The Washington herald., 1907-01-12

and Books Always open to Public.
There may be a statement made public
Getting forth the cost Of making gas in
the District Of Columbia. a representa-
tive OF the Washington Gaslight Com
pany informed The Herald yesterday that
such a statement was in course of prepa-
ration he indicated that it would be
complete in every respect. This is some
thing Congress never yet has succeeded
in obtaining II is taken for granted that
it win not only be specific, but also a
sworn statement
Such a statement. to be of value or 20
come up 70 the requirements of such
statements In other cities, will have to be
most elaborate and painstaking. II will
be OF no value if it contents itself with
bare statement OF the receipts and dis
bursements of the gas company. To be
adequate in giving Information TO the
people whose money it Is that supports
this quasi-public corporation, il viii
have TO set forth in detail, and specifically,
the amount Of coal used during the year
and its cost, the quantities of oil and
water consumed. an accurate statement
Of exactly the proportion Of pure coal gas
to water gas which is being supplied TO
the people Of Washington.
Full Statement Wanted.
The account on the side Of disburse-
ment will have to include all the monies
expended. to whom, and for what
purpose. It will have TO show the
exact receipts of the company from
all sources. from the sale of gas as
well as from, the sale Of the by-products-
an important factor in estimating the
cost of gas. J. Yyill have to show what
dividends IL cams and has paid on its
capitalization, and with this viii be re-
quired a stateme ri as 10 how much Of
its capitalization is genuine and how
much is mere gvateg carried for the pur-
pose Of enabling the company 10 keep its
dividends from beoOi1'ing so large as to
attract the attention q { the public whose
money pays them. MI this and more IS
what is required in u statement Of the
business of the Was bAngton Gas Com
pany, and such a state u ent would settle
at once and for a long hle the question
people of the District sho uld be required
to pay for gas.
Difficult as it is 10 hnd out ,exactly what
the cost Of gas is in Washiuga IN. the cost
Of gas in other cities does al east some
thing toward helping people % arrive at
an intelligent estimate. Recenn the In
dianapolis News sent an expeu inVesti-
gator to England to study this q uestion.
and his reports were full. free. and an
biased He had the willing aid al the
leading gas men in England, who nave
nothing to conceal and whose books are
always open 20 the public they serve.
Conditions in sheffield.
Take Sheffield. England. For twelu.
years this busy city has been getting gus
for less than 90 cents per ]. .0gG cubic feet.1
At the present day they get gas for Sc
cents Tor domestic consumption. and large
consumers get it for from . to % cents.
according to the amount used The char
ter Of Sheffield was granted by act OF
Parliament. as the franchise TO the WASH
ington Gas Company was granted By ?
Congress. But the Sheffield corporation
found that its capital was limited 10 the
actual needs of its business. and provision
was made so that there could be no
wat---ng OF stock or capitalization Of
earning capacity. It may accumulate
10 the amount of 10 per cent of
its stock. and no more. it can pay divi-
dends on its stock not 10 exceed 10 per
cent.
II its earnings exceed 10 per cent it
must bower the price Of gas In Sheffield. ,
under these conditions. gas is used in !
$1,000 stoves The gas there has a can
dlepower or 1712. and it contains 624 heat !
units The company is directly respousI-
bic to Parliament; its entire capital is ,
less than S,00O,C00 All of its expenses
are itemiZed and full annual returns must
be made 10 Parliament. and the books are
always open 10 the people If new stock
Is issued il must be sold at auction, and
his provision prevents the company. even :
# il wished. from issuing new stock to I
is holders in lieu of dividends on / ]
March 81, 1895, the 10 per cent reserve fund / 9
being full and the 10 per cent dividend 7
having been paid, the directors found
themselves with something like $4,000
surplus on hand. At once the price Of
gas was reduced. j
The British gas men say that under the J
American system there would have been
a reissue of stock and bond issues and $
other manipulations to ke4p the large +
earnings on the true capital from be- f..
coming apparent Said a Sheffield gas
man 10 tie puCIiC press: The theory of "
}ur laws is that a gas company though o
q private corporation. i'm fact is a public I
institution, and that those who put their {
money 20 such uses should have fair rec
1mpense, and in the main shall have $
direction of the property. But the public p
'lso has an equity and interest I'm this &
iemi-pubhc enterprise. and its greatest b
interest is to receive dividends in the form il
If lower rates" a
Gas at ~ Cents, Il
In Manchester. England, under municI- =
'al ownership gas is furnished TO the peo- h
pie for IS cents per loo; that is. for /,
ordinary purposes for commercial use it f,
$ IS cents per Loo In 1865 Manchester
lsed 1894 C6J,o00 cubic feet, and the gross "a
Ost OF this in the holder was Il cents r.
The value Of The bv-products was q cents a.
N every thousand feet of gas made.
Here, too, they have system of penny
meters, where, by dropping in ! penny
a 2-cent piece the consumer gets thirty
eet of gas. This. the most expensive wav
L buying gas, brings the cost to S. cents
er loo. There is no charge for. meters
Mauchester, and the gas company FUR
ishes stoves 10 all who desire them free
charge. The municipality has been
unnlng its own gas plant since lS44. AMI
that time il has turned over 10 fbe
ty more than $13oooOoQ and at the same
Ine has always paid the regular taxes or,
$ PROPERTY In 1854 it handed over to tbe
Manchester treasury SSJ0.Oe0. and also Maid