Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-06

| natura gas Cincinnati, for instance, II
is stated has fifty-cent gas. 1t is 4;
cents to 30 cents. according to the amour,
- burned, and that is in competition with
natural gas. The amount of gas SOLD
there for illuminating gas now is com
/ paratfvely small. 1t is IS to 30 cents, &C.
cording to what 1t is used for, and the
i amount of sale.
/ Mr. Goldsborough-I would like to ask
! with the permission of the committee
with reference to Milwaukee.
Mr. HumphreyS-I am coming to that In
a moment.
| Mir. Goldsborongh-I wanted you to ex.
plain about the prices there.
The Chairman-You stated that there
was a low candepower at Cleveland
What is the candlepower?
! Mr.. Humphreys-I think l can state
that in a moment 1t used to be about
IT, 1t was always low candlepower
town. 1t is stated here as Is candle
| power.
The Chairman-What is the candle
power in Washington.
Mr.. Humphreys-For the last year il
has been little over 2311-23.7S.
| Mr.. Aiken-What is the rate in Balti-
more? That would be a fair comparison
with Washington. it seems to me-
Mr.. Humphreys-The Baltimore rate is
Mr.. Pearre-Neto
| Mr.. Humphreys-For the first 100000
| feet per month it is 81.
| Mr.. Rothermel-Is there a scale after
| that?
MIR. Humphreys-They have to burn
| 100000 feet month.
| Mr. Goldsborough-Thatis 500 worth
! Mr. Humphreys-Over 100000 cubic feet
! of gas per month il is 30 cents. Over
100000 feet per month. 81 cents In most
of the cities throughout the United States
over ~ per cent of the consumers will
! burn less than 81 worth month.
| Mr. Goldsborough-That is above the
average of our entire number of con-
sumers. We have $4,000 consumers and
| they pay less than 81 a piece
| Mr.. Moore-What does the average
| householder pay?
| Mr.. Goldsborough-About - cents a
day, by the month. We have none prac-
| tically that run up as high as 100000
Ceet.
| Mr.. Moore-Does that Semet- Solvay
| process apply in any other city?
| Mr.. Humphreys-It would not apply I'M
| less you could be sure of obtaining a
| sale for the coke: in other words, it is
the price for making coke. not for max
ing the gas coke for metallurgical pur-
poses and as a rule YOU could only in
troduce such a process in a limited num-
Der of cities throughout the United States,
and especially in a place like Pittsburg
where they have a large demand for a
very solid coke.
Mr.. Moore-Would those advantages be
applicable to Washington?
Mr.; Humphreys-No. sir: you could
c.
Mr.. Cary-Why could you not find a
sale for it in Washington?
MIR. Humphreys-You could find sale
for some of it, but you could not absorb
the whole amount for domestic pur-
poses; but in producing coke for metal
turs.cal purposes, by the Semet-Solvay
process. or any like process, you are
making coke, and You have to sacrifice
The gas for the coke. The result is that
YOU only make about $500 feet to the
ton, the rest of it being employed in
making the coke. so that you make a
tremendous amount proportionately of
the coke IS compared with the gas. And
an ordinary city could not begin to alb
made N making the requisite amount of
gas for the consumers.
Mr.. Coudrey-How much coke was sold
in Washington last year?
Mr.. Humphreys-In dollars-$64 go
MIR. Cary-Do YOU mean to say that
Milwaukee does not ship the coke, and
that it is consumed by the local people?
Mr.. Humphreys-Oh. no sir; 1 did not
Mr.. Cary-Then why do we not have
the same condition here in Washington :?
Could they not ship it from here?
Mr.. Humphreys-There is the question Of
freight rate to be considered there.
Mr. Cary-But Washington is much
nearer to Pittsburg than Milwaukee is,
and nearer to the coke furnaces than Mil
waukee; but still they make a profit out
vi II dt hlWduhe6. nave always nX-
ured that the coke is a by-product Do
you think it is?
Mr.. Humphreys-Yes, sir: in making
coal gas, but not in the coke oven bust
ness.
Mr.. Cary-And they sell it at so much
per ton. Now. who buys the coke?
Mr.. Humphreys-The consumers
Mr.. Cary-In Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys-Yes.
Mr.. Cary-They would use it in little
ranges and stoves?
Mr.. HumphreyS-Yes. sir.
Mr.. Cary-But the coke made in the
Semet-Solvay process is not that coke.
Mr.. HumphreyS-It can be used for that
purpose, but il is also used for metaliur-
gical purposes. for which gas house coke
is not available.
Mr.. Cary-Yes they use some of it for
that purpose, but I don't think that has
anything TO do with it.
Mr.. Moore-But would like to have
you answer, Mr.. Humphreys. the question
raised by Mr. Cary. as to why this sys-
tenn which is working in Milwaukee will
not work in Washington.
Mr.. Humphreys-Because, as l have
stated. in order to make a gas here by
that process the conditions would be
exactly reversed Will you make the gas
and have the coke as a by-product, Or will
you make the coke and have the gas as
a by-product? II you make the coke and
have the gas a by-product, then you
will have to have tremendous amount
upon the marke; in order to supply your
consumers with gas. And, furthermore.
as TO finding a market for the coke, II
YOU should ship it to Pittsburg then you
would have to compete with the Connells-
vile coke made in the ordinary beehive
ovens, where they do not save the gas,
making the coke exclusively. and you
would also have to compete with the
coking ovens in and around Pittsburg;
and that you could not do with freight
, added And then Milwaukee does not
| have TO send its coke to Pittsburg. All of
/ you must know that Chicago Is one OF
States. and there are many industries
| in the neighborhood. Milwaukee uses
this coke, SO that the cases are entirely
| different But the point is this-it is a
question of the amount of coke to be dis
posed Of If you will bear with me a
| half minute / will give you an illustra-
| ton. When my Arm went into the manu-
| acturing of water gas plants in Great
Britain we did not attempt to drive out
the coal gas but we saw that there was
so much gashouse coke being made by
| making all of it from coal and making
| coal gas that by dsplacing a portion of
the coal gas with water gas, SO reducing
the amount of coke so made, that the gas
| { ,mpanies would get a higher price for
| their coke simply by a reduction in the
amount thrown on the market. And
throughout Great Britain the introduction
| of the Humphreys and Glasgow plants
E, had the effect of raising the price of coke
! simply by reducing the amount of coke
| produced as by-product in coal gas
manufacture. You would have so much
coke to dispose of here that you could not
sell il at a price TO make it pay.
l.