Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-14
GAS PROBLEM DISCUSSED.
House District Committee Waiting
for Commissioners Views.

The House District committee devoted
most of it's regular weekly session today
to a discussion Of the gas problem In
Washington. Some time ago the commit
tee endeavored to have the District Com
missioners recommend some sort of a bill
TO prohibit the gas companies from manu-
featuring a product containing dan
gerous proportion Of carbon monoxide.
which is found in water gas, which con-
stitutes a portion of the Illuminating gas
now manufactured by the Washington
Gas Light Company. The committee. ac-
cordng to statements made by Chairman
Smith to Star reporter today, was I'M
able to get such recommendation from
s Smith esd 6r w Tnen CHIEF f tse
bureau OF chemistry of the Agricultural
Department. and asked him about the
matter. DR.. Wiley promised to see the
District Commissioners.
Up to the time the District committee
met today no recommendation on the
subject had been received from the Com
nissioners. and the committee, being ig-
norant of the details of manufacture Of the
Washington Gas Light Company product,
was unable TO consider any remedial leg
,slation.
In consequence the committee adopted
a motion that the Commissioners be re-
quested to recommend legislation on this
subject to Congress They will be asked
10 suggest whether the District commit
tee should recommend a bill prohibiting
the gas light company from including wa
ter gas in its product, or else to recon-
mend legislation permitting a certain per
CentaSe OF water gas to be used.
The committee today tabled the bill
amending the present fire escape law so
as to prevent certain fireproof buildings
in the District from being compelled to
erect fire escapes.
The Sims bill prohibiting officials of the
District government from owing any
stock in local corporations. was made a
hp
Commissioners Urge Action.
When the attention of Commissioner
Mcfarland was called today to the state
ment Of Chairman Smith that the Com
missioners had failed to make any definite
recommendations for prohibiting the pres
ence or carbon monoxide in the gas be-
yond safe limits. he called attention to the
letter sent to the chairman OF the House
Disfrlc1 committee recommending action
on the gas question and to the letter of
Ut. H. w. Wiley, regarding safe carbon
monoxlde standard which was forwarded
10 Chairman Smith today.
The letter recommending legislative ac-
ton is as follows:
In view of the statements contained in
the report of Mr.. Daniel W. Baker
United States attorney for the District
OF Columbia. under date of the 9th in
slant, to the Attorney General. respect
ing the carbon monoxide I'm the gas man.
ufactured and furnished by the Washing
ton Gas Light Company. the Commits
saoners recommend 10 Congress that ii
amend the laws respecting the Washing
ton Gas Light Company I'm its manu-
tActure and distribution of gas by either
torbidding entirely the of water gas
Or restricting the quantity used TO such
q minimum that its presence I'm the COM
position of the city gas would be insig-
nifcant and harmless. Whichever prop
osition may be adopted the Commission
ers will be glad to put in bill form
las the District attorney states, similar
measures of protection have been taken
by the legislatures of other jurisdictions,
While the Georgetown Gas Light Com
pany does not a t present make water gas,
but manufactures and furnishes coal gas,
IL should be included in any legislation
that Congress may enact to prevent the
dangers due to the presence OF water
gas.