The Washington times., 1910-04-09
President Humphreys, Of
Stevens Institute, Again
on Stand.
GAS COMPANY HEARING ON THE
COUDREY BILL.
Committee on District Of Columbia.


The committee was called 70 order at
10 o'clock & m, Hon Samuel W Smith
(cbairnanj, presiding.
Statement Of Mr.. Alexander c. Hum
lhreys-CC9ntinuedJ
The Chzr1nsn-I might state that
there has been a little change made in
the order Of procedure since you APP
peared before the committee the other
day. The committee has passed a resO-
luton that at these hearings the wit
ness shall not be interrupted by any
one until he has finished, and then only
by the members Of the cor7mittee- So
If there Is any one from the outside
who has any questions 70 submit, they
viii please submit them 10 some mem
Der OF. the committee ard they viii
doubtless be asked Of the witness IN
that way Now Mr.. Humphreys, you
may proceed
Mr. Humphreys-I thought It might be
wei. MI. Chairman. Il L first cleaned up
a few Of the little items that have been
brought up by some Of the witnesses
who have appeared here, and which /
naturally have directed my attention to
in the Investigation OF the company
affairs which have been making II I
give attention 70 these now 1t viii bring
matters more up 10 date.
Take. for instance. the case Of Mr. F.
D Foster, who complained that his gas
meter had beez cut out because he had
not at once paid a bin Of s2-79-
Now, the bin referred to was for So
or 80 net, which w aid have been Inc
amount Of the Dill Il 70 had been PAID
within the limit set. and was Tor gas
consumed from January IS TO tebT uarg
Is, 1910 The bin, however, was not rem
dered until February >. which was que
q
necessary by the time required IN secur-
ing the meter statements making anu
recording the bills, and so tortn1 and
according 20 the agreement which Lnese
consumers sign, this biI was due March
10. and II u had been paid within the
period. II would have amounted TO $50
net But not being paid after -FOUR
days margiI. or March 4. IL was puI
upon the DELINQUENT list AR Foster
then UrJre q letter TO the company ask
ing for an extension OF time. which vas
granted. on March = the blI sJll re-
NAMED unpaid. and the regular E-lL-ciL
notice In the regular routine. was sent
TO him 10 the effect that the meter would
be removed on the 9th IL not PAID the
Din was not paid by March = so tne
meter was removed on March D. NJ
Foster testified before the committee on
March 81. or one day later AFTER me
hearing the meter was reset upon the
specific agreement that the bin be pald
the next day- The biz was not paid but
the meter stays there today and the ac-
count now stands. S2-E. the blll which
ne complained Of The gas consumed up
10 March 81. which he had Consumed be
fore he testified here. S3-s2 more, and
now, the date that ] am lestliyInE- a
the same proportion. he has consumed
at least s --orth more - tlal instead
of the BIZ being S2Tg. the amount in
VoIyed now is s. - and = the 81 nad
been deducted from the 8 deposit then
The deposit would have been reduced 70
Sl-59- or taking into account lLie Hll1lt
amount Of gas consumed by ceducLIEE
the total Of the deposit, the company
would have supplied gas % nm WitnooL
security 20 the value or 49,, tnl=l = -
amount against which there would have
been no deposit.
have simply brought this out 70
show the character OF complaints that
the time I thought that while the rule
IN being O1eyed ueCeSSlIal-a pretty
sharp treatment. Yet naturally wanted
~ invest gate e.. the inEeSri CATION show
ing that the gentleman probably did not
APPRECIATE all the facts himself ana
that there was more involved in Il Jhdu
ne had supposed As I say The property
owner Is usually asked for deposit
Of guarantee and nv investigation leo
me 20 think that that IS the case ln
which Mr. Bride Is involved II
the man whose biil was N
yoIved had put I'D his own deposit Mr.
Bride would not have been involved IL
any way. 8fr. Bride elected 70 guar
sufee the account. and the bll not De
ing paid. he vas simply asked % make
il good which was a straight business
proposition
Now. taking up another loose end the
question Of service pipes IN coiIee tloLl
with Dr.. CuthbertsOn's complaint have
a telegram here from Milwaukee, dated
April Of this year, as fOllOWa- theaaS-l
We charge - cents a foot from curb %
meter for service pipes 30 that IN Al-l-
Waukee. Mr. Cary CITY, they MAKE tIlal
charge il being exactly the same Price
as Is paid here. the difference being
which Is more OF a tecnulcdl enc LldL a
real one-thar in Milwaukee they DIS
tinctfv limit from curb 70 meter where
as here they charge from main 10 meter
But according TO some rough eSJlIaaIeS
that ] have been able TO make Win LFe
time at my disposal, there are ABOUT %
r,er cent of the mains TO which cOnneC-
tons are now being made LndI are INSIDE
of the curb or parking. 20 Jnat JnaI IS q
technical difference rather Illan a real
enc because the services WIllle charged
for from the main 10 the meter, are real
IL charged for from point ~ - per
cent OF the cases inside OF the cur D. In
referring 10 Mr. CuthbertSon $ coInpiainJ
I did not have the testimony BEFORE me-
hrr as 7 have &c In mind I understood
that the amount that he stated was much
larger than I found I thought however,
II would state the IdCIsr alu lI 81 9s
compared with the records previously
made His complaint was presumably as
TO the charge FOR the residence at -204
F-vartS street, Lsansdons washington D.
According I
have before me, he agreed TO nay the
usual rate namely - cents per foot. and
the total charge upon that biii was $50
As Won see il was charged at the same
rate as is paid in Milwaukee, namely, >
cents ner running foot In that cOnnec-
ton I would say that there came Up
question as to the laying OF pipes IN ex-
tension OF the system, and again my IN
vestiEation goes to show that the larger
part of these pipes are extended under
paved streets even now, and that brings
out a rather interesting point IN cOnneC-
ton with the Compsny's operations The
company paid last year to the District of
Columbia for the renewing OF DdFements
over new mains laid chiefly, over repairs
and new services where the services did
have to extend out into the street the
sum Of sf29Tl, which would be about
siX-tenths per cent per thousand on ali
Of the gas sold And that also brings Up
another interesting point. that It IS not
TO the advantage Of the company to lay
services out beyond the curb, because
what it will have to pay Tor cutting and
renewing the pavement VIII cost more
than viii be recovered from the COnsun-
er for the laying OF the pipe.
Now. the question was brought I'D the
other dav relative to the price Of coal
between 1907 and 1879 take 1907 for my
comparison because that was the year
that 7 made q close investigation Of the
cOmpauy's plant and affairs