The Washington herald., 1909-02-01
Committee on Gas and Lights. Takoma
Park Citizens Association

Committee on Gas and Lights. Takoma
/ Park Citizens Association.
Statement of Mr.. John HeIIhenny,
Consulting Engineer of the wash
inEton Gas Company.
Mr.. Taylor-I infer you are here at
the request Of the gas company
Mr. McIlhenny-I viii say q little fur
ther than that, that I an here at my
own request
Mr Moore-Are you not a mauufac-
turer also?
Mr.. McIIhenny-Yes- I am here be
cause I would Ike 10 see justice done
the business that have devoted ny life
TO- I suppose there has never been
corporation organized IN this country
that has been subject 10 more investiga-
tion than the Washington Gas Gem
paHy. I have been connected with that
company about forty years, one way or
another. Ny brother was a former presi-
/ dent OF the company. and was an invalid,
IN bad health. Tor a long time. and It re-
quired somebody 10 come her and look
after its interests. and used 70 DO that
for him.
deiphis. do you nOt2
Mr.. McIlhenny-Yes. After his death
the company elected ne It's consulting
engineer. and I try 70 do for them all
1 can in that position. I would ike 70
say 70 you gentlemen. that I have never
known any body OF men--a1d have been
associated with a great many people In
my time-whO are more enxiOus 10 90
right by the public than the men who
have control of the Washington company.
( K is a constant anxiety and care. and
even a squfb in the newspaper annoys
them fer fear they have not been doing
the right thing BY the people. The mat
ter Of expense has never been considered.
I We keep men IN the Office day and night
70 answer calls II a man has a leak
in his house, he can telephone. and the
man win be there as fast as taxicab
con carry him. or a hcTse and wagon, 10
fix it for him. We have always done
{ the very best We could, and / Go not
believe there is better service rendered
IN that line in the United States than
( is rendered here in Washington. and !
/ have been in this business al my life
and I sm connected with several other
companies Ike this. But the anxiety or
I the people here TO serve-I suppose il is
f probably the eye OF the Congress on them
1t might be that; 1t might not be any
desire 10 DO better than other people. but
/ az any rates they are always trying TO
I 90 the best they can and 20 give the
people the best gas that they can make,
/ the purest gas.
an not going into the question OF
/ accidents, but there are many accidents
/ in coal gas, just as we had all the time
before We made any wafer gas. but we
( were forced into the making Of water
/ gas against our will The people were
not content with l6-candIe power gas,
and the newspapers publishing all the
+ time that other places were giving %
candle gas and 29-candie and 24-candIe
gas, and here We were subject 10 an
[ outrageous corporation that only furnish
! ed Is, making mints Of money out Of
/ the people and giving nothing in return
that forced Us 70 spend millions OF dollars
10 furnish water gas We could have
got along with making coal gas. but the
popular idea was that the water gas was
the best. and il IS the best for the peO-
PIE. there is TO doubt about that There
have been some lives lost. and depIorably
so. nobody can have anything but regret
for such a condition as that loss OF
life Every man with q heart in him
depiOTes anything Ike that, and no
amount of money ought 10 stand IN the
way OF protecting them. We all under
stand that. but everything seems to re-
Quire human sacrifice. DO not care
what il IS. When we had coal gas people
would get suffOcated. explosions took
place. and with water gas It is the same
thing 1t IS the same in ali branches OF
business ! have a newspaper clipping
burg lately. where so men lost their
lives in the iron works That IS a de-
pIorable thing, but legislation cannot
stop it. and people are not going TO stop
making iron on that account II you
were to pass this law to-day and put Us
out OF business. as the passage OF such q
law would. We could not 90 to making
coal gas now. II YOU were to put US out
Of business now the people would rise in
arms against such q law; they would
not have II. ard before I say what I
an going 70 say ! want TO give you an
other side OF the gas business II Is
belefcent one. and remarkably so. TOO:
Il has actually heightened men's days.
and made their service al night valuable
and until the Introduction OF the cleo
trie light there was no other ilIuminant
but gas. But there is one direction in
which il has been a vast benefit to So
eiety. In reading Miss EarIe's book. the
Old Colonial Days in New England, and
{ Or. Cooks book on the Latiuers. YOU
VIII find that the conditions of our grand
mothers days was one Of drUdgery. cook
ing down on low hearth on 4 hot sum
mer day in q Dutch oven for the family.
The wood stove came along and was
great relief Il lifted them half way
out OF that drudgery- Then along comes
the gas stove. and for urban people
there IS nothing that has happened OF
late years that has so elevated and lifted
the character of the woman as the gas
stove She can lie IN bed an hour later
{ in the morning. because she has a gas
stove to cook her husbands meals on.
She can go and cook with gioved hands.
and with her white dress on She never
has to stOop That industry has become
so popular in that direction for cooking
that II you were TO try 10 blot Il out By
any law it would not be recommended
+ again.
Mr. sims-Could you not cook with
coal gas?
Mr. McIlhenny-Yes. just the same. al
though the water gas has a few more
heat units on account Of its high candle
power.
AIr. sims-You can add heat units to
the other BIZ adding oil2
Mr.. McIlhenny-Yes. by a quantity. bat
Il would &c impossible. NJ Sims, 10 make
gas on a large scale Ike you make II over
IN Georgetown. I speak Of that from ex-
perienca