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

Mr.. Barkcr-fes- Since tken-i tnlnk II
was IN lSs7-we had q renewal Of the agi-
tatiOn, and that was the only time when
We nave had any apparent public interest
IN the proposition since the law was re-
peaIed in 1880 Then. agsin. there was a
rival interest attempting 70 get into Bos-
ton. and this tine it was people who
proposed to distribute coal gas, and so 10
bring public sentiment with them. they
raised the carbon monoxide again. or II
was raised-I do not know that I ought
TO say that they did IT, but my suspicious
have OUIrun the evidence. that is all
and the result Of that was that there
was no change Of the law. bit there was
a law passed making Supervision over
gas fittings and piping. and that law is
now IN force
&lr. or-Supervision over what?
Mr. Barker-Gas fittings and piping.
Many Of the accidents. many OF the
deaths. have been caused By Door piping
or poor fittings. For instance, those
where the gas key instead OF having stop
ped when the passageway was closed,
might be turned around uneonsciousiy
after putting the light out, allowing the
gas 10 continue TO escape and then some
times gas stoves poorly fitted I'D By fiexi-
Die and temporary piping would have the
Tipping separated from the stove and al
low the escape Of gas into the room, and
those things. coming 10 the attention OF
the legislature very prominently IN con-
nectiOn with the agitation OF this measure
with respect 20 supervision OF gas fittings
was passed. That is the only agitation
We have had, and that is the result Of the
agitation in the legislature
/ Our board keeps watch Of ali accidents.
Zoe al IN
throughout the State from the use Of IL
from the misuse OF IL
Nr McIlhenny-DO you notice the
deaths from electric lights, tOo2
Dir. Barker-We Go. yes; all fatalities
ard ali accidents. where personal injury
occurs from the gas o. electricity, We are
required 10 keep record Of. and they are
reported 20 Us, and We investigate such Of
them as we think need investigation.
Mr. Sims-Have you finished your con-
isecutive statement?
Mr.. Barker-I have finished the topic.
yes. sir
Mr.. Sims-I would Ike ID ask you this,
as you are an expert witness and can
speak with knowledge Which would YOU
recommend for q city Ike washington.
/ Boston, or elsewhere. water gas or coal
gas OF the same candle power and the
4 same price, II you had 20 decide which
YOU would adopt under Ike conditions
/ mean, il is no difference TO the con
sumer and 70 difference as in candle
power. no difference as 20 price and no
difference TO candle power; looking alone
10 The possibilities OF fatal accidents or
any kind OF accidents. which character
Of gas would you recommend for adop-
Na--
Mr. Barker-That IS an impossible con
dition. TO my mind. and any answer 10
II would be purely theoretical. because.
Il you viii pardon ne, il does not seem
10 me 10 propose practical or possible
! condition.
Mr. Slms-I want you 20 answer Il ex-
actly as il appears 10 you, Of course.
AR Barker think / should be quite
Indifferent about il.
Nj Sims-Take Il as a Hypothetical
question, that in Washington the manu-
facture OF water gas is equally expensive
20 the company. Supposng that the gas
company IS not affected financially and
] the consumer IS not affected financially.
looking alone 20 the interest OF public
4 health, the possible prevention OF acct
dents, which would i be wise 10 Go, 10
use an exclusive eoaI gas or the gas
they DO Use.
Mr.. Barker-Thst question IS involved
in the other one simply as the lesser IS
involved in the greater. IL seems TO me.
and I should have 10 answer 1t in the
same way, and I should have TO say the
same thing. because I would be extremely
skeptical with respect 20 that description
OF the lack Of economy in one thing or
the other. That Is 20 say. II you viii
pardon me, ] cannot conceive that either
coal gas or straight water gas could be
manufactured in the city Of Washington
as economically as mixed gas
Mr. Sims-WeE, your judgment Is. then
that the manufacture OF gas as 1t is
mixed. say, 50 per cent water and % per
cent coal, is necessarily more economical
than 10 manufacture the straight coal
gas?
Mr.. Barker-Yes
Mt Taylor-Just a minute What DIFF
ference does Il make on the question OF
/ economy OF manufacture? As I under
stand this Investigation is as 70 the
danger Of the use OF carbon mOn0xide.
regardless of its cost or It's saving Is
that not the purpose Of this investigation
as you understand it, We are not inves-
tigating the price Of gas
Mr. Murphy-That economic feature
might provide a reason why gas endan-
\ gering life Is used, instead Of a gas that
would not endaRger life, because it may
be cheaper.
8ir. TaylOr-I have no objection to going
into L Il you want to-
Mr. Barker-Mr. Chairman. II Il were
not for the extreme convenience Of this
method Of Illumination, Il ought 10 be
prohibited altogether in any shape. There
ought 10 be no Illuminating gas distrib-
uted anywhere, because Il Is a dangerous
thing under certain conditions when
neglected or misUsed, except for its great
/ convenience
Mr. Taylor-That refers to all forms OF
Illuminating gas?
Mr. Barker think so: yes. sir
Mr.. Sims-Now. let me ask yoa a Ques-
ton As you are aware. there is a great
agitation going On IN the country along
the line Of the conservation OF resources?
AR Barker-Yes. sir
Mr. Ssms-If the manufacture OF water
gas is entirely excluded by law by the
States and the nation, viii II not make
q greater draft upon the use OF the coal
supplies OF the country than it otherwise
would:
Mr.. Barker-Its draft would be entirely
upon q certain specific line Of coal sup
ply. but Il certainly would greatly in
i crease the draft upon that Inc Of coal
supply. As you understand. for the man.
ufactu-e OF coal gas there is only par
ticular grade OF coal suitable. and that
IS found only in g narrow belt in this
country-in the Pennsylvania and West
Virginia belt
Dir. Sims-And is that kind Of coai
highly useful for other purposes than
making gas2
Mr.. BAKERIES, sir-for steel purposes
Mr. SiTns-One Of the best Goals we
have2
Mr. Barker-Yes. sir
Mr. Sims-So that the manufacture OF
wafer gas takes OF. 10 that extent, the
burden from that reserve Of particular