The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-02
PRICE OF
GAS TO Be
REDUCED
Officials Of Local Company
Give Assurances Of This Fact
TO City Council Committee.

Councilman Bixby last evening present
ed to the meeting of the common coun-
ell the report of the Joint special COM
mittee appointed to inquire into the
price and candle power OF gas an the city
of Providence by the Providence Gas
company.
The report gives n comparison OF price
and quality Of gas In other cities together
with a comparison OF other conditions.
The report gives number or stalls
tics. showing the candle-power and aver
age price of gas IN number OF other
cities. According to the report. tho
rates are about the same as here, with
about the same candle-power New
York city has % candle-power and the
price is 81 per 1000. In Boston the can
dle-power is 2.s and the rate Ia s9.2 cents;
Worcester. D.7 candle-power at 81; FAIL
River 22.s candle-power at sl.13; Haver-
hill. 243 dle-power at u.o1 per thous-
and cubic feet.
From an eminent consulting engineer
the committee ascertained that the gas
company was supplying gas OF about 20
candle power; that II straight water gas
was used It would give a higher candle
power than straight coal gas; that Provi-
dence is supplied with a mixture Of coal
and water gas: that coal gas was fur
nished altogether previous to 1888: that
water gas Is more expensive 10 manu-
facture than coal gas on account OF the
increased cost OF OIL: that II Is absolutely
impossible in the manufacture OF gas to
make a uniform candle-power. and that
the pressure varies materially In different
cities. II was also shown that the mini
mum pressure in Providence for coal gas
In about three inches and the maximum
about fve inches.
At one meeting of the committee the
president and treasurer OF the gas CONF
pany were present and their attention
was called to the various verbal COM
plants received by some members OF the
committee that the citizens had been
furnished with a poor quality Of gas and
yet their bills had been increased; and
that the candle-power was not UP 10 the
| standard which people have been accus-
| toned to In Providence. Replying TO
| these statements and to various inquiries
from members OF the committee. President
| Ellis stated that the records Of ihe oom-
! pany showed that the average candle
| power for September. 1892 was 1851. for
| October II was 1926. for November 1910
and for December 1000. the average for
the last quarter being 1889. The record
for the year 1902 was then submitted,
| showing the average for the first quarter
10 be 1897. second quarter 20.09. third
quarter 20.04. fourth quarter 1908. making
an average for the year OF 1854 candle
power. -.
The gas company, he declared, has 2s4
miles OF pipe In the highways. supplying
over % square miles OF territory. and that
the company must Immediately spend
$4,000 for about IL miles OF new piping
In the centre OF the city and at Mount
| Pleasant and Charles street, where there
Is and has been complaint OF poor gas.
The president also said that X the coal
famine had not occurred the company
had intended TO reduce the price OF gas
Ave cents per 1000 feet. The company.
he said, proposed to spend about $25o.oOC
In improving it's plant as rapidly as
these changes can be made. BY doing sc
gas can be made cheaper and the public
will get the benefit OF 1t. the company
intending to divide this saving, The re-
duction would come inside of three years
he said.
The report concludes by saying:
The committee then turned It's atten
tion TO the consideration OF complaints o.
the number OF deaths from gas durinf
the past winter. II has been repeated,
, stated that the quality OF gas used In thi'
city was In some measure Responsible fo
. the unusually large number OF death'
that have occurred.
, Many people De1eve tnat tne din1os
odorless gas supplied. together with ~
poor illuminating qualities, have not onl!
caused many fatalities, but also have In
creased the bill OF the consumers. Thi
statement 10 emphatically denied by th'
representatives Of the gas company, VIII
declare that an Investigation OF each o
the cases OF death by gas would shov
that the company was In no wise respon
slbls. and that on tho other hand ther
never has been a season when there wer
. so few complaints concerning the size o
;. gas bills an there have been during tn
!. last winter.
Concerning the pressure OF gas In Provi
dence, Il Is stated by the officers OF tn
q company that they maintain sufhcien
pressure to distribute gas for illuminatin
e and fuel purposes. New mains have re
4 Gently been laid in the Mt. Pleasant dis
q trict. where low pressure has heretofor
> been complained Of and now the entir
: oty appears 20 be well served with
o gs supply that is quite uniform in pres
are, equality and candle power.
4 Your committee believes that the pres
q ent relations between the city OF Prov
n dence and the gas company will proba bl
>. remain unchanged until the expiration q
x the existing contract between the cit
n and said company. and with improve
q methods and increasing business the com
a pany at that time will undoubtedly h
n willing To pay the city n larger percent
W age on It's gross earnings than II is no'
q paying II Its present lease or contrac
ls renewed by the city.
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