The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-10-28

Of the District Of Columbia and the
government by furnishing the poorest
anu cheapest quality possible without
absolute detection 10 shown by the fol-
lowing extract from the testimony Of
Thomas g. Lansden, the former super
intendent Of the company. who testi-
iied as to the methods used in purify
ing" the gas by the lime and oxide Of
iron processes. In his testimony he
said:
Anything to Keep Inside the Law.
About four years ago we commenced
using oxide Of iron. We were using lime
only when came here.
Q. Which IL the better2 A. think lime
b, because 1t takes the carbonic acid out.
Q. After you came here, for two or three
years you used the limet A. Yes, sir.
Q. Then they changed and used lime ana
oxide Of iron7 A. They commenced using
both.
Q. Did you get results by that combina.
tion satisfactory to you? A. 1t was to the
company.
O. Was It to you? A. Yes, sir; It was
cheaper. AND WAS WORKING FOR
O. Did you make while you were In
charge here satisfactory gas by this proc
essf A. Certainly. as far 40 the reports Of
the inspector are concerned.
@. But according to your estimate? A.
MADE WHAT I THOUGHT TO THE
BEST INTEREST OF THE GAS COMPA-
NY TO MAKE THE MOST MONEY, AND
YET TO KEEP INSIDE THE LAW.
Q. But was there an actual change in the
quality? A. The idea which l mean to
convey is this: oxide Of iron will not take
out carbonic acid; as a rule, It would not
take 1t out at ALL M
@. Did 1t make as good gas7 A. THY
CONSUMER. DO NOT THINK, WOULD
NOTICE IT.
Q. But was It good gas7 A. THE CON-
sUMER DID NOT DISCOVER THE DIFF
FERENCE.
The Citizens Of Washington Denounoe
McLean's Monopoly.
Here Is what the citizens of Wash
ington think of John r. McLean's mo-
nopoly, which is taking out of their
pockets over $4,000 day and trans
ferring more than $1,000 day of that
sum in net profits to the pockets Of
Mr.. Mclean and his associates, the
great bulk of which Mr.. Mclean re-
ceives as principal stockholder.
The statement which follows was
made by Mr.. w. c. Dodge, prominent
and highly respected citizen of Wash
ington, before committee of congress.
Holding the District by the Throat While
McLcan's Company Picks Its Pockets.
He said:
1.-THE PEOPLE OF THIS DISTRICT
ARE IN THE CONDITION OF AN OR.
PHAN WHOSE GUARDIAN IS HOLD
ING HIM BY THE THROAT WHILE AN
OTHER MAN IS PICKING HIS POCKET.
THE CITIZENS OF THE DISTRICT,
THEIR LOCAL AFFAIRS, ARE IN FACT
A POLITICAL ORPHAN. CONGRESS IS,
OR Is SUPPOSED TO BE, OUR GUARD
IAN. AND THE GAS COMPANY, IS THE
ROBBER. CONGRESS RY ITS LAWS
HOLDS US BY THE THROAT WHILE
THE GAS COMPANY IS ROBBING U.s."
The robber referred to by Mr.. Dodge
in the above quotation is the Washing
ton Gas company, of which Mr.. Nc
Lean is president, and the faithless
guardian CT the District, which he por-
trays, is the congress Of the United
States. CT which Mr.. Mclean, the pres
ident Of the gas company, now asks
the people of Ohio to make him a
member for period of eight years.
McLean's Prices Compared With Those
In Other Cities.
That the citizens of Washington
seem to De justified in charging that
they are being robbed by this gas mo-
nopoly, whose relations with the Dis
trict OF Columbia congress has the
power to regulate, seems to be sustain
ed by the following figures relative to
the prices Of gas in Washington, COM
| pared with other cities, which were
made part of the official report pre-
sented by Representative Heard Dem
ocrat) in the house of representatives
March %, 1894. That report shows
the price for gas in 30 cities of the
United States to be In no case in ex-
cess of 81 per 1000 feet, and in nearly
half the cases less than 81.
Price Of gas in cities Of the United
States:
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