The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-30


The board since ITS last report has
continued it's Investigations on the sub
ject OF water gas. tt is understood that
the parties in interest do not desire 10
omer further evidence in the cases
pending at the close OF the year. The
board believes that some modification
of The present law u.s. desirable and that
o report Of the work of the commits
siOuers iu this branch Of their duties
ought to be made TO the legislature at
the present time.
I'm the course OF Its inquiries the
hoard has endeay0red 10 ascertain what
commercial advantages, If any, might
accrue 10 the companies from an eA-
tension OF the present statutory limit
/ of caTbOnic oxide, believing that Ia any
such advantages the consumers would
ultimately share, and that the com
paujes ought TO be permitted 10 aVail
/ themselves or them lE they could do
so without prejudice to the public in
/ teTegt. For th3s purpose information
has been obtained by personal inspeC-
/ tl0n and correspondence from more than
/ a hundred C0mpaulcs. Inc BOARD 1e-
/ sIres TO gratefully recognize the uil-
/ form courtesy which has been Freely
/ extended 10 by the engineers IN charge
/ of watcT-gas works IN other States, and
] 20 acknowledge It's oDIEduOHS Tor inc
/ information so freely furnished.
at IS clear that the cost OF gas
I whether coal or water, Is rot an
/ lufexibIe figure, the same ror all
/ times and places an advance or % cents
{ Z
On oil making an increase Of lS per cent
/ ln the cost OF coal and water gas, re-
|suectivcIy. In certain large works where
/ both kinds Of gas have been made the
been sometimes with one, sometimes
with the other kind of gas There
are more exclusively water gas WORKS
In the anthracite coal region IA
PENNSYLVANIA. and within easy reach Or
IT, than In any other portion or the
/ country OF the same area because there
the price of anthracite coal has been
/ low. and that of gas coal relatively very
high. The particular location or a gas
works and its arrangement the quailtY
/ OF the materials and kind OF apparatus
I used and the kind Of labor and superln-
I teudeuce available may make even
/ larger variations in the cost OF e'Ihe'
gas.
Question Of Cost.
"The expenses OF distribution, man
/ agement. taxes. &c. are not likely 60
/ vary greatly whether coal or water
gas is the product. so that the fact Of
/ value iu estimating the cost o. the two
gases is the cost to manufacture or cosi
} I'm the holder as distinguished f;om cost
, at the meter
aTbe' principal items of cost i'm The
D holder are for materiaIs-coal and OIL
2 labor and repairs. From the COST oil
, materials Iu coal gas ls To bg dedGclg'
2 Inc very considerable receipts from thr
Z / sale of coke tar, and ammOniacai liquor
Under the best conditions IN THIS star
I these receipts have reached so per cen
( of the cost OF coal. and In some com
J NAMES more faVDTabIy situated tHel
: have reached much higher percentage
ga ton OF good gas coal VIII Yield ap
/ Dr0ximateIy 0lG TO 1000 feet OF gas. ~
5 / order to secure the caudlepowcr usuail
70 supplied iu this state. there must j.
added about I'D per cent OF camel, %
something more than five gallons of on
( equivalent 60 more than One-halt galloI
, per Loo feet.
10 I water gas there is commOul used NOR
81 than 30 pounds OF hard anthracite an
: from 10 gallons OF oil for every 100
! feet Of gas, although ia the very hes
D / works and under very favorable con
o ditious these quantities may be slight
!. reduced These two items nearly max
r up the cost of water gas in the holder.
- Labor Cost Important.
s "In coal gas the cost OF labor is
! most important element. 1t often near
IN equals oue-half the gross cost OF ma
: terials. and iu many companies doe
- not vary much from the cost or Goa