The Washington times., 1908-01-16

4 AAC ACAAtNAA y ANNtEAs NDANAA
plains itself, has been received by
the Commissioners of the District:
''1SO5 Thirtieth street northwest,
Washington, D. c., January Is, 1908.
''To the HoE orable, the District Com
missioners:
4 wish to call your attention to gas
conditions at the above address. Every
evening for the past month at about the
hour OF 9 to $50 p m, the gas in my
fiat has suddenly gone down to a flame
about two candle-power. In the early
part of the evening the flame flares and
suddenly goes down at about the same
hour each evening.
I took the matter up with the gas
company and they advised that II was
caused by condensation and promised
to have the matter fixed. This does not
seem to me to be a gUod reason, as it
would appear to me that unless the
condensation took place every night
that l would not have gas at any time.
] am inclined TO think that either the
gas company runs out Of gas or reduces
the pressure at that hour.
"In either case we lose, as we do not
have sufficient light at the time we
need IL most, and / haVs no doubt that
when the pressure Is reduced that the
meter registers the same as if there was
the usual pressure. This is the complaint
OF almost the entire Colonial apart
Inents, at least OF the majority that 1
have asked about it. / will be obliged
If you viii have the matter investigated
and handled for betterment. Yours
truly, F. W. MAHOOD."
Wind and Water.
Mr. Maho0d's case IS such familiar
one that il IS useful mainly for Illus
1ration Of the inefhCiency and hope
lessness of the service granted by a
company that IS devoting all its atten-
ton to the effort to induce the com
munity to give 1t $4,000 600 bonus for this
sort Of service The company IS so
busy injecting wind and water into its
capitalization that it hasn't any time
10 take the wind and water out OF the
gas
Mr.. Mahood is assured by the gas
company that condensation" is his
trouble. Well, that Is partly true, and
mostly untrue The truth is that Mr.
Mahood's difficulty, according 10 the in
spectOr of gas and meters. Mr.. Run
van, is that the gas cOmpany's pipes
are too small 10 carry the necessary
gas for consumers along its lines.
The letter from Mr. Mahood was sub
mitted by The Times to Inspector Run
nan, and this Is what he said about it:
IF this trouble Of Mr.. Mahood's IS
due to condensation, as the gas people
tell US, Il means that there is some
water or tarry substance in the pipes
that may have condensed at the time OF
low pressure TO such extent that the
service pipes to his meter are partially
closed.
Company Can Remedy It.
''The remedy is for the gas company
20 send around and have the pipes
blown out. Evidently they have for
gotten to do it.
There has been a good deal of this
complaint of insufficient pressure at
certain hours Of the day. from various
parts of the District It means simply
that the mains are not large enough to
carry the amount Of gas required by
the people tributary to them. We have
no law in the District to regulate
pressure. Probably there ought TO be
one. though the question Of pressure
is very hard to regulate"
Without doubt Mr.. Runyan is correct
IN his explanation that as The Times
has repeatedly declared on the author
ity Of other experts, the gas mains are
not big enough 10 carry the gas needed.
WASHINGTON linS utterly OuAEAOWA AAAe
gas plant. The mains are not big enough
and neither are the holders The COM
pany made last year about 20 per cent
on its stock and piled up huge sur
plus, besides putting about 100000 into
improvements of the plant Yet II re
fuses to keep up with the growth Of the
city and IS now asking that II be given
the privilege Of increasing its capitali-
cation by about $lo,00oOO.
No Idea Of Improvement.
II doesn't promise TO use the new
capital in improving its plant, and it
doesn't need it for that purpose. It's
current profits are ample to make the
necessary improvements. The gas mo-
nopoly wants the increase Of capital Tor
no other purpose than to distribute
among its present shareholders, so that
its abnormaIly large profits may be alb
sorbed in dividends, and there may De
assurance against the reduction OF price
IN future.
People with troubles such as those OF
Mr. MahoOd should go ana see the
members Of the District committees OF
Congress. Tell them the troubles Make
them understand how bad is the stu
alton. Impress upon them that the SIT
uaitca is -unbearable, and that relief
must be had
The District Commissioners have ear
nestly asked necessary legislation: II
will pass If Washington victims OF the
gas monopoly viii only make themselves
felt