Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-17
WITHOUT COMMENT
BILL TO REDUCE PRICE OF GAS
RETURNED TO SENATE.
Commissioners Favor Lowest Rate
That Will Afford Profit, Which
Will Require Inquiry.

The report of the District Commissioners
on Senator Fosters bill, Senate No. 30f2
providing for reduction in the price of
gas to consumers in the District of from 81
to 20 cents per thousand cubic feet was to-
day forwarded to Congress. The Commits
sioners express no definite opinion on the
question as to whether or not this bill
should become Law, for the reason, as
they state. that they are unable without
entering upon an extensive investigation
to say whether the reduction in the price of
gas proposed is reasonable and just. They
suggest however, that investigation of
this matter should be made by Congress
rather than by the Commissioners
The report, prepared by Commissioner
Macfarland and approved by Commission
ers West and Biddle states that the Com
missioners favor the lowest price for gas
In the District that will afford reason
able profit to its producers. To determine
what is just and reasonable, they say will
require careful inquiry into the matter
Continuing. the District authorities say:
What Inquiry Will Necessitate.
IF the conditions under which the So
called stock bonus of 81, eco coo mentioned
IN the preamble of Senate bill 1912 was is
sued are to be made the subject of thor
ough inquiry. it will necessitate sending
LOT persons, books and papers; while to
eHclt the facts as to the present cost of
making gas, the amount furnished to con-
sumers, and the profits resulting therefrom
VIII require expert Judgment on the one
nahu' ana full and frank statements from
the officers of the gas companies on tbe
other. VII INC
Inc Commissioners have no power IN
r nosro me testimony of the necessary wit
heoseS or the production of the necas-
sary papers Some information has ajreadv
peeh obtained by the Commissioners nj
~ Is not sufficient to warrant them in CIV,
bill. " 'his particular
Az a public hearing held by Them On Ion
uai9 ~ laoi, after due preliminary an
Uul,ceiheht III the daily newspapers in
,n w 1 .h ION tand afterward fully reported
-, .heH', ohly nine persons appeared and of
thls number six We're officers or stoc;,ho,S
eIs OF the washington Gas Light Comnany
vi me Georgetown Gas Light Companv nro
tesuhs against the legislation The others
presented indlVIduai arguments in favor of
some such legislation as the bill nronosas
since then SIX commInica tons have been
received from individuals in favor of sucb
lesiSia tion, and a protest has come from the
president of the Georgetown Gas LIGHT
Company and one from the secret.ry "a
treasurer OF that company against it. TO-
setner with one communication from an in
clVldual unfaVora bic to It,
Neither the Washington Board of Trade
NOT the BUSINESS Mems Association has adj
Focated the measure. nor has it been com
mended by any of the Washington dailv
newspapers. One of the citizens associa
tions has passed a resolution asking that
the proposed bill be enacted into law and
submitted a copy of the resolution to the
Commissioners ~
Contradictory Statements.
In concluding their report the Commits
Sioners say:
THE statements made by some of the adj
vocates and some of the opponents of Sem
ate bill 3O42, as 10 the cost of making gas
are so contradictory that they cannot be
reconciled, and it is impossible to draw
satisfactory conclusions from them with
out a prolonged examination, with the as
sistance of experts, for whose employment
the Commissioners lack the necessary
funds