Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-09
SECOND DROP IN GAS
Price for 1912 Likely to Be
Less Than IS Cents.
COMPANY MAKES PROMISE
Will Lower Figures If Profits Dur
ing 1911 Justify Action.
COMMISSIONERS CARRY POINT
Declared Reduction to Government
Should Be Followed by Cheaper
Commodity for People.

Gas for the consumer at even less than
the S5-cent rate, beginning with January
1. 1912. is promised to the people Of the
District. The promise is made to the
Commissioners. representing the people.
In turn. the Commissioners, in formal
statement made today. say that there
every reason to believe the matter of :.
price of gas may be settled now &;
and easily.
Gas at the rate Of IS cents was dec.'
on yesterday at a meeting Of the boa
Of directors of the Washington Gas Lis
Company The promise made to the Co
missioners today is that if an anal.:
of the accounts for 1911 shows that
further reduction can be made without
sacrificing reasonable return on the
investment it will be made
The District Commissioners have quiet
ly succeeded in lowering this element in
the cost of living. Without the power of
a public utilities commission being grant
ed to the Commissioners, persuasion and
arguments within the last three weeks
have at last terminated in favor OF the
pocketbooks of the consumers.
Along with the promise of cheaper gas
to householders for 1911 and still cheaper
gas. probably, for 1912 and thereafter, the
Commissioners have effected saving in
the cost of lighting the city streets that
will amount to $2379.52 in the fiscal year
1911 $4,7J9.O4 in 1912 and $21 so at
least for every year after that. The de-
tails are shown in a statement made UP
in the office of Commissioner Judson to-
day.
How It Came About.
Cheaper street lighting, a subject now
Ing, is responsible for the general re-
duction all along the line. The Com
missioners wanted to get straight rate
Of $3.50 a lamp a year, as against the
present maximum charge of $2O.So
Because the Commissioners could not
see the justice Of the reduction Of the
price of gas to the government without
having reduction of the price to con-
sumers the point that there would be no
justice in such condition was argued
and carried by the Commissioners.
it this afternoon:
THE Commissioners effected this re-
duction because the people are certainly
entitled to 1t II the eftysftSeH is going
to have light cheaper. The Commission
ers have no power to force It, as there
is no public utilities commission or the
powers of one vested anywhere in the
District building. The matter is one
Of simple justice. We believe that we
did the right thing for the people,"
today with Richard H. Goldsborough. at
torney for the Washington Gas Light Com
pany. and Corporation Counsel Thomas,
and statement for the public was pre-
pared and issued by the Commissioners
as follows:
.'In conformity with an understanding
had at a conference between the Commits
sioners Of the District of Columbia, the
corporation counsel and counsel for the
company. the board OF directors of the
Washington Gas Light Company has
passed resolution reducing the price of
gas to IS cents a thousand, the reduction
to take effect on and after January /,
1911.
Points Covered.
1.-The understanding arrived at covers
the following points:
81. That the price of gas shall be re-
duced as above stated.
''2. That the company shall on and after
the first day Of January, 1912. make q
further reduction, provided that an analy-
sis Of their accounts for the year 1911
operating on an eighty-fve-cent basis
shall show that the company can make
a. further reduction without sacrificing
it's legal right to a reasonable return upon
the fair value of the property employed
in the conduct of its business. The com
pany further agrees that 1t will make and
submit to the Commissioners such state
ment as will qualify them properly to
review the companys operations, and
give them such access to their accounts
as they may think necessary for purpose:
of verificatiOn.
20. That the company shall, on and
after January ], 1911. make such reduc-
ton in the cost of gas for street lighting
as will insure to the District of Columbia
a saving at the rate of at least SO cents
per annum for each street gas lamp unit
the expiration Of the present contract fol
gas lighting, to wit, until July !, !S2.
company shall furnish and maintain eacf
street gas lamp for 40 per annum, a.
against the present maximum statutory
! charge of $2OS5 and contract price o.
s2O.SO.
Saving Of 2,37e.52.
| ION the basis of the number of stree
gas lamps now in use, the saving effected
| to the District OF Columbia on public
lighting will be at least $2.37952 in th'
fiscal year 1911. $4,759.Oa in 1912 and $21,
984. so in each subsequent year.
"It appears to the Commissioners tha
this understanding may, with REASONABLY
| certainty, be expected to result in the es
! tablishment of fair and equitable rela
tions between citizens of Washington ant
the Washington Gas Light Company"
Situation in Georgetown.
The price of gas furnished by tn,
Georgetown Gas Light Company has beer
reduced only as far as street lighting Il
concerned. The District Commissioner
understand that the matter Of the reduc
| ton Of the price in Georgetown to house