The evening times., 1896-02-13
7M.7s6 Seventh 81. \. v.

fixture a poor gas light and on the otbel
side a very fine one.
The Chairman-w hat kind of coal do yol
use here?
Mr.. .McIlhenny-We use Pennsylvania and
Virginia bituminous COAL the richest gas
Goals in the country.
Mr.. Richardson-Do you use any anthra
cite coal here at all?
Mr.. McIlhenny is used in the
process OF making water gas. 1t is the fuel
for producing water gas, but in making
coal gas 1t is the rich bituminOus Goals that
are used. would like to impress this upon
you-that the cost OF producing gas is q
great deal more here than ii is almost any
where else in the country. Men are paid
larger wages here at the gas works. That
has grown here from time to time. Coal
costs more, and. above all, the residuals
are nearly vaiueless. These rcsidnais have
a certain value in England and in Germany.
Germany is the country where the residuals
are best taken care of.
THE RESIDUALS.
Mr.. Richardson-Name them. please. ]
am not an expert and do not know what
they are.
Mr.. McIlhcnny--The first is coke. then tar,
then animoDiacal liquor. Ammoniacal
| liquor is converted into the salts of am
| onnia and becomes the basis OF fertilizers.
and that is exhaUstivcly treated all through
| Europe. We have not got at IL yet In this
country. If these residuals were worth
as much here as they are in the West. FOR
instance, anywhere ives; OF the Allegheny
/ tai srIn h..
price of gas to 81; and yet we would make
| a fair return.
1t was not the quality OF the gas in that
| case that was at fault, il was the quality of
the burner. People neglect their burners to
great extent, and suffer FOR their neglect
in that particular. ] know. too. that any
complaint that is made by q consumer is
| diligently and at once attended to by the
| gas company here. We are exceedingly
anxious to have an opportunity 10 do some
| thing for the people in that line; but like
| all people who are managing any bust
ness, we want tn make a little profit out
Of it; we want to make a good profit out
of it. One OF the troubles in this city is
that the value of the plant far exceeds
the value of the coDpanys capital The
charter confines the capital to So, 600 900,
but - EiNdt fIilDEt tIdH lltdl
spent here. There has been twice that
amount spent here i should think, on the
plant. II We were allowed to capitalize
this plant up to it's value. as is done nearly
everywhere else
Mr.. Hulick-You mean its cost value?
Mr.. McIlhcnny-Ycs; the actual cost
there would be no talk about these exces-
sive dividends. People would get 3 or
q
be contented. because it would be upon
the actual valuation of the plant. IL the
original money that was put into the gas
company here. say five hundred thousand
dollars, had been put into lands here in
Washington. who would have complained
Of the man who had sold his land for more
than be bought If for nifty years ago?' If
these people had put their money into land
it would have been worth far more than
the stock or this company. Is IL fair to
say that the people who hold the stock OF
this company shall not reap some benefit
from, the prosperity OF this great city?
Mr. Hulick-When is that to end:
THEY WANT TIME.
Mr.. McIlhenny-lt viii end by cutting the
price down. The price has been cut down
from time TO time as | told you, from 81
until ii is now 81 %. We, as gas men,
know that ii has not reached the bottom
but we want time to make these improve
ments to meet it.
Mr.. Huiick-How much time?
Mr.. McIlhenny-That l cannot tell.
Mr.. Hulick-This is practical question |
that we have to meet, whether il shall he |
done today, or next year. or in ten years. |
Mr.. MCIlhenny-lt may be done next |
year, but it is rot likely, on account OF |
the fact that the prices of materials and |
the cost of making gas have incrcas scd in |
the last year very considerably. The price |
of oil has gone up from about 3 cents a
gallon TO cents gallon.
Mr. Hulick-HOw about coal? Is not coal |
cheaper than it was a year ago?
Mr.. McIIhenny-I do not krow whether |
it is buying for less or not. think it is
about 81 or S3.95 Fer ION this year 1t has
been ranging at about 81 for great many
years. l am glad you asked that question.
In places like Pittsburg you can get coal
from 93 cents TO 81. All the lake ports.
like Detroit, have great advantage over
in getting the coal. They buy
coal there at from So to S2.15, and some
coal as low as 81 .95. got telegram the
other day informing inc that u contract had
been made for coal at SELF for Western
city.
MR.. LEETCH' s STATEMENT.
Mr.. John Leetch, general manager of the
Gas Light Company. then said:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of the COM
nittee. have hastily made a short state
nent of actual facts relative to the business
Of the year 1895 of the Washington Gas
light Company.
Mr.. Richardson-what position do you
lold?
Mr.. Leetcf-I am the general manager of
he Washington Gas Light Company, and
lave been for the last three years.
Mr.. Richardson-What Us the position of
dr. McIlhenny; is he president?
Mr.. Leetch-No, Mr. Mclean is president.
Mr.. McIlhenny-I am consulting engineer
" the company.
Mr.. Leetch-I would refer, before pre-
'enting this short statement, to some of
he statements that have been made as to
stock. 1t VIII save time hereafter.
As understand it, Mr.. Chairman and gen.
lemen, out of the profits made from the
egitimate price of the gas, the money
hus made was passed orer to the stock
folders then on record as their legitimate
light, having been earned from the money
dvanced by them in the purchase of the
took. The increase Of stock, as has been
tated time and again. was under the ac-
ion of Congress, as the company cannot
ssue one share of stock without authority
rom Congress to do so, and it was for the
'urpose of extending the works of the
ompany, which We claim are today the
cost extensive of any city of the size. and