The Washington herald., 1907-01-16
He Asserts It Can BE Made
for 5l Cents.
HAS THE DATA READY TO SHOW
Believes in Dealing Equal Justice to
People and the CorpOration-Com-
Annual Statenents-3Ie VIII Ap-
pear Before District Committee.

/ Before he went he said 10 a representa-
tive Of The Washington Herald az the
/ Capitol:
Il am bitterly disappointed that the
/ District Commissioners have been de-
! iayed In getting statement from the
/ Washington Gaslight Company as % the
cost Of making gas; the receipts and ex-
/ penditUres Of the company for the past
year. Ii il does not come satisfactorily
shall look about for means 20 compel
such statement. as it is Information due
/ the public, and shoHid not be denied"
Whom do you expect To bring the mat
ter up2"
- think il viii cone up within a day or
Two of my return from Chieago-aud ]
stay in Chicago only one day-that the
/ Commissioners viii De ready to make
/ their report 10 the District Committee.
/ At that time Chairman Babcock has
I promised me "a hearing. and I shall gO
/ before the committee myself and demon
strate the actual cots of gas"
From what sources did you gather the
facts as to gas which YOU propose to
present.
ne ~ ia fFesPHE Figures.
Ny Information. which is very fully
and amply substantiated. is based on the
statements Of the great gas companies
all over this country. The figures I shall
/ present are taken from their books. and
/ there can be no possible question as 10
/ their correctness. Much of the informa-
/ ZION comes in response 70 rigid investi-
cation made by other municipalities and
this Viii De backed up by tie scientific
/ testimony Of gas experts who will af-
/ tend The hearing at my request. These
viii show the cost Of gas AT cities where
/ conditions are similar TO ours. ard nor
4 only the cost Of making gas. but tho
amount of money necessary TO cxnend
/ ior repairs ordinary and extraordinary
( me cost Of distributing the gas. and So
F on"
You "Al not use any examples from
+ me British gas companies"
No, although ] have All tbos. ferr-s
+ dEiy attested- The statements AS IT, fHa
eas companies in cities I'm tho T-nf-sd
states, where labor conditions. service
ndiuons. and the cost OF supuiv fg an
/ pfoNlmaiely similar. viii. I tliul, r-c,-e
d more convincing argument and dem
F "Hslftton. ] propose % shop. tho cost
/ Oh gas. including taxes. wear and tear
. OH tAe plant repairs. cost OF sunpfirs
ana. in TACT. every cost that can rieEfI,-
( enter INTO tGr making or gas and tr.
evidence ] can adduce. and which cannot
successfully De coutr1vertrd viii SHOW.
+ that iHe cost of gas Is u cents This h.
+ -EerF conditions similar 20 those which
"Hlaln here If anything "a HttIc rnora
olHcult than ours. and andrr tEfs SHOW
ing iEere should be- absolutely no oues-
+ t4eH about furnishing gas to In. cor-
slmeTs OF the District at e cents ana
sun leave a large margin OF profit"
Mems 90 BE Fair 10 Coupa,,
1 And your attitude toward the gas com
desire strongly 20 treat The Wash
in@'2n Gas Company fairly. have NOT
( lhe disposition to da the slightest fu-
justice to anybody. neither the gas com
p-AE nor tee people But II 1 am con-
'.H'ea mat sas can proftably De- fur
I"sAsd I'll % cents "a thousand feet il
would work injustice O. the peonle If 2
them.
What about requiring the va.siro.or
'Ias company 60 make an annual ran4r. 90
"Of course the gas couuan, ouebr =,
Pc required to make an annual reno~+
ana there should be a bin making il q,
lt-dl obligation. just as il is for the street
f railway companies. the electric light cpr,-
p21les and other public service corpora-
. tiens."
Are you satisfied with the expression
or public opinion in support OF your stand
I on the gas question:"
"of course There is without dofibt q
strong demand on the part Of the neonIs
+ fer cheaper gas and they have certainly
/ expressed their wishes plainly enough bv
/ 5heir public meetings and their state
ments in the public press But as far as
f my work in connection with the effort for
cheaper gas Is concerned I am not in
duanced at all. I hope. by public opint,0
/ do not believe that q public servant
elected 20 do his duty by the ncopla
should wait to redress a wrong until tne
people call upon him II he knows that n
( thing is evil, De should seek 20 redress il.
( lie should be. as a matter Of fact. in adj
vance OF the people. And after he has
once taken stand on "a public question
T he should stick by IL so long as he knows
+ he is right On this gas question ! know
{ that am right, I have the facts to prove
II, and 1 hope TO present them in wav
that viii be convincing. Whatever the
outcome I shall continue 20 fight on this
question so long as 1 know that I am
right.
This ShouId Be Model City.
Il am r.oved in NY desire to better
conditions i'm Washington by the belief
I that Washington should be the model city
Of the United States. It should he an ex-
ample 20 all the cities Of the nation. and
( ] believe that we should ell work toward
/ that end. ! nave no motive i'm the action
J have taken toward the betterment OF
these conditions except thatFof public
duty. / believe that if a man is elected
20 be public servant he should serve the
public TO the very best of his ability. and
that is what I am trying to do"
Measurement Of GRx.
a well-l,novn physician OF Washington.
discussing the gas question. says:
Let me assure you that there is a uni
versaj desire here for smaller gas bills.
As the price of gas does not seem 60
affect the amount OF the bill to any ap7ra-
ciabIe degree, I would suggest that the
remedy be in the direction of the meas
uremeut, and that the government have
/ control Of the Eas meters by a standard
OF measurement by and under the Bureau
OF Standards, with inspectors OF gas
meters and gas pressure. We have gas
inspector. but it seems that ne merely
tests i.s Illuminating mower
II ann of the opinion that our bills
viii be rs large with the price reduced
[ 90 - coats unless there is some regI-
lation or standard of measurement Let
the government do it,
Vcrdict Against Phone Company.
Attorney Wilton =. Lambert yesterday
recovered $3Cu92 damages 10y "A verdict j.