The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-15
Amendment to Be Of
fered to District APP
priation Bill VIII Fix
Price Limit.
Same Rate May Be Made
for Private Consumers.
Thinks Trust Unlike
ly to Oppose.

The first skirmish IN the fight for
lever gas, SO far as concerns proceed
ings on the floor OF Congress. viii be
opened in the House when the District
II Columbia appropriation bin comes Up.
Representative ". ". Wilson OF IlIi-
nois announced today taaL he viii offer
| an anendH. ent. providing that the Dis
! tTict or Columbia authorities shall make
no contract for gas. Tor public uses. at
price exceeding 75 cents ger I,905 feet.
Ar wilson represents a Chicago dis
trict' knows the long and hard fight
with The gas companies of that tos,n.
has made careful study Of the situa-
/ ton ii Washington, and is preparjng
a real light against the present exces-
sive charge for gas.
Thinks Monopoly Wouldn't Fighr.
| I have been looking into the prices
for which gas sells in other cities" said
Ar. Wilson. 'and am convinced =
I there would never be a fight. bv sae
/ gas companies. against accepting an act
which fixed the price, for both public
and private use, ar . cents. II they
made fight. and eEjoined enforcement
/ O sueh an act, the ensuing litigation
would simply prove that they could az
/ iord TO sell gas for a good deal less
thsn % cents, and they don't want that
/ iact brought forward and proved. No
I there would be no trouble whatever
/ IN oIering an amendment to the Dis
| trlet appropriation bill, I shall act on he
half OF my own constituents Iu.r as
much as on behalf OF the people OF
! Washington Washington's revenues
are contributed in part from the ra-
| tlonal treasury. II too much Is maid
Tor gas IN Washington. for public uses
/ my constituents IN Chicago arc
! among the victims Of the excessive
| charge, ] NJ going to appeal to members
on this ground.
| The amendment VIII ofrer viii havs
| 70 do only with gas bought by the Dis
! tnct for public purposes. There is no
| question that It Is germane 10 the bill.
/ no point of order viii lie aesinst r.
/ There VIII have 10 be q vote on IL, ana
! nave no doubt. after talking
/ with a good many members of the
/ House. that il win pass.
May Reduce Private Price.
! IF somebody proposes an amendment
/ to my amendment. providing that gas
1 for private use Of citizens shall not be
! sold at higher price than the District
! government is allowed 20 pay for public
uses. I viii be glad 10 accept It; but I
/ am not going to offer the amendment n
/ that form because l don't want my
/ amendment subject to a point Of order.
1 expect confidently that this amend
/ ment viii be offered, and / shall jOin
/ in asking that no point of order be
made against It. II it goes through,
/ and private uses viii have been ac-
/ ccmpllshedi II II goes out under the
| point of order, We viii still press the
/ original amendment, 20 fix the price al
] 20 cents for public purposes.
There is absolutely no good reason
/ why the price Of gas should not be
ing both public and private consump-
ton. Suppose for the sake OF the ar
! gument that the gas companies can't
make and sell gas. az that price without
! losing money: what Of that? Here
! what they would DO
How Fight Would Come.
Before the date for the act to be-
come effective. the companies would
/ 90 into court, allege that the price
fixed was nOnCompensatOTy and CalcU-
lated to violate the constitutional guar
antee against taking private property
I for public use without due process of
law. They would secure a temporary
| restraining order, pending full hearing
on the merits OF the question as 10
| whether the 75-cent price really Was
confiscatory.
pending that hearing, II the prece-
dents Of other like cases were followed.
the gas companies would be allowed TO
collect the old price, giving bond to
repay the difference 10 consumers. be-
tween the old and new prices, II after
/ the hearing the new price were Sus-
/ tained by judicial decree. Then the
matter would go to the courts. The
| Government would produce its evidence
Danies; the decision would either sus-
| tain or defeat the 75-cent price.
/ ''If the reduced price were nOncom-
pensatory, how are the gas companies
to be injured BY such a proceeding?
| IF IL is Compensatory, why should the
public pay higher pTiee?'
VIII Review Trusts History.
Mr.. Wilson proposes to discuss the
financial history Of the Washington Gas
Light Company from the House floor,
ard to that end has been studying l.,
from the report Of the Spooner iavesti-
CATION down 10 date Then ne win
take IN gas prices and experiences in
other cities, and tel some tacJs about
cost of gas where there has been judi
ciaI or legislative inquiry TO determine
I have no doubt, after talking with
| a good many members OF the House,
said Mr. Wilson, that the great ma
jority are for this proposition. II We
| succeed in reducing the price for public
| purposes 70 70 cents, the demand for
ike treatment of the private consumer
| cannot long be denied In any case IL
| win be a long step toward fair treat
ment cf the private gas user