The Washington herald., 1907-01-16
GAS INQUIRY BY LABOR MEN
Hearing Before Committee of the
Central Labor Union.
e. W. Oyster Makes Thorough State
ment from All Available Data,
Showing Enormous Earnings.

The Washington GasliCht Company was
well represented before the committee OF
the Central Labor Union at the public
hearing yesterday given by the committee
for the purpose Of determining whether
or not the union should support the Mad
den bill for l5-Ceat gas in the District
/ General Manager ". F. Hart, Engineer
James s. McIlheuuy, and Attorney r. II
Goldsborough all appeared for the com
pany and opposed such action The pub
lie was represented by but one man-E
W. oyster, Of the petworth Citizens As
soci3tiou.
Mr.. Oyster brought with him lot OF
data, including the Spooner report of 1856
and the documents before Congress at
that time the hearings in Congress Of a
later date. and "a report Of the Bureau OF
Labor. giving gas statistics He gave
these as proof that the price Of gas in
Washington is eXorbitant and out of all
proportion with the rates Per 1000 feet in
other cities the world over
He went into the financing Of the COM
pany at great length telling OF the bo-
muses. graEted In order To reduce the
apparent dividends. which We're out OF afi
proportion 90 The amount invested. the
efforts 20 increase the capitalization. and
the ISSUANCE Of certificates OF indebted
mess He said the earnings Of the COM
TaHE were enormous
Mr. Oyster pointed out that the com
pany haa never reduced the wages Of
employees when the price of gas was rr-
duced
p II. GoldsburoUgh made reply 20 Mr.
oyster. going over the ground covered
oy him, and advancing arguments iu
relutatiou. He said that the company
had heau and was willing TO make q fun.
free. ard frank statement He produced
a typewriter statement and explained
tnat it had been given 20 the Comnis-
siauers. I- said that amy fair-mindei
man would admit that the company was
entitled u reasonable earnings on the
value Cf its property. That il was en-
titled - tEe beEe.ts accruing from good
management and good invcstmC The
statement. which lc read showed that il
actually cost the company SIS cents Der
Lnt' feet to deliver tae gas to the con
sumcr He declared that the bEH was ii
radical one and severe Cu the cguuaDv.
-.-t @as at = cents would not give an
adequate return. and in his opinion il
would not stand the test o. judicial re-
view.
Toward the end of Mr.. Goldsborougb's
argument the discussion became general
lIr. oyster called Mr. G5ldshsrough's at
rr-t-o7 20 the fact h1t, although be had
declared that ,Ee quantity Of gas used
ia New York would naturally mike u
cheaper than ia Washington, the George
town Gaslight Company had reduced the
price OF its Gas To "a par with Washing
ton gas. and yet it manufactured a vastly
smaller quantity
Ar- Goltsborough was asked by Chair
man stein If the company had ever on
p.seo tie Organization of is men. II
was admitted that the company had on
one occasion bat more through the op-
position of one man. At the present time.
He said. there was no such opposition.
The committee adjourned about O'Clock
and VIII meet this afternoon I'm executive
session 10 prepare report - be delivered
go She central o0dy as soon as possible.