The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-03
take, Is a compliment % our system OF
records aud accounts.
Map of Works and Street Mains.


Map Of Works and Street Mains.
Ing s a sps' rf.sEt 81 to s es
mite on Light June 8, 1893. and referred
to the Council. ] recommended that you
should also appropriate $500 to $1,000 10
works as they now exist, and the plan
Il showing the extensions and Improve
mcnts that have recommended; also 10
prepare proper map for street mains
Since that date have repeatedly urged
an. appropriation for this purpose. Mr..
Bruce endorses my Recommendation OF SIX
years ago. though he, presume, knew
| nothing OF same.
wish to emphasize this matter here
again and call attention to the fact that
| section OF chapter 60 of the City Code
OF 1899 requires said map.
| Our cost OF gas Mt burner for 1904, Tor
NIL charges against 1t, Including taxes and
interest on s1.o7s.ooo, is SAP per thous-
/ While Mr.. Bruce after putting all
| charges against the plant and cost of gas
that could suggest themselves, arrives at
| q cost of 1868 per thousand cubic feet.
| Many of these charges are excessive.
For had three per cent. deprGciation
| fund been set aside annually Slice the
year 1867 the plant would fiave a good
charge OF two and a half cents per thous-
and is far in excess. OF the actual costs
| for this expense.
| Another point to the credit of the mu-
has been made to the consumer, the price
in Richmond being reduced to s100 per
| thousand OH December 16, 1892, at which
mss east Of the o .h saqn s sss R Il twenty e
four had the low price of s1.00 per thous-
and. while. the prevailing price was SIPS
to S1b0 per thousand. Had the price
been held at s1.25 per thousand the earn
ings would have shown a marked in
crease.
Mr. Bruce in his report intimates that
our inventory figures for 1902 are swelled
by reporting coke at ten cents per bushel.
although you sell this coke at six cents
per bnshel' This he states evidently
through Ignorance OF the sltuation. and
before any misleading statement was pub
| lished. The facts are that during the
summer and fall of 1902 the coal strike
was on, and we paid as high as twenty
| our generators. All that time we had
no coke to sell, and further. paid as high
MS $3.50 per ton for inferior gas coal.
When we prepared our inventory we fig.
ured that every bushel OF this coke cost
ten cents per bushel hence our, figures.
Mr.. Bruce apparently implies that our
| the inventory for all three years, which
| Is not the case. The price of 10 cents was
used only for 1902 as stated above. In
my report for 1908 and 1904 the inventory
| to sell nor did We sell any between
September Is. 1900 and April g.. 1904.
The Gas Works have actually cost the
city s1.20o, 3751s. and they have earned
| for the city and paid into the treasury
between January ]. 1867 and December
81, 1904 sl097. 6399s over and above every
! dollar spent on them, and in addition
have furnished gas for street lighting and
charity amounting to sl65o,61i.l9 at cur
rent price rates, which the city would
certainly have had to pay for had 1t not
| Works. and has 1t free of debt at what
| ever value you wish to place upon same;
and as above stated. has earned for the
| street lighting amounting to S1,650614.19
| besides.
Summary.
| have endeavored to show that your
| superintendent has managed the works
| with view to economy and the best
| interest OF the city.
| That he has been alert to necessary
| improvements and has recommended
| ment appeared necessity. That the
| ment appeared as a necessity; that the
workmen are instructed by the superin-
| tendent and not uninstructed as stated.
| That the service is not in danger of
| lapse entirely" that the quality OF gas
| Is what Mr.. Bruce has recommended: that
the street lamps use more than 10000
cubic feet of gas annually; that only small
| mains are being laid for short distances.
| and that we have been laying large mains
as rapidly as possible; that your super
and house service. and that his sndeavor
| has been to relieve the situation: that the
| cost of gas can be reduced considerably by
extracting and caring for salable by-2ro-
| ducts, If coal and water gases are separ~
ated and proper machinery Installed for
| the purpose
Recommendations.
Your. superintendent endorses the extern
| sion of service In outlying districts, as
| recommended by Mr.. Bruce, so far as In
| your opinion the revenue derived from
cost of such extensions will properly
| compensate for the Investment, and at
| the same time render the best service to
| the public.
Also tire laying of some large supply
mains, the position Of same to be deter
mined after the new holder is put in use.
and the effects OF this increased supply
has been reckoned. and the pressure OBJ
| tanned at various points throughout the
| city.
Also to renew my recommendations
| made from time to time as to modern-
izing the gas plant and other improve
| ments.
Also the immediate replacing. of the
| large holder at the lower works.
| An immediate appropriation to secure
| works and street mains.
In closing. desire to call your atten-
| ton to my report and recommendation
OF June 6. 1893. relative to undermining
the. gas works. and to the letter OF Mr..
i
to the new holder. and while do not
claim to be theoretical gas expert"
] trust that my twenty-nine years expo
rience in the gas department as mechanic,
foreman, inspector. and later superin-
| tendent for ten years, together with my.
standing in this community Qn which I
was born and have been reared) should
add some weight to my statements in the
| foregoing.
Thanking you for your patience and
consideration. am. Respeetfully.
Lengthy Appendix.
The superintendent report and the
| position he takes were reinforced with a
lengthy appendix, consisting ofstatements
| OF experienced men bearing upon the,
subject In hand. Among these Is a letter
from J. s. McIlhenny, OF the engineers
4 office of the Washington city gas works,
who says. In summing up: Evidently, Mr..
Bruce has not given the matter serious
thought or else has not taken the trouble
to acquaint himself with the true situa-
4 ton at Richmond for 1 believe If he were
| thoroughly acquainted with all the de-
i fail Of ha hn nlrn Io