Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-25
FREAKS Of THE METER
SOME OF THE WOES OF THE CON-
SUMERS OF GAS.
Experience of the Occupant of Flat
Another Who Had to Pay, Al
though No Light Was Used.

"The Stars declaration edtorially few
days ago that we need cheaper and bet
ter gas in Washington will strike re-
sponsive chord with our householders and 1
am reminded Of an Instance" said the &C.
cupant of q northwest apartment to Star
reporter.
81 hive IN house where the tenant of
each fiat pays for his own gas and has a
separate meter. The tenant of the fiat be-
meath me is one OF those cheerfuy in
, qut=ssive women who takes such an in
terest in your welfare that she made it a
practice to examine my gas bill whenever
she could lay her hands upon it in the let
ter box in the outer hallway of the build
ing.
Her concern over the fact that my gas
bill did not equal hers each month was so
great that she used to demonstrate with
me because it didn't. Her sensations In
the matter finally became so acute that she
went to the gas office and registered
complaint against my meter; that there
was something surely wrong with 1t, be-
cause she was satisfied that it wasn't reg
istering correctly. In other words, my gas
bills were too small and hers were too large,
and she sought to bring my bills up to hers,
despite the important fact that might use
less gas than she.
This sounds funny. and like a piece Of
impertinent interference on the part OF
tenant in a lower fiat. but it wasn't funny
when the gas company responded to her
complaint regarding another meter than
her own and put In a new meter for my
fiat, which was the size of big store me-
ter, and not a fiat meter. and didn't say
word to me, the interested party, about 1t.
Paid for Gas Not Consumed.
"Of course. these big meters register more
than the little meters, no matter what gas
men may say about cubic feet consumed,
and the old lady in the lower fiat got her
revenge. though 1 used gasoline stove and
she a gas stove to do the cooking And
even with the big new meter the gas serv-
ice was worse than before, and we had to
burn four burners In room to get the
light equaling one good Jet
so we got less light and burned more
gas-from the meters standpoint-and paid
heavier bills than before. When / COM
planned to the gas Office about their putting
q new meter In my premises at the behest
Of the tenant In the lower nat, ana not at
10Y own request or upon the initiative oil
the company If 1t had found that my meter
wasn't registering correctly, which II was,
1 received no satisfaction beyond an In
timation that i might have stun larger
meter put in II didn't stay quiet and pay
the bills.
well, the gas finally became so poor.
and / became so tired OF burning 1our
burners getting the light from one and
having for about half dozen, that IN
sisted that they send UP man to make
an examination. The man came and pro-
eeunced the gas all right Again COM
the same result
II finally got the third man up to the
fat after lapse of nine months from reg
lRerlng the first complaint. with dozen
IN the interim. This man knew MS DUST
ness and promptly told me that the fauis
lay in the street-connection but that PAID
as much for my four dim lights to room
a. IL they had been four full jets; Ihen
they fixed the street-connecting pipe anu
the gas flowed more freely.
"A relative Of mine living In the outer
IL 10 N
last summer, and came to my fiat to i've.
Upon his return to his fat he found to his
surprise a gas bill similar in amount 10 the
hsl for the previous month, ana a new
meter In the bargain. AS he had been In
FAY premises and not his own, and as ne
had not burned single foot OF gas In his
Fat during this time. he naturally went
down TO the gas office somewhat hot under
The collar.
Popularity Of the Issue.
They gave not the slightest heed to his
statement as to his absence. but informed
him that the bill was correct and that II 1t
wasn't paid they would turn off the gas
from the fiat. He Is poor man, and there
was nothing for him to do but to pay that
months gas bill though he hadn't lighted
a taper in the place; If he hadn't PAID II
they would have taken the amount out or
ts deposit and cut off the supply.
These two instances show that the peo-
al. of this city. as regards the gas supply,
have to pay for things they don't get just
TIE same as though they were getting them
ard that statements and protests as TO the
actual facts cut no ice with the gas COM
pany. Both individually and collectively
the gas consumers are entirely helpless to
Dc more than register kicks which are I'M
asaillng Had my relative been a wealthy
man he would have contested in the courts
RE company's claim and charge for gas he
Sssdn't use. but being ON small salary ne
s4sd to submit.
The injustice to the gas consumer in
beth cases Is SO apparent that further COM
sneut Is unnecessary, but 1t cannot be
doubted, from what i hear from other
Washington householaers. that similar in
stances can be multiplied practically with
,,ut number. Certain 1t Is, The Star cor
rectly stated, that we are paying too much
Ter the gas we burn in this city. and the
seventy fye-cent gas proposition would
prove the most popular reform that ever
Aft the householders Of the capital.
1t goes without saying that the legis-
lator who would be instrumental In effect
aIg this much-needed reform would share
H. this universal popularity, and his name
would be remembered long after he had
out Congress. 1t is q matter which APP
Teals directly to every citizen, and 1t is one
watch ought TO go through; inded 1t is a
matter which ought to have been taken up,
AsitaIed and pushed to an issue long ago"
A HINT FROM CHINA.