Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-10
GAS AND GAS LIGHTING
Problems Presented in Dis
trict Appropriation Bill.
THE REDUCED POWER
COMPANY'S VIEW OF MAXIMUM
RATE FOR STREET LAMPS.
The Inspector of Meters Requested to
Keep Watch on Quality of
Product.

wise the Commissioners from time 20 time
| as to how matters are going under the new
| arrangement.
Another problem before the Commission
| er.s is the provision in the District bill that
| the maximum rate for street gas lamps
| SHALL be $50 year for each lamp. includ-
| ing the cost of construction repair etc.
| The gas company has protested against
| this rate to the Comm issioners, putting
| forth the claim that it costs the company
more than sd alone to erect new gas lamps
| A hearing was recently granted the COM
| pany on the subject and the matter is now
| in the hands of the corporation counsel, Mr..
| A b DuNall- who has been asked to inter-
| pref the several provisions of he new law
| on the subject. 1t seems the appropriation
| Dill hrst makes general appropriation Of
| $2'nOO0 for street lighting, including the
| cost of erecting lamp posts repairing and
| maintaining the same. Then further along
| comes the provision for a maximum paw
| OF 80 lamp. this also including the cost
| of erection and repair. The CORPORATION
| counsel will have to decide whether or not
| the Commissioners may pay for the cree
| ton of street lamps out of the general fund
as is provided by the language of the pro-
! vision. or whether the authorities must be
guided entirely by the clause limitin., the
cost of each street lamp.
Among the Probabilities.
If it be held by the corporation counsel
! that the gas company is required to erect
and MAINTAIN the lamps at $50 year there
is a strong possibility that no new lamps
Will be erected this fiscal year, is it is said
the gas company may refuse to enter into
such a contract. The Commissioners do
not believe they could force the company
to DO the work. and so there is more than
usual interest attached to the decision of
the Districts law officer on the subject
The third problem before the Commissions
ers Is with regard to the WelShach mean
descent gas lamps which have been main
/ n m hlr If h1 ,vi,, .,t,, i;
denCe thOrOughfareS of the city during the
past few years. The cost of each one of
these incandescent gas lamps a year is $50
! With the limit of 800 fixed by the new an
preparation bill the Commissioners have
been compelled to take steps looking to a
return to the old style of lighting on the
streets which had been benefited by the
ne " arrangement.
The clause in the District appropriation
| bill allowing the gas company to reduce
the standard of its gas from twenty-five to
twenty-five candle power was put in by the
| committees of Congress without reference
| to or consultation with the District Com
nIsSioners. They Were entirely ignored in
the matter. neither their opinion nor that
of any official of the street lighting DEPART
ment being asked.
The reduction in candle power will apply
to all residences in the District as we'll as
| 10 the street lamps for the provision of the
District bill says it shall be twenty-five
candle power. rotwithsta nding the require
ments of the act Re gulating the manufac-
| ture and sale of gas in the District of Co.
lumbia. The understanding is that the low
er candle power has been allowed for this
year only, and that the committee will act
on the matter at the next session of Con-
gress, and may then take into considera ton
the various reports received by the Com
missioners from the United States gas in
spector who is required by law to make
three tests each day.
Statement by MI. Leetch.
Before the Senate committee Mr.. John
Leetch, the manager of the gas company,
made the statement that a twenty-five
| candle-power gas was entirely too rich for
general use, clogging the burners with resi-
| due and smoking the ceilings. He claims
the standard in other cities approximates
| from sixteen to twenty-candle power, the
| latter being the requirement in New York
| city.
We are required to have minimum of
| twenty-five candies said Mr.. Leetch,
and there is other company in the
known world today where this is the case.
This IS altogether wrong. The people do
not really understand what candle power
is, or anything about it. If you gentlemen
were to authorize the gas company to
make. say, twenty-two-ca ndle gas, l would
be able today to make at least double the
quantity CT pure coal gas that | do. AS it
is, We are required to make our oil gas so
rich in order to bring up coal gas to
twenty-five candles that we are limited In
Will allow me to make invent y-two-ca
gas | will give you more luminous gas.
and it will be cleaner and freer from the
| heavy carbon that causes the smoking. 1t
| will be really better light
On the subject of the price limit of $40
| fixed for each lamp Mr. Leetch had good
| deal to say 20 the Senate committee and
also to the Commissioners at the hearing
| granted the company. He said that $40 a
! lamp two or three years ago would have
| meant more to the company than $50 or
| SD would mean today, because of the in
crease in the price of coal. lamp materials,
| etc. He claims the lampighters and main
| tenance cost $50 a year for each lamp,
| leaving the company $3.50 for the 10000
| feet of gas annually consumed by each
| lamp. The company objects most seriously
| TO erecting the lamps, claiming it would
! receive absolutely nothing for the gas con-
| sumed. The Commissioners cannot act
| this feature of the gas question until their
| counsel is heard from
Mr. Macfarland's Letter
| Commissioner Macfarlands letter to Mr.
| Ford, the United States inspector of gas
! and meters. is as follows:
The District of Columbia appropriation
| act for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1903,
! approved July l, 1902, contains under the
| head of lighting, on page 10 of the official
| print, the following:
And provided further that during the
fiscal year 1903 the Illuminating power fur
| son or persons. in the District of Columbia,
| shall be equal to ~ candles. notwithstand-
| ing the requirements to candle power
| prescribed by section three of the act regu-
lating the sale of gas in the District of
| Columbia. approved June &. 1896
| In view of this proviso / desire that
| you will furnish a special weekly report
! showing the effect upon the Illuminating
| quality of the gas furnished by the gas
| lighting companies of the District of Column
| bia of the reduction in candle power. COM
pared with the light furnished by the gas
| of twenty-five candle power hitherto fur
| nished.
The Incandescent Lights.
In regard TO the change in the incan-
| descent gas lighting brought about by the
new law, the following statement was made
| today:
| For the past three years the Commits
| sicners have maintained Welsbach lamps on
| a number of streets in the resident section
OF the city, paying for them at the rate of
| $50 per lamp per annum. The app-opria-
ton act for the present fiscal year limits
the amount to be paid for each lamp at
! So. This price the company now operating