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

the printed report have been referred
90 I'm prior sessions or this committee
I'm 1883 the subject was again before the
legislature, and ii was that year that
the present board OF gas commissioners
was created.
As / have indicated. the question OF
carbon m1uoNidC limitation and the
question OF competition went hand IN
hand iu the contest and In the discus
sl0ns, and the creation of the gas conf
mission was intended To provide board
which should pass upon the question or
competing concerns among the othe.
things which were lutrusted TO that
hoard
Nr. TAYLOR-Did this board have
anything to do with determining the
quality and nature of the gas 10 be
Mr.. BARKER-Yes. sir 1t has the
regulation OF the price, OF the quality
and compulsory supply powers. 1t mas
Jurisdiction over the issues Of all securl-
ties, and general supervision over the
companies with respect to all those mat
teTs where the public and the company
come i'm contact, and has, directly or ~
directly, TO deal with most OF the PROB
lens that are presented TO the gas man
ager I say the board has TO do with
the quality. II has 10 do with seeing
that the quality, as fixed by the statute,
is complied with, and it also has lnsJruc-
uOns under the statute 10 make recon-
meudaLiOns to the legislature as 10 ITS
quality when, i'm it's Judgment, sucn
recommendations ought TO be made.
One Statement DispToved.
AS started to say. it happened that
between the sessions of 1854 and 1885 the
people representing the water-gas inter
ests had received privileges in the
streets of the city of Boston from the
/ local authorities With the appointment
/ of the commission, or with the PROPOSE
ton for legislation to that effect, the
/ contest over the carbOn-mOnOXide pro-
vision somewhat diminished. I mention
! this fact of the creation of the com
mission, because ] notice In a state
/ meut in the proceedings in these hear
/ ings i'm the first days session something
/ on one OF the earlier pages which seems
/ to indicate that the people who are in
/ teTesred i'm having the carbOn-mOuOxide
/ present had something to do with the
/ SItauon or t4e gas coIn som non ana
/ favored IL, and that II was N 1888
/ The fact is that the gas commission
! was created in 1880, instead of IN lSsS,
/ and any person familiar with the facts
/ who should hear the statement that the
/ people promoting the Water-gas Inter
I ests favored the creation of the com
/ mission would certainly smile If he did
not do more.
/ interested in that matter at all
/ Mr.. BARkER-That was the imp!ica-
/ ton in the report ana that is why i
! speak of IT,
> NJ
! been submitted 20 any of the speakers
/ for correction, and Il is the first print
/ There are errors In the hearings, no
/ doubt that would have been corrected
had they had opportunity to do so.
Water Gas Authorized
Mr. BARKER-Of course, I did not
/ know about that In 1855 the question
. was again before the legislature. and
in that year an act was passed author
I iziug the gas commission. which had
! had added 70 IL the authority over cleo
I trio light companies. TO license com
panies 10 make and distribute water
gas under certain restrictions, and tbs
board then started an investigation oil
the entire subject.
I have here the preliminary report
OF the board made In 1883. and the hua
report made in 1880 upon that subject
which / can leave with the committed
If Il cares to have them They art
very brief, and they are simply puI
lions of the annual report Of the board
Mr. TAYLOR-Make it part Of YOU
Mr. SIAIs-DeaIing with the question
Of carbon mUnOEidet
Mr.. EARNER-Ees-
Mr.. SIHS-Why not print IT with you
remarks
Mr.. TAYLOR-You need not stop now
II YOU VIII pick out the portions yo'
desire TO put in. and turn II over 10 In
stenOgrapaer. we viii be glad 10 nave ]
printed as portion OF your REMARKS
Mr.. BARKER viii do so. In pun
suit OF this inquiry, the board tnEDuB
one or more OF its members, examine
{ ala Of the cases of death from iilumlndt
/ 5ug gas OF which they could learn
the principal cities OF the country.
7 myself took part IN IlGL llhesL4BatlJl
Z and visited all the places menLone
IN the report, and some OF the tine
, had one member or the board an
, sometimes another member OF the boar
with me. The result was Lndt IN 4es
we recommended the passage OF IN
o. law which would enable US TO gran
3 / license specifying the amount OF CT
, bon mUUoEide that might be put I'M
gas. and that license 10 be for q delnlt
z time. OF TeyCCable, as the leglslalur
s. mizht think wise. The result or ina
% proposition. or perhaps mat In comDlha
- ton with other things, was Lhdt ID
provision about carbon m0hohide Wa
% / repealed.
Big Majority for Repeal.
Mr.. TAYLOR-That is. the 10 per cer
/ provision was repealed
EIr BAEI[ER-Yes, sir
n sir. TAYL0R-What year was that?
Mr. BARKER-lsy0.
Nr. TAYLOR-Can you give as u
reason for that2 You say it was II
. rserIIf Of certain reasons. Why did va
e IsIature and the board and the publ
s accept that as proper piece OF lesi
,, lir' BARKER-The boards recon
= mrndatlgu was slightly more conserve
p tive The board asked permission 10 j
- sue special licenses 20 tae company
- v.ale. tie amount OF carbon mOuJ1ll
~ 10 be allowed might be nEed, and
- make those licenses reVOcabies but u
p LEGISLATURE went further and entirely D
= peaIea the law. The proposition or ID
20 board found very little favor In u
% house Of representatives, the Fo
81 AGAINST 10 being about three 10 on
.2 rne vote I'D favor OF The entire repeal
ID the law being about three times u
- vote for the provision suggested by u
- board.
air TAYLOR-What reason was a
u rauced lu the debate IN the leElslatuI
REGARDLESS or the board. g recommend
ton Tor the repeal Of the law
Mr. SIN-JUsC Il moment before u
" answer Lhar Does this report lou a
De- going 60 file give the recOmmend.-ti
81 OF the bOard2
he Deaths No More Numerous.
DIT lTr. BARICER-Yes, and the reaso
Of for it. The people who INVESTIGATED L
10 question thought, as O. practical matte
BE- the deaths from Illuminating gas co
re tanning 10 per cent. or per cent, OF O.
1- bon r0u9zide were no more uUmero