The Washington herald., 1909-01-31


Mr.. Forstail-I should think so, If they
know about it.
Mr.. Sims-And they are not asleep.
Mr.. ForstaIl-Weii. I did not know any
thing about It Until last Saturday.
Mr.. Moore-In answer to Mr. Sims a
moment ago you Indicated that the mayors
OF municipalities or the authorities OF
municipalities were cog1izsnt Of the use
OF carburetted wafer gas in gas works In
those municipalities.
Mr. Fo.stail-I do not know that they
are. Of course. am not acquainted with
the mayor Of any municipality But L is
matter OF publication. II is matter
Of record that Il Is being supplied. and
I suppose mayors OF municipalities have
been more or less interested IN the New
York gas case.
Mr.. Moore-Is it not fact that IN
every great municipality there Is an In
spection Of the gas works; that they do
come under the inspection Of the aUthors-
ties OF the city,
Mr.. ForstalI-Yes. there is an inspector
Of gas in every large city.
Mr. Moore-Tn every large city. IS L
not fact that the municipal authorities
do know something about it2
Mr. Forstall-They should know. yes.
You section ef the act incorporating
the Washington Gasiight Company. ap-
proved June s, lSfs. Il reads as follows;
Section :. And b il further enacted, That the
president and directoTs shah have fuf poEeT and
authority 70 manGfsctuus make. and sell gas % b
made q eoai oa- Ear. peat. pitch. tuFTentins- o.
ether Ea-crial. and 70 h ussd fer TIE Tsrpose Y
lighting the city Of GeoTyetcgn the streets
thereof. ard any buidinEs manTfsctories ~ ho1ses
fhersin coutsRed and situate and % las pipes fo-
the FTpose q ecnductIug gzs n any a The streets
laBCs OF zlicys q the said CITY Provided howeTer
thai the sid c1mDanT shall - condgCt the usrss-
fseture u gas not 20 in5zre private property a.
e7este nuisance. and that the SAID pipes shah -
laid sHbect 20 such conditions and II camuiizucs
with sucr regulations TIE cooperation q Georve-
town aforesaid may from time 70 tine p7esc-ibe-
And provided. further. that the right erect ard
Manufacture q gss shall b. subject 20 such teTus.
conditions restrictions. and regulations the sad
corporation 4 Georgetown n,sy, from tine . TIM,
prescribe o. direct
Having quoted this provision of the act
Incorporating the Washington Gaslisht
Company for proceeding with It's bust
ness as It does in Washington, want 20
ask you II il is not substantially the
provision that holds in regard 10 the
manufacture Of gas and the privilege OF
manufacturing gas in practically every
large city in the country.
Mr. FOrstall-I think L is. so far as ny
knowledge goes from the investigation
have made ] have 10 look I'D fran
chises in connection with my investigs-
tons
Mr. Moore-Let me quote from section
9. OF the same act, Incorporating this
Washington Gaslight Company:
See p And Be Il further snacted That nethfnz
n this act shsu BE Construed % prevent any persol
OF pcrsoHs. any Incorporated company hersafte-
70 b cTes-ed b. CoeEress for that pgrpose- fron
engaging II and pursuing the business specified il
the seren'h section OF this ar. and that II shah
be lawful for Congress 81 zzy tine hereafter &c
alter. amend. q repeal this art
Having quoted this section 20 you. Iet
ne ask you II you know Of any corpora
ton OF Of any person OF persons from
any section OF this Union. who desire 70
enter into competition and establish bust
ness on the line OF business referred u
by Mr.. Sims in his questionsZ
Mr.. Forstsil-I do not
Mr. MOore-Tou do not know anybody
gho wants 20 come here and g IN bust
ness on those lines in competition in the
gas business?
Mr.. Forstall-I would not advise any
gas company to come IN here 10 furnish
coal gas exclusively in Washington in
competition with a company furnishing 4
mixture
Mr. Moore-The facts are. obtained from
the report Of the engineer department
for 1907. that there were IN the District
g SSs brick buildings and 22.s5S frame
buildings housing the entire population
Of this District Quoting those figures 70
you. then the facts are that the Wash
ington Gasiight Company IS furnishing
service to all these people in al these
buildings
Mr. FoTstall-No-
Mr.. Saore-Substantially2
Mr. Forstsll-So. I do not think prob
ably the Washington GasIight Company
IS furnishing service 70 more than two
thirds OF the buildings IN this Territory
Mr.. MoO7e-Whatever service they ara
getting is being furnished by the Wash
ington G2Slight Company
Mr. ForStaII-Tes: whatever service
they are getting Is being furnished by the
Washington Csslight Company
Mr.. Moore-Therefore the public is get
ting the benefit and the convenience OF
whatever service the company is giving.
and paying for il?
Mr. Thomas-That is. east Of Rock
Greek
Mr. Moore-The point I an getting at.
Is this. You and other witnesses have said
that there has been an expenditure here
Of $7.ea0l0 OF capital for the purpose OF
establishing these works in order that
the public might have this service; is that
correct?
Mr.. Forstall-No. I do not know what
the expenditure has been here
Mr. Notwithstanding that an exPeadi-
ture OF seven millions OF capital has
been made. the public Is getting the
service and whatever benefit that ex-
penditure conveys 70 them2
Mr. Fors5aII-Yes. sir
Mr.. Moore-The purpose OF this bin BE-
fore US, as you understand it, is 70 pro-
hibit the manufacture OF carbon nonoxids
in the District OF Columbia. which accord
ing to your judgment would practically
put out Of business the Washington Gas
light Company with the enormous ex-
penditure Of capital that II has nader
Mr.. FOrstsli-I do not know what the
purpose Of the bill IS The effect. OF its
passage would be 20 stop the company-
Mr. Moore-I viii strike out the word
purpose" and Use the word effect.
because it suits my purpose. The eject
Of II would be that it would destroy that
seven million dollars Of capital that has
been put in this business by the gas
company
Mr. Forstall-Yes. you would destroy
that part Of it that is put into the
manufacturing plant As was stated YES
terday. the street mains would serve as
well for either kind OF gas.
Mr.. MooT-The purpose Of the bill then
apparently is 20 save the lives that have
been lost through accident OF suicide by
reason OF the Inhalation OF carbon mon
oxide You understand that to be the
purpose OF it,
Mr.. FOTstsIl-Tes
Mt Moore-You have given Us figures
indicating that in certain large cities- ard
notably in Chicago. the percentage Of loss