're about hve dollars in winter. So. in
consequence, have largely given it up. l
think that to have a fair estimate of what
is burned would be blessing"
The Meter Question.
Meter writes: LAS extortionate gas bills
now nave the call, 1t is evident that the
real cause, must be known before an ef-
1ectlVe remedy can be applied. A very nat
urai theory Is that the gas company, be-
cause OF self interest, does not bring to
bear an exactly judicial mind upon any
questlen that reduces its revenue, and
hence,i when there is doubt, it generally
takes. the trick; in at her words, it inyari-
ably changes a meter when there is a
doubt as to its registering all the gas that
is consumed, but 1t is blissfully indifferent
II there is strong probability that q meter
registers more gas than is consumed"
Thinks the Price Should Be Reduced.
Mr.. Thomas w. Glmer writes: "As
matter of justice to the gas company ias
cne consumer) feel impelled to state that I
nave never yet found any error or trickery
IN my gas bills, although l carefully exam
Inc them every month. 1t Is my practice to
take the state of the meter about once n
week, and also monthly on the same day on
which the meter Is inspected by the agent
of the company. 1t is very simple matter
to read the meter. Directions may be found
on the back of every gas bill.
1t IS rather troublesome, but it is econom-
lcdl 10 cut on the gas every day at the
meter as there is always some waste going
on especially IN old houses. =
The law provides for an inspector of gas
ard nfsters, whose duties are ITO test and
determine the Illuminating power and puri-
ty of the gas furnished in the District of
Columbia, and to test, prove and seal ali
n:eters.' An appropriation of $1,000 is an
nually provided for said official, and he has
an assistant at salary of 81 900. Gas con-
SumerS, who have reason to distruSt their
meters should have them tested BY the
proper. official, believe that ninety-nine
meters out of every hundred are correct
II the GROWERS would only unite their
forces to reduce the price of gas to ST. there
would be no further cause for complaint as
to the size Of the bills"
Progressive Gas Bills.
"Capsicum" writes: "While 1 object to
Using my name. l wish to add my plant to
the list of gas objectors. My gas bill Jump
ed from 81 to $40 from November % to De-
cember -, then from that date to January
y, to $lo During the cold spell in January
we were in total darkness for three DAYS.
except in the dining room and kitchen.
Can't something be done to relieve the op-
pressed housekeepers besides grumbling?"