Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-04
CITIZENS OF TAKOMA PARK
ACTION BY ASSOCIATION IN
FAVOR OF CHEAPER GAS.
Matter Discussed at Special Meeting.
Commentator for The Star.
Adoption of Resolutions.

At special meeting of the 'Takoma
PARK Citizens Association Monday even
ing in Takoma Hall a resolution was
adopted commencing The Star for its
efforts in protecting the interests Of
the citizens of the District in its cam
paign for cheaper and better gas, and
the attitude it has taken relative to
the proposed increase in the capital
stock of the gas companies in this city.
The meeting was the largest and most
enthusiastic in the history of the or
ganfZation.
Previous to the discussion of the gas
question President Albert +. Woods re-
ported that, in company with F. L.
Lewton. he had visited Commissioner
West, protested against the billboard
at the intersection of Cedar street and
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad tracks,
and requested the removal of the same
Secretary James w. Dyre read 4 letter
from Commissioner West informing the
association that the Washington Bill
billboard. which has since been done
The association adopted resolution
extending a vote of thanks for the
prompt manner in which the matter re-
ceived attention.
Messrs. George J. Burton, G. II. Head
George F. Hedgcock. Robert T. Milne
and Young were elected to active men,
bership in the organization.
Has Waged Fight for Years.
President Woods made mention OF the
object Of the meeting and the active
fight the association has been waging
for several years for cheaper and bet
ter gas throughout the suburban sec
tions. He took occasion to compliment
The Star for it's efforts to that end
He concluded by referring Ito the edi-
torial in The Star of yesterday in be-
half of cheaper and better gas and the
attempt on the part of the local gas
companies to increase the amount OF
their capital stock.
John MacVicar was introduced. lie
spoke of the fight which had been
waged by the residents OF the District
for several years.
Il find everybody we'll posted on the gas
question" he said, land on every hand l
find evidence of high gas bills and COM
plants about the meters. l find pecullar
phase in connection with the fight mere
in Washington, in that there are no coun-
ellis or boards of aldermen, as exist in
most cities, but that the appeal is made
direct to the lawmakers of the country IN
Congress. There is much more satisfac-
tioh in this, for here you have the adVan-
tage of getting close to the fellow VINO
has much to do with enacting Legislation
and presenting bills for passage"
Tho speaker said the gas companies
have an advantage over the puollc ana
municipal officials because of their knoWl-
edge of the cost of producins gas ana
the operation of the plants. He spoke OF
the difficulty which is always eXperienc
in getting gas experts to testify in court.
The reason for this, he said, is that most
of what are termed gas engineers are
in the employ of private companies, and
further, it is not good form 1or d gas
engineer to testify.
Action at Des Moines, Iowa.
Several years ago. the speaker added
"t1a city of Des Moines, Iowa. fought the
gas question in the courts. Gas at that
time was s1.75 per 1000 feet, and the
opinion of the public was that it should
be cheaper. A campaign was made by
several of the newspapers of that city
AMI resulted in the price of gas being re-
duced to $50, with a decrease each year
following of ) cents while today the com
pany is furnishing gas at 81 per loo
feet, and making money at that. In court
it was shown that gas could not be flr-
nished cheaper than $1.I5. However, the
company reduced its price to $50, and for
the first two years after the reduction
to ok place it made more money than ever
before In the ordinance which was
adopted by the city council an amend
menI was made providing that the COM
pany. should deposit with the city treas
urer per cent of it's profits. While the
town has grown but little in the last six
years. the amount of gas now used is nine
times greater since the reduction took
place, which proves conclusively that
company can produce gas and still make
profit at mis- figure.
In speaking of the gas expert" he
said that endeavors will be made to Sc
cure the services of one to assist in the
fight of the citizens, and it is probable
that one will also be secured to testify
before a congressional committee.
I'm Washington" the speaker remarked,
"you have no politics, and therefore no
excuse to offer from that standpoint.
Politics 10 not enter into the fight and
here is the place to start such move
ment. The object is to show Congress
that the Washington public is entitled to
cheaper and better gas" He took occasion
to compliment The Star for its efforts in
the matter.
Price Not Related to Cost.
From my observation the price of gas
does not bear any relation to the cost. l
made an investigation in 1898 of gas,
water and electric corporations and found
that the capitalization bore no relation
to the cost of production. 1t is rare to
find any city with gas less than 81. The
lowest price is at McI<eesport, Pa, at 20
cents, furnished by coke company and
piped to that city. At Akron, Ohio, gas
is being manufactured at 80 cents, by
reason of competition existing between
the natural gas company and a new COM
pany In Kansas City the old company
reduced it's gas upon the organization o.
a new company and both were later COM
bined and the p-ice raised to 81. In
Hamilton, Ohio gas sold at 10 cents until
private company furnished 1t at 80
cents, which still remains. Duluth. Mimi.
far from the coal and oil fields, pays 20
cents operated by the municipality.
Wheeling, w. Va, has 75-cent gas, fur
nished by the municipality. In Boston the
gas was recently reduced to so cents. A
plant outside of that city was making it
for % cents and sold it for so cents.
Under the plan recently adopted in Bos-
ton, which 1 consider the best in the
80 cents instead of 81. 1t was provided
that the dividends should not be large
than per cent. If the company earned
more than that per cent it was to be
put in a fund for equitable distribution
and if at any time the price of gas was
reduced it should be added to the dividend
fund. AS result the gas was recently
reduced to so cents, increasing the divi-
dend fund to per cent. In Baltimore
a coke company furnishes gas at p cents
and sells L for 81 to the people. 1t is
a question how much can be gotten for
it. The cost has no relation to the selling
price. In England gas sells from 81 cents
to 80 cents and in some places possibly
less
There is a proposition here to fix a
sliding scale of priests cents for the
next three years. 20 cents the three years
follo OF 7 I Ii,,1r l,n