The Washington times., 1910-04-06
EVIDENCE IN THE INQUIRY ON GAS
GIVEN BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE

distributed. and It would have TO be
purihed, because it would be too rioh-
II IS about midway between natural gas
and Illuminating gas.
Ar Martin-Might l ask the gentleman
a question?
The Chairman-Yes; this IS free for all.
Mr.. MOOre-I would ike 10 find out
something about what these people pay
for gas in those cities. We have been
trying 10 get that.
The Chairman-Au right
Mr.. Humphreys-In Milwaukee il is
50 cents for the first 1900 feet. Tor the
second l00O0 feet il is 20 cents and over
10000 feet il is 60 cents.
Mr. Chairman-Win you proceed with
that line?
Mr. humphreys-In Pittsburg it is 81
up 10 200 feet. and over $500 feet il Is
so cents
The Chairman-Did you finish with
Milwaukee?
Mr.. Hmnphreys-In Milwaukee. as I
say, they viii have TO pay for the first
10000 feet 80 cents, for the second 1000
feet 20 cents. and then they get IL down
to 90 cents.
MI. MoOre-That is the minimum
price?
The Price in Pittsburg.
Mr.. Hun .7hreys-Yes. Pittsbr1rr I'D
10 $500 cubic feet per month pays 81
The Chairman-Did you finish with
Milwaukee
Mr.. Moore-He has told Us II is 81
cents for he first 1900 feet, and then II
IS graduated down TO 90 cents, according
&, The amount used.
MI HUmphreys-In Milwaukee. for
any one consumer &c get the 50-cent
price. he has first got 10 burn 1000 feet
lO.000 at so cents. and 10000 at 20 cents.
II PitJsburg il Is 81 up 10 800 feet, and
over 900 feet IL is So cents. Omaha It
IS SI15. Des Moines f. IS 81 Brooklyn
is 80 cents, and under contest
Mr.. MoOre-PittsbUrE being so near
the center Of supply Of ccke and coal.
why should that price be so high? They
have natural gas there, too.
Nr HUmphreys-The conditions are
somewhat abnormal, because they have
natural gas. anyway. OF course. they
run at disadvantage, anyway. and it Is
just a question which way they lose
the least monev-
Mr. Moore-Now. tell us about the
other cities.
Mr. Humphreys-Before natural gas
they charged 81 1 can give you what il
was in PittsbUrE before they had
natural gas. Before natural gas they
charged 81 for ten or fifteen years be
fore that.
Mr. Moore-If the committee Viii par
don me moment / would like L. ask
the doctor why littSburg being in the
very center Of the coke and coal sup
ply Of the country, and also having
natural gas, should charge 81 for gas.
whereas IN Milwaukee, somewhs- fur
ther away, the price varies so, and is so
much less?
Mr.. Humphreys-That price OF 81, you
see, was fixed a good many years ago,
when 8 was very cheap for gas
Mr.. Goldsborough-Is 10 not because
EEV cell s-erar Of q Ff-fa a
and only 20 the outlying districts?
Natural Gas Competition.
Mr.. Humphreys-As I understand Mr..
Moore, he is asking what price they
had before they established this keen
competition Of natural gas. Back IN
1855 they were charging q, and then
came in natural gas, and suppose they
kept up the price with the idea that
;hey would get as much as they could
out Of what they sold. OF course the
Illuminating gas is a losing business in
Pittsburg.
Mr.. Aiken-Is any OF that natural gas
at Des Moines or Omaha?
Mr.. Humphreys do not think there
is at either Of them.
Mr.. Aiken What is the price IN those
two towns now2
MI mum pm 70 AZ C-A4cAlAo II to @A--l-
Mr. MoOre-S1l5 flat2
MIR Humphreys-Yes. sir. At Des
Moines it is 81.
5Ir. Aiken-Nes.
EIr. Humphreys-In Philadelphia mat
ters are more or less complicated.
Mr.. Moore think IL is 50 cents now,
IS it uOt2
Mr.. Humphrsys-Yes, but II IS not fair
TO take that. M Moore. without eX-
planning the contract with the city.
Nj Cary-FOr Wheeling the differ
ence between $50 and 10 cents is 5
cents, Is il nOt2
price charged, which does not appear.
Mr.. Cary-Then, do you figure that
the extra amount OF money 20 be paid
out Of the budget would amount to that
enormous sum To the consumers, the
difference between IS cents and S1.592