Worcester morning daily spy., 1898-03-13
THE HOUSE FIRM.
Senate Will Not Be Allowed to
Defeat Gas Order.
Mr. Lawson Denies Being Author of the
Measure-Fountains Proposed for
the State House.

Special Correspondence of the spy)
Boston, March 12-The gas debate in
the house overshadowed everything else
before the legislature during the week.
The senators were interested listeners
nearly every afternoon for as soon as
adjournment was ordered in that
branch, they focked to the house,
where the big fight was waging. The
storm center has now changed to the
senate, and the representatives. of the
gas interests are already claiming that
the order will be bowed out of court
Tuesday, the day assigned for its CON
sideration by the upper branch.
The advocates of investigation in the
house are determined to accomplish
their purpose, and if the senate chooses
to reject the order it is almost certain
that an independent order will be in
troduced in the house, for an inVestiga-
tion on the part of that branch. Hence
it is claimed by several of the senate
members, that as long as the house is
determined to investigate, that the SEN
ate might as well be in "at the killing.
Mr. Lawson, the broker, upon whom
attacks were made on the floor of the
house, has written a letter to one OF
the Worcester members in which Mr..
Lawson denies the authorship of an
investigation measure. He adds that
an investigation would fully substan-
tiate a statement made by him. The
letter continues:
"Wlhat have stated is this, that If an
investigation is had by the Massachu-
setts legislature, and is carried to an
honest and aggressive conclusion, it
will be proved conclusively that things
exist that will compel the reduction of
millions of dollars in the present
volume of inflated gas securities, and
the consequent reduction in the selling
price of gas from Is to 25 cents per
thousand"
The state board of bar examiners held
an examination at the state house to-
day. There were So candidates Berk-
shire, Hampshire, Bristol and plymouth
counties were represented, though the
great majority of the candidates came
from Boston and its vicinity.
Recent legislative agents to register
are Henry e. Bowden, for the Boston
Gaslight Company; George H. Fernald
for Boston GasligAt Company; X. j
Monks for Woburn Gaslight Company
Charles T. Bonney, Manufacturers Mu-
tual Insurance Company.
1t has been suggested at the state
house that there are no mechanical diff
fieulties to prevent the operation of the
two fountains in front of the state house
by means of pumps run by the state
house plant. The water could be used
over and over with little loss. A system
of pipes, force and return, would have
to be run in trenches to both fountains
from a point near the southwest corner
of the state house. The estimated cost
including everything would be about
S4O0. The cost of operation, running
fountains daily, 8 a. m. till dark, for six
months, April / to October l, about $3.50
probably less This running of foun-
tains was suggested by Mrs. Alice S
Clement of Newton Center, and has met
with approval.
The hearings of the RAILROAD commits
sion for the coming week ars as fol
lows:
Monday, Boston and Lowell railroad
for approval Of issue bonds to the
amount of S226, ,90O for refunding other
bonds falling due this year
Tuesday Lowell, Lawrence and Hav-
erhill street railway and Peoples OF
West Newbury for consolidation.
Wednesday, Palmer and Monson street
railway, for crossing on The tracks OF
the Ware River branch. BostoA and AL
bany
Thursday, Frank p. Cheney, for the
crossing of a street in Lowell by private
railroad track.