The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-10

it would answer Mr.. Cary's question?
The Chairman-I have no objection, OF
course
Mr.. Humphreys-It will not take but a
moment The items of expense are as
follows: Oil. lime-you gentlemen can
follow me and see how get it by the
report-oil. lime. wages. salaries, and SC
forth. SS4,15613. Taxes. water rent. and
so forth, SlSS, 2S913 Distribution depart
ment and orders Office. sS5.S137L Station
expenses-that IS. the two manufacturing
stations Sis. 500. 80 Repairs, SS7,622.6s. De-
probation reserve, in addition to the re-
pairs Just stated al included in the
charge of 7 cents a thousand. $73714.S5.
Street lamps, S5,4O43S Use of services.
$4S, So 80.
The miscellaneous items you viii ind
on page 8. and which they have made a
direct charge to profit and loss. but ]
included it In my expense, $25O4S.s7, from
which ] deduct loss, premium on United
States bonds. Si5.625, leaving net OF
So 1867 for this item, a total Of 81, AS,
1911. Now comes your point, Mr.. Cary.
Deduct residual receipts. which appears
on page 1 of the report, Ssi.560O6, leaving
as the net cost of operating 1887, 1873. g.,
which, divided by the amount OF gas
sold, namely, 2.054735 thousands. makes
the cost per thousand Of 66.56 cents. There
| is how / calculate, so that IL I am
wrong you will have excellent oppor-
tunity 10 demonstrate the fact.
| Mr.. Cary-You also made statement
that the assets were s9.3oO.0oo.
Mr.. HumphTeys-Ye sir
Mr.. Cary--I suppose the water is fig
ured in this, too.
Mr.. Humphreys-There is not any water
figured in IT,
Mr.. Cary-None at all?
Mr., Humphreys-No, sir; not a dollar
BY actual appraisal by my firm. made
by men I think capable Of doing good
work, honest work.
Mr.. Cary-You make II per cent on this
investment, is that Il: a little over that?
Dir. Humphreys-No, sir; I never made
that statement, and l emphasized my
statement in that respect to show that I
did not
Mr. Cary-I understood you to say that
there was IL
Mr. Humphreys-1ll per cent is the
figure you have in mind. but that was
not the statement. ] laid stress upon
the fact that this was not upon the in
vestment. but upon the total OF securi-
ties-a very different thing
Mr.. Cary-Then you don't know what
the actual investment is?
M TTrfr,,rbra--e
ment is probably much in excess Of that,
the $4,000, for this reason: II I agree
to make an appraisal of the works as
they stand. I cannot include-and that is
one of the injustices of this system-even
legitimate losses which have been made.
II ! am asked to appraise the company's
assets, / can only appraise those assets.
l cannot show the money absorbed by
the mistakes in Judgment which must
occur even where the management is
above the average
AR Cary-I have letter here. together
with statement Mr.. Humphreys. I
have several others, but this one letter
viii cover them all. showing the cost TO
this particular consumer OF gas at the
rate Of l213 cents per hundred cubic feet.
and at the new rate Of II cents per hun
dred cubic feet. I would Ike to have the
clerk read this letter and the statement
attached TO it,
The clerk read as follows.
Washington. .. c., April g. 1910.
Hon. William J. Cary
House Of Representatives,
Washington. D. C.
Dear Sir: 7 hand you herewith state
ment OF the gas bills at my residence.
No 1879 Irving street, in this city, FOR
your information and such use as YOU
may put the same 10. During all this
time there has been no change in my
household. the same number Of people
there all the time You will notice that
under the old rate OF I2Js cents per 100
cubic feet the gas bills averaged about
$500 feet. while under the new rate of II
cents per leo cubic feet, with a discount
of 20 cents. making 90 cents per 1.OO0 the
average IS about 4,5O0 cubic feet. being an
excess bill at the decreased price. The
result to the consumer is that we are
paying. as shown by this statement, con-
siderable more for gas consumed under
the decreased price than formerly at the
increased rate 1t would appear that
the reduction was apparent only. and
IL this same ratio holds good the gas
company doubtless by increased pres
sure, is charging more for gas than they
have heretofore attempted 10 collect I
called this matter 10 the attention of the
gas company, and was advised that I
was using more gas. 7 am convinced
that l am getting more pressure. and
also that I am not getting more gas ex-
cept for the increased pressure. I will
thank you TO inquire into this matter,
and il 1t viii help TO reduce the actual
price 1t will be benefit to the consumer.
Very truly yours. r. B. BROWN"
Mr. Humphreys-WiH you be kind
enough 10 let me have that, sir. and look
il over? tried to take down some of
the figures. but I could not follow it fast
enough.
Mr.. Cary-Thoso are all the questions
that I care to ask now.
Mr.. Hunphreys-Well. OF course, the
only reply that I can make to this. Mr..
Cary, is the ons that I have already
made, that, l think, as reasonable beings,
we can all acknowledge that where we
can get thing at a cheaper rate We use
more Of it, Take. for instance. the taxi
cab rate. If it should drop down in the
city Of Washington to half the price that
is now being paid. then we would all use
the taxicao to a very much greater ex-
tent than we DO now. And l think that is
entirely natural OF course, I have said
where it comes to the actual question of
the Increase in pressure putting any dis
advantage upon the consumer, the only
trouble is at the burner, and there he can
control it by the cock. II YOU try to burn
gas under a greater pressure than you