The Washington times., 1907-12-14
.EXTORTIONATEGAS
RATES DENOUNCED
BY MAJOR HAWKS
Praises Times Crusade in
Stirring Address to East
End Citizens.

Resolutions indorsing The Times fight
Cor cheaper gas ard Urs.ng the mem
bers Of the East End Suburban Citizens
Association to be pp and doing. were
introduced ty Mai. Z. I. Hawks. presi-
dentNof the District Realty Company,
and unanimously adopted by the asso-
ciation at its last meeting.
Major Hawks cOmplimented The
Times for rs crusade against the gas
monopoly, and it's wholesouled en-
deavors t. obtain a better quality Of
gas at q cheaper rate. lie said The
Tines had shown its interest in behalf
OF long-suffering public and declared
that the people Of the District through
their citizens associations, business
bodies. anC other channels should tola
forces with The Times and the Com
missioners.
Not Too Late for Help.
4 believe that even at this late day
the people can make the gas monopoly
render justice to long suffering citizens" ="
said Major Hawks. The gas company
should be compelled to give the citizens
Of the District gas at 57cents. and al
that price the monopoly could make a
fair living proht" Mr.. Hawks address
was a stirring one, and ne was often
He said the present charge for gas is
unfair and unjust, and some remedial
steps should be taken Immediately. Il
believe the present charge for gas Is
practical extoruon," declared NJ Jr
Hawks 1T is unreasonable and out II
all proportion 10 the commodity fur
In Other Cities.
Major Hawks pointed out that it had
been shown by authoritative osciaI sta,
tistics, treating the cost OF manufacture
and delivery Of gas. that the commodity
could be, and is being, sold in many
other large cities at a much lower rs ts
than charged in the District In mum
Der OF instances, he said, the rate was
fixed voluntary by the gas companies
which did not seek to gouge the public
decade in and decade out.
If gas can be sold cheaper in other
large cities farther away from the coal
supply than Washington, which is in
close touch with the coal fields, why,
1 ask, are we paying an e,ttoruOnate
price for our gas? queriei Major
He referred to washington's geo.
graphical location, and declared that the
Washington gas monopoly on small
capital had built up public utility OF
profits demanded of the masses. and
were paying fat dividends and big in
terest on an inflated capitalization that
was unfair TO the people.
Wood Urges Conservatism.
James NJ. Wood, secretary Of the as
sociation, favored a more conservative
investigation Of the cost OF manuSec-
ture and delivery of gas and urged that
the matter be looked into In a cold bsisi-
ness-like way before determining upon
a rate of charge that might be unfair
to the gas company. He said he was
in favor Of a sliding scale OF prices and
would like to see the price fixed at 30
cents and II IT was shown later that a
profit could be made on a lower charge
he would favor the reduction Secre-
tary Wood brought up the gas question
at the meeting
Gen. S. s. Yoder. president II the
Washington Spa Spring and Gretna
Electric Railway CCmpan--, and a prong
ident real estate owner. favored the is.
ISOLATION going on record as in favor o.
cheaper gas, but suggested no price.