The Washington herald., 1907-01-10
LOWER PRICE OF GAS
Citizens to Be Heard at Dis
trict Building To-day.
ASSOCIATIONS SEND DELEGATES
House subcommittee on ApprOpria-
tiOns for District viii Investigate
Contracts for street LIghts-EnoEt
Is Being Made to Reduce the Price
of street Lamps to "A 75-cent Basis.

The District Commissioners viii hold
a public hearing this morning in the
board room at the District Building for
the presentation of statements from cit-
zens and representatives. of the gas COM
panies in regard to the Madden bin to
reduce the price of gas TO consumers in
Washington to 70 cents per 1900 cubic
feet
The various citizens associations have
instructed delegations TO be present, the
Central Labor Union has named a dele
cation to represent that organization,
and there viii be present members of
various trade organizations.
Commissioner West yesterday addressed
a letter To the Washington GasIight Com
pany. calling attention to the hearing.
he suggested that it would materially
aid in reaching an accurate and definite
conclusion if the representatives of the
company who Will attend the hearing
would submit 10 the Commissioners Ger
tain data such as is reported annually TO
Congress by other public utility corpora
tions in the District of Columbia.
delegation Of five appointed at the
last meeting of the Central Labor Union
will attend the meeting The gas bin
was not indorsed by the union by rea-
son of the fact that it was not informed
as 10 the provisions of the proposed leg
islation. Delegates Stein, Wilson, Rodier.
Schmidt. and McCluer win attend the
meeting and report to the union, which
viii take formal action at its next meet
ing Monday night.
Hearing ON Street Lighting.
The District Of Columbia subcommittee
Of the House Committee ON Appropria-
tions viii not conclude its work on the
District appropriation bill until full con-
sideratiou of the subject Of reducing the
price OF gas has been had The subcom-
mittee has no jurisdiction in the matter
of gas. except for public lighting The
members OF the committee hold that the
District government is now paying prac-
tically 81 per 1000 cubic feet for the gas
CONSUMED in the street lamps. They tried
last session to reduce the price, but failed
through the opposition of the Senate. The
bill soon to be reported will again propose
a reduced price Some members OF the
committee believe that there would be
substantial profit If the price were made
So for each street lamp This is because,
with the mantle burner now used on all
the street lamps. the consumption of gas
is greatly reduced from what il has hith-
erto been with the fat burner. 1t is not
likely that the committee viii report the
hill with the price for street lights rs low
rs the figure named, but it is considered
that 81 would be a price that would pay
for all the gas consumed. and probably, IL
the actual amount of gas used could be
measured. it would be found that this
figure Is at the rate OF 81 per 1.0o) cubic
feet
The subcommittee yesterday asked the
District Commissioners TO appear before
the committee tomorrow morning for a
special hearing on the subject Of public
lighting The hearing viii not be an open
one. as IL IS the practice Of the commit
tees that are framing appropriation bills
To take up such matters in executive ses-
sions. The members Of the subcommittee
are desjrous of getting at all the facts
in connection with the letting of q three
year contract for street lamps during
the interval since the adjournment OF
Congress last June
Peculiar Authorization.
That contract was let under authority
Of clause inserted in the bill three years
ago. The subcommittee last year did not
notice its presence in the bill. and when
this session IT was discovered that con
tract had been made for street lamps for
three years. it caused some astonishment. [
Il is now proposed 20 investigate the
whole matter thoroughly. Members OF
the committee charge that the Commis-
siOners have in effect gone beyond the /
viii Of Congress and given the gas COM /
pany more than was intended 10 be paid
them for street lights The old price /
was so for the fiat burner. Now. with 4
the mantle burner. it is S20S5. and no fat 1
burners are used. The mantle burner /
uses less gas than the fiat burner. but I!
Congress, in the last appropriation bill. 4
allowed the Commissioners to 20 as high I
as 50 for mantle burners. and the Com 1
missi0ners claim that in getting a three I
year contract for mantle burners M 4
S2oS5 they have done d good thing and 1
saved the taxpayers great deal The |
Of the subcommittee say 10 this 1
that SO was an exorbitant price TO pay
for the mantle burner. and that S2OS is I
also very much too high
Representative Madden presented in the
House yesterday the following letter. 4
signed by over $50 citizens, living in all 4
parts of the city.
As consumers OF gas in the city Of Washington we /
desire TO cIDress our hearty cooperation IN your ef
forts 10 afford a reduction IN the cost Of gas
md 10 highly commend the bill now pending tn Mac
The proe Of as az IS cents per leo feet instead OF
g., the price fixed.