Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-22
The Gas bill.

The debate in the House yesterday on the
gas consolidation bill. and the action taken
thereon showed conc!usively that" there is
a pronounced sentiment In at least the
lower branch of Congress against permit
ting the combination of all the illuminat-
ing companies In the District and also
against the enlargement OF gas stock capt.
talization by the wide-open process pro-
posed by the pending measure The House
also took occasion to express its disap-
prevail of the gas prices which prevail here,
soon to reach the dollar point, and al
though there Is no prospect that the radi-
cal reductions provided for in Mr.. Grout' $
amendment will be speedily realized through
the assent OF the Senate thereto, 1t Is We'll
that the House has provided this imple-
ment to hammer the bill into satisfactory
shape as regards the powers of the corpo-
ration.
1t is to be noted in this connection that
the District committee has taken direct
issue with the District Commissioners as to
the two vital points of the bill, relating to
the consolidation with the electric lighting
companies and to the enlargement of the
stock. Chairman Babcock declared yester-
day that no opposition to these two items
had been developed before the committee
1t is evident that he preferred to regard
the attitude of the Commissioners as not
constituting opposition, despite the follow
ing plain language used by those officials
in their report on the bill:
"The advisability of permitting a CONSOLE
dation of the gas companies and the cleo
trio lighting companies is one which the
Commissioners are not prepared at this
time to recommend, although they approve
the consolidation of the gas companies.
q =
panies to issue stock and bonds under the
supervision of the Supreme Court OF the
District of Columbia. 1t Is believed that
this method is sufficient for the purpose.
and better safeguards the issue of the stock
than the method prescribed in the proposed
act"
The Commissioners in that report voiced
the sentiment of the gas consumers of the
District to which expression had already
been given in the editorial column of The
Star. The citizens preferred to permit their
case to rest in the hands of the recognized
municipal authorities and expected that
the Commissioners recommendations would
be considered In the treatment Of the bill.
1T is reassuring to find that the House
viewed the official report as constituting a
sufficient objection to the provisions in
volved to warrant the recommttal of the
bin with virtual instructions to reframe
the measure on these points.
There is no public opposition to a combi-
nation of the two gas companies, now enc
in point OF ownership. but two as regards
the rates they are allowed by Congress 10
charge for gas. There is objection, how
ever. 10 the merger of the gas and electric
light companies, which would destroy all
possible competition In the lighting bust
ness. There Is no objection to an extern
sion OF mains with the consent or at the
direction of the Commissioners. There is
no objection to the proper enlargement of
the capital stock of the gas company, rep
resenting the actual value of its plant and
the growth of it's business and its necessi-
ties for development. There is objection,
however to such loose authority as that
proposed by the bill. giving the company
power to enlarge the stock indefinitely ON
the basis Of reported net earnings
The action taken yesterday was satisfac-
tory to the gas user and to the citizen who
hopes to see these public franchises more
carefully guarded in the future than they
have been at times in the past. The view
OF Mr. Skies of Chicago, who has studied
the matter OF franchises and capitalization
in an official capacity. which are to be
found in another part of today's Star. will
prove interesting reading in connection with
yesterdays work in the House.