Los Angeles herald., 1907-09-04
GAS LA w rs
MFLEXIBLE
"DRAFTED MAINLY IN INTEREST
OF CONSUMERS"
WREN-HEWITT REPORT READY
FOR COUNCIL
Heat Units and Candle Power ln-
creased, Purity and Regular Press
sure, and Itemized Annual
Reports Demanded

Insistence on a high standard and
regularity of pressure, purity, heat ana
candle power, regular reports and IN
spections with fines for violations are
the features of the new ordinance
which Chairman Walter Wren com
pleted yesterday as an answer to the
gas troubles of last year.
1t is the work of a special committee
consisting of Councilman Wren ana
City Attorney Leslie r. Hewitt.
when the report is presented before
the city council next Tuesday 1t Will
probably be referred to the legislative
committee and there the real fight will
begin.
Three gas companies now operating
in Los Angeles will be specially af-
fected by the provisions.
If the ordinance is passed as drafted
it will require amendment of the pub
lie utility ordinance as it calls for for
NAL notice to the public when the gas
rate is fixed by the council each year
so that all who have protests may be
heard
Books Must Be Open
It also provides special forms for the
city clerk, who shall cause all COM
panies to furnish accurate sworn state
ments of all their holdings whether In
Los Angeles or elsewhere and other
minute data on these official blanks.
1t creates a gas inspector, who must
be chemist and engineer to answer re-
quirements and who must be admitted
anywhere at any time in gas plants.
This feature the Lowe company has
heretofore fought.
1t also calls for complete maps of all
gas mains, pipes, ETC., with monthly
changes and additions to pipe service
feature which the City Gas company
may wish to keep from it's competitors.
Chairman Wren has drawn heavily
on the ordinance in Washington, Cleve-
land and Newark and with City Attor-
ney Hewitt has spent many nights in
working on the ordinance.
Guided by Other Cities
Councilman Wren and Attorney Hewitt
have accumulated a stack of books, re-
ports and ordinances from other cities and
have had the aid of experts in drawing
up the ordinance
They assert freely that they do not ex-
p~ It to see everything they suggest
adopted, and put forth some clauses
as feelers. They want to see every para
graph discussed.
The legality of the principal features
has been studied and found sound, it is
stated
Briefly the heat units are raised from
$50 to 625 British thermal measurement.
The candle power is raised from 16 to
1S1s
The pressure must run from two to six.
inch water pressure.
The proposed gas inspector must give
bond Of $4,000 and prove that he has not
been employed or is directly or indirectly
interested in any local gas company or
plant within year prior to asking ap-
pointment as inspector.
To Inspect All Meters
All meters must be inspected eventually.
One section discussed which will provoke
much debate is that making it unlawful
for the company to again supply gas that
night If for any reason 1t gives out after
o cloc. The object is to prevent asphyxia
tion of persons in whose house the gas
flames flicker and and die out and then
without notice of the company resumes
service while gas jets are left open by
the unsuspecting consumers.
1t is proposed that no gas be supplied
anywhere in the city If for any reason
after o'clock there is cutoff until the
next morning. This may work hardship
on bakers and others who use gas at
night.
Pressure Must Be Uniform
Discussing pressure, the Wren-Hewitt
report says:
In this section of the country the cost
of solid fuel is so high as to make it's
use we'll nigh impossible for domestic
purposes.
The use of our cheap grade oil for
these purposes is out of the question
in the present state of appliances for
adapting it to these purposes.
The almost universal use of gas in
Los Angeles as domestic fuel is prac-
tically compulsory.
At least 80 per cent of this amount is
used for cooking and heating and only
10 per cent for Illuminating; therefore
1t is more necessary to regulate the
heating value of gas than it's illuminat-
ing power; also in regulating the
pressure which governs the character
of the service it is better to fix it at such
standards as will give the utmost salts
faction when gas is being used for
heating and cooking.
Best for Efficiency
The proper pressure for lighting ap
pliances is between one to three inches
water gauge pressure, but this is
rather low for heating appliances, as
we have found heating appliances as
maze Will give the DeSt eIHcleHCy Wilen
the gas is supplied to them under two
to four-inch water pressure.
The present gas regulators or service
governors had best be allowed little
greater range of pressure than from
two to four incheS-say a regulation
between two to six inches, which
would be better and moreover could
be attained in practice without necessi-
tating too much supervision and in
spection of governors by the gas com
panies.
The lack of pressure and irregularity
of pressure causes the consumer to use
more gas than there is any need of to
do a given amount of work. A small
amount of excess pressure can be con-
trolled economically If the pressure is
uniform. Moreover it is not reasonable
to ask more than the apparatus easily
attainable can perform.
Carries Impurities
The report says further:
The reoilirements Of this CITY as re-