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

last year asked him to snow me the
bills. He only had a few with him, so
{ asked him If he would not wait for q
little while. read a newspaper or some
thing. until had a statement prepared
giving the twelve bills for each year
side by side. The statement, when pre-.
pared. showed that the bills for the tive
periods OF which he had complained were
month by month almost exactly the same
He looked at the statement, walked up
and down the room, and, after taking
time TO recover. he said: You cannot
make me believe that the consumption
could be so nearly alike In the two years
unless the statements were faxed" He
first complained because his bills were
doubled. and when it was proved to him
that they were almost the same month
by month. he changed his complaint to
suit the exactly opposite conditions.
Now, do not say that the people, as
a rule. are trying to make these COM
plants with view of practicing an In
justice upon the companies. but they are
made, ! believe, without due considera-
ton. Many of US are inclined TO com
plain hastily and without due considera-
ton. Taking Buffalo for instance, I got
a letter not a great while ago from a
minister of the Gospel who in so many
! words stated that we were all cut
Threats and thieves because of our gas
charges. I investigated the complaint
and proved that his complaint was not
justified. 1t is the habit of many gas
! consumers TO complain of the gas com
/
| ing else So I say that it is not fair TO
take these statements without investi-
cation. Now, as to putting more pres
sure upon the meters, I Will try 10 show
you what will happen, II you will per-
nit me for just a moment. II have gas
at atmospheric pressure, and put on, say,
1i-7 pounds more pressure: In other
words, II ] double the pressure. then I
/ have put just twice as much gas in the
same volume. Now. what happens? You
/ get a larger amount OF gas in the metar
for every additional fraction that you
put on the pressure more than is re-
quired, you are increasing the amount of
| gas compressed into a meter. and you
are delivering the consumer that much
more gas than he IS paying for at at
| mOspheTic pressure. Now do not mIsun-
/ derstand me. I do not say that that
amounts TO very much, and so much as
there is Of difference due 10 increased
| pressure is to the advantage OF the con-
| stmer. and I see present one member OF
the committee who is an engineer and
who viii confirm my statement.
M Cary-How much of that gas is
coal gas?
Mr. HumphTeys-Here?
Mr. Cary-Yes.
| Mr.. Humphreys had intended to fig
/ ure il out, but I have not done so. My
recollection is that there is about - per
/ cent water gas. and IS per cent coal gas.
but 1 would not like to say positively
about that. OF course the company can
give you that information. But l have
not looked II up since 1907
Mr., Cary-Now, Mr.. Humphreys, you
spoke about Mr.. Brides bill Of So. still
that bill ran for about a year, I believe,
did it not, Mr.. Bride?
Mr.. Bride-It ran for a month and ten
days. The gas was consumed in about
that time.
years bill: I did not fully understand 1t.
Now Mr.. Humphreys. you touched upon
Milwaukee. in regard to the pipe to the
meters. When they put their pipe into
my house there, they not alone brought
il from the curb TO the meter, but they
piped the whole house. and they charged
me $50 for the piping, but diverted It
back into gas, and 1t did not cost me
anything. And I want to say that that
has occurred quite often.
Mr.. Humphreys-I suppose that it was
because It was Mr. Cary
Mr.. Cary-NO; it was common at the
time.
Mr. Humphreys have Investigated this
report and I have had Mr. Glass tell me
positively just what the rule is there.
To bring the information up 10 date we
teIegraphed to him the other day, aud
II have read the telegram that we re-
ceived from him.
Mr. Cary-Well. that was about fifteen
years ago, when I had that done. and
before I was in politics. OF course they
may have changed their rules in fifteen
years.
Now. as to the by-product Of this com
pany-
Mr.. Humphreys-Will you excuse me for
Just a moment? They charged a much
higher price then, and so. perhaps. they
could better afford to give away services.
Mr.. Cary-WeIl it was 81; that is Sl.2O,
with % per cent off.
Mr. Humphreys right.
Mr.. Cary-One dollar net. Now, I was
going TO ask you another question about
the by-products Of the company, tar. am
monia, and coke. Are the receipts for
that figured in with the returns, together
with the gas receipts and returns, or
are they kept separate?
Mr. HumphTeys-Th are kept separate
in the accounts, necessarily, so as to fol-
low it through and know what they are
doing.
Mr.. Cary-And they are included in
their reports?
Mr.. Humphreys-Cer It is all here
Mr. Cary-And all added together as
assets and profit at the end OF the year?
Mr.. Humphreys-Not as assets and
profit
MIR. Cary-T mean profit.
Mr.. Humphreys-The way it is put In is
this: I mean that you are asking for the
returns upon residuals. In the printed
report they put 1t in as part of the re-
eeipts. and when we come to figure the
cost Of the gas. we regard this as a gas
making business and not as a residual
making business. But 1t is the universal
practice to deduct the cost of the gas
from the amount received from the resd-
uals IN arriving at the cost per thousand.
That is the way have figured IT,
Mr.. Cary-Of course the by-product is
really what you might call velvet