The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-30

Friday. January = isS-
The committee met II 70 O'Clock a. m,
Hon Edward L Taylor. IT,, presiding
Statement of Forrest z. Barker, Of
BosteR, Mass.
Mr. Barker have been a member Of
the Board OF Gas aEd Electric Light
Commissioners since Its creation, and l
have been chairman Of that board since
lSSA I am here al the disposal OF the
committee. I hardly know IN what the
committee may be most interested AID
VIII answer any questions that I may
be able to which the committee may de-
sire 10 ask
Mr. Taylor-H is the custom Of the
committee 10 allow a witness 10 make
any statement he may have 10 make
with reference TO the question We are il
vestigating as completely as possible. and
then ask questions and not interrupt him
too much II yoU have no statement, OF
course, any member % tie committee
might ask questiOns Of you. IL you
have any statement 10 make along the
line Of the manufacture OF water gas and
its effect upon public health and us dan
ger and menace 20 the pubic safety and
so Oh, I wish sou would make II, and we
VIII interrupt you. If necessary. 10 ask
questions
Mr. Barker-Perhaps the committee
would be interested IN brief historical
statement with respect 20 the c0nsidera-
ton Of this question IN Massachusetts,.
where, perhaps. more work has been
done In respect 10 It than anywhere else
n the world
Nj TayIor-I might say that Massachu-
sets has been cited q number Of times
BY other Witnesses. and We would Ike 10
hear from you
M Barker tconiiaulng)- Certainly more
than any place Ia the United States. We
formerly had q statute there limiting the
amount Of carbon mOnoxide in illuminat-
Ing gas 10 % per cent Of the volume OF
gas. This act was passed in 1870 Il may
be OF interest 10 know that II was not
PASSED upon Tie recommendation in the
report Of any public officer. either board
OF health, or any person in authority 20
supervise or inspect gas. We have had a
sas inspector in Massachusetts since. !
think. lS5e. and IN the report Of the in
cumbent Of that Office IN the year 1880.
and for two Or three years previously.
there were suggestions and recommends
tons with respect 70 legislation defining
the purity and quality Of gas 10 be de-
ton WITH respect 20 carbon monoxide.
Those recommendations related 10 candle
power and the amount Of sulphur impuri-
ties and ammonia 7 mention this be-
cause Il IS such a familiar fact that ne
have had q thorough investigation Of the
subject there. or at least an extensive in
veSJigauon, and the general assumption.
/ suppose. would be that that investiga-
tiou took place before the legislature. but
II took place afterward.
These recommendations were made by
the Inspector, and when the recommends
5i0as fOlnd form IN legislation the car
bonic oxide provision had been added. Il
IS a significant fact that az that tine wa
Ter gas promotion was common. OF had
been common il the larger cities Of the
country. and the evils Of competition had
not been as well understood then as they
have since come 10 be. and the water gas
had won its way IS a competing gas. and
/ mention this as significant because the
contests with respect 20 water gas, so
called. and coal gas have always been
prominent and the competitive features
have always been prominent IN any dis
cussion Of The subject.
The 70 per cent provision in the law
made the Introduction OF water gas i'm
possible, and il was that fact which led
10 the agitation for the repeal OF the
law THIS agitation reached It's height
s. 1854. There had been an attempt Of
promoters OF the water gas supply 10 get
authority to make and distribute their
gas in the city Of Boston. where thereto
fore only coal gas had been supplied. and
as part OF that attempt came the effort
20 secure a repeal Of this law That was
in ISL I happened 70 be a member OF
the house Of representatives that year
and 50 the recollection OF the event is
quite vivid in my mind. The committee
which vas a joint committee, as our
legislative committees mostly are. favored
the repeal Of the law; that is to say. the
majority There was 4 minority dissent
ing- The measure for the repeal Of The
law passed The house almost unanimously
after discussion, but Il Was bitterly con-
tested in the senate. the two interests,
the company N possession OF the field
being arrayed upon one side II favor Of
the law. and the people who desired 20
enter the field being 2rrayed upon the
other side fl favor OF It's repeal.
Ar- Taylor-That IS 70 say. the people
who desired TO enter the field were in
favor Of the repeal OF the law providing
for 20 per cent monoxide2
Mr. Barker-Yes. sir: they desired 10
make and distribute water gas in Boston.
NJ Sims-Which was prohibited under
the 10 per cent prOvisi0ns
Mr- Barker-It was Impossible under
the 10 Per cent provision The contest
was 50 sharp and close IN the senate
that II gave rise 70 one OF the few
scandals We have ever had In Massa-
chusetts n our legislature. and I think
f--
Vote-the proposition 20 change the law
Following that legislative session. the
subject was taken up by the State board
Of health. and IL was then that the re-
ports we're made and the experiments
were conducted. which, I see from the
printed report. have been referred 20 IN
prior sessions OF this committee. IN 1855
the subject was again before the leeisla-
ture, and II was that year that the pres
ent board OF gas commissioners was
created. As I have indicated. the cues
ton OF carbon mOnOxide Limitation and
the question OF competition went hand In
hand 70 the contest and in the discussions.
and the creation Of the gas commission
was intended 70 provide board which
should pass upon the question Of com
Peting concerns, among the other things
which were intrusted to that board.
Dir. Taylor-Did this board have any
thing 10 Go with determining the quality
and nature Of the gas 70 be used2
Mr. Barker-Yes. sir It has the regu-
lation OF the price. OF The quality. and
compulsory supply powers. It has juris-
election over the issues Of all securities
and general supervision over the con-
panies with respect to ali those matters
where tie public and the company come
IN contact, and has, directly OF indirectly.
70 deal with most OF the problems that
are presented 10 the gas manager. I
say the board has to DO with the quality:
i has 20 co with seeing that the quality
as hXed by the statute is compiled with,
and i also has Instructions under the
statute 70 make recommendation 10 the
legislature as 10 its quality when, fl It's
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