Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-25
A PERIOD OF GRACE
SUSPENSION OF PROCEEDINGS
AGAINST GAS COMPANY.
Product Said to Contain Sulphuretted
Hydrogen-Company Gives Assur-
ance of Compliance With Law.

The District Commissioners have decided
to give the Georgetown Gas Light Company
period of grace and will hold in abey-
ance for the time being the order for pro-
ceedings against the company on account
of alleged impurities In its product. The
company has explained that it is doing all
in it's power to free the gas from impurity
and points to its long record as satisfae-
tory gas-supplying concern. The attorney
for the company asked that no suits be
brought at present.
The impurfty In the gas upon which the
Commissioners based their action is known
as sulpruretted hydrogen, which has very
obnoxious odor. The daily reports of the
have shown the presence of this hydrogen
OIL a number of occasions. The Commits
sioners first called the attention of the COM
pany to the reports, and also to the COM
plants of citizens which were lodged with
the District authorities Future reports
continued to show the presence Of the i'm
purity, which is prescribed by law and SO
the Commissioners finally referred the mat
tsr to the corporation counsel. MIR. A. B.
Duvall Mr.. Duvail today returned to the
Commissioners the reports of the inspector,
together with a letter from Tracy l.. JET
fords, the attorney for the Georgetown COM
pany and also a statement from Frank
Paul Leetch. the secretary and treasurer of
the company.
The Secretary's Statement.
In his statement on behalf Of the gas
company. Secretary Leetch says, in part:
1.-The Georgetown Gas Light Company
has continuously manufactured and sold
and conditions set forth in it's original
charter and supplemented by enactments
Of Congress from time to time Being at
all times DESTROYS of the favor of the au-
thnri Nf tl>o -%r;n So
the private individuals using our product
it has been the aim of the officers and di-
rectors of the company, past and present
to not only live up to the full measure of
the requirements of the law. but to man
ufacture and distribute for public uses
product that would reflect credit on the
management. To this end the company
has employed competent men and pur-
chased only such materials We're recog-
nized standards as to quality and efficiency
Record Cited.
Our past record is a matter of pride to the
present management and while from time
to time there may may have been temporary
deviations from the standards prescribed by
law, as to candle-power and impurities, they
have always been due either to accident or
causes over which we had no control Ia
reference to the present deviation from
the legally prescribed standard as to puri-
ty Of gas, We would make the following
statement.
THE coal we have on hand and have
been using is the very best gas coal mined
containing less impurities than any other
coal on the market Our purifying pro-
cess is of approved pattern and of ample
capacity for eliminating the obnoxious I'M
purities from the gas being manufactured
at this time. and we have used every
known method and every effort to free
the gas Of the impurity known as sui
phuretted hydrogen.
Sought Advice Of Experts.
"In our anxiety to entirely eliminate the
impurity and thinking possibly some sug-
gestion might be made that would be Of
value we have consulted several men emf
nent in their profession as gas engineers
and manufacturers. but could learn of moth
ing other than the methods already being
pursued by this company. At no time has
it been sufficiently in evidence to cause any
complaint from consumers or to be in any
way Objectionable or Injurious. We are in
hopes that with the prospective change in
temperature the impurity will disappear
from the gas altogether In closing, we
make the positive statement that at no
time have We spared any pains or expense
to keep within the provisions Of the law and
give to the public the purest and best gas
possible to be manufactured"
The Commissioners have noted these COM
mtrlications and the matter rests in statue
quo temporarily.