The Washington herald., 1909-02-01


to change from making carburetted water
gas to coal gas.
Mr- s!ms-Now, as you are a practical
man. submit to a question right there
II can be done. suppose?
AIr. Mcuhenny-Yes-
Mr.. Sins-Eow, then, would the eEtirs
plant be lost as it now stands?
Mr. y-ThTee-fOurths, I take
it, I asked The engineer Il Is zb5ut
three-fourths. Is It not2
Mr. ]. S. McIlhenny-The entire amount
of the water gas plant would be lost
Mr. TayIor-That IS what proportion os
your plant?
Mr. J. S. McIIhenuy-Eighty per cent
Mr.. Sims-About what would that
amount 70. 4 you have it,
EEr- McIlhennyI have not got that
Mr.. Sims-How long would It take "a
change il?
Mr. McThenny-Tbree years and s.. o09-
009 or S7.e00.60o We have no land 70 build
a plant on. What land We have now
would not suit at all for a new coal gas
company.
Mr.. sims-How long have you bsea
making water gas7
Mr.. McIlhenny = twenty-five years,
Judge.
Mr.. Sims-Tou had 70 abon6on your coal
gas plant. OF did you convert it,
Mr.. McIihenny-What ccal gas plants We
have at both stations. Of course, would be
making only % per cent Of gas, and We
would have 70 have it all in one plant to
do IL economically.
Mr. Sims-But you say Il would cost
&, ,a0o,000 or 3. 90. GO to make the changer
Mr. McIlhenuy-Yes; it would cost So
0seeoo OF s7090.oo0
Mr.. Sims-That much would have 70 b
added in the way OF capital3
Mr.. Mcuhenny-Double our capital and
we could not earn interest on Il, not at
the present sales.
Mr. Sims-At the present pTicss7
Mr. McIlhenny-NO. sir
Mr. Sims-As g director and stOckhOldsF
IN the company. 7 want TO ask you, Il
We pass this bin and force the Washing
ton Gas Company TO make coal gas, VIII
there be any chance whatever to reduce
the present price Of gas and give earn
ings On the capital that viii be investsd2
Mr.. McIIhenny-NO. Even 81 thou
sand OF S110 would not enable Us 10 make
interest on the money I have no hesi-
tation in answering that.
Mr.. Sims-You are practical man. and
that is the reason 1 an asking you Il
we pass this bin and force you 70 build
q new gas plant sufficient 70 supply the
city, X viii then add such a burden upon
your capital-in other words. increase
yoaT capital so that you viii have 20
actually advance the present price of
gas 10 get reasonable profts2
Mr. McIlhenny-We would have 70 do
so-and a considerable advance. TOO To
explain this matter 70 you gentlemen,
would Ike 10 say, too, with your per
mission. that we have no land 70 build
a new plant on We would have 70 seek
that somewhere in this neighborhood-
Mr. Sims-You include that IN your SIX
or seven million estinate7
Mr.. McIIhenny-Yes; and We would
have TO get land where Us had both
water and railroad facilitss-both rail-
roads. the Baltimore and Ohio and the
PENNSYLVANIA. and the Southern roads.
We would have 10 have all three roads
10 get coal We have to do il now 70
get our supplies Then We would have
TO have water connection, because Va
bring a good deal Of our coal from
Shepherd's. on the river. AS 7 said be-
fore. even i We had the lands, We have
not the money. and Il would be necessary
for our charter OF privileges 70 b
that money and increase the price OF gas
so that We could pay interest On i
Mr.. SIms-Increase the stock issue and
bond issue?
Mr.. McIlhenny-The bond issza The
trouble with the gas business Is. Il has
always been q business subject 70 CON-
plant The man who serves his tine a
a gas once has 70 have s gTsat deal ot
patience. because the most unreasonable
kinds OF complaints come there. ocn-
plants about want OF pressure, high bills.
and bad gas I was twenty-four yssrs
superintendent OF a gas works. snd
know what II was, and I was glad 20 get
out of il
Mr. Sirns-That Is common 20 slI pubuo
service coTporations2
Mr. McIIhenny-Yes. The reason OF Il
IS. in my opinion. It IS 2 purely credit
business. IN which neither the buyer 1or
the seller knows what the bin IS going
10 be al the end Of the month. OF ths
quarter. and the buyer. Of course. Is dis
appointed. and ne says. Too much" On
one occasion over in the House OF Rep
Tcsentatives before this committee the7e
was a gentleman belonging TO one OF the
railroads OF the country On The commit
tee
NJ Sims-I have heard that charge be-
fore. but never heard II admitted. thar
any Of them belonged TO the railroads.
daughter
Mr.. McIlhenny-(C Continuing He was
complaining: he said his landlady down
in Washington had big bills. and she
was heart broken over the size Of them.
and ne wanted 70 reduce them Tor her,
and We were hsied up before the com
mittee to answer about these excrbitant
bills, and 7 asked him. said, "Svpposing
your railroad took passengers OF and
delivered them AZ station without their
knowing how many miles Of travel they
had traversed. or buying q ticket What
would De the condition at the end OF Shs
line2 There would be a riot there over
IL and that IS the trouble with our busI-
ness" Gas IS the cheapest thing you
buy here There is nothing as cheap as
gas. and I can prove it
Mr. Sins-I VIII ask you right now II
you do not think We ara dealing with a
considerable riot here now. when We
have the coroner's jury and the Attorney
General Of the United States and the
district attorney and the President by
special message ali backing this? Do you
not think this committee has a pretty
considerable riot 20 ceaI with with ali
these things.
Mr. Msrphy-we have not taken this up
voluntarily
Mr.. MeIIhenny-You have your own
troubles, no doubt, and I an sorry for
you.
Mr.. Moore-Dc you know Of any asita-
ton in anv other city on this question:
Mr. McIlhenny-NO; not now L has all
died out It was greatly agitsted some
years ago, as Judge Barker stated here.
Especially n Massachusetts the whole
question was thrashe5 over for years
Mr.. Moore-How many consumers has
the Washington Gaslight Company
Mr.. McIlheuny-We have about 1900
consumers
Mr.. Moore-Thst is 10 say. the gas goes
into Is COO sanarafa bonneS7