Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1910-06-29

bons be placed in the lamp, and stat
ed that several had been gotten from
the Potomac Company and placed in
some Of the lamps that were the
worst and that since that time the
lamps appeared to be doing better
Question: From your personal
knowledge, how many Of those rec
concentrations have been carried out?
Answer: To my personal know
ledge the coiled pig tail holder con-
Meeting the top carbon holders were
purchased, the change from brass
dash pots to graphite was made
That cost nothing but the eXpressage
on the dash pots. The third recon-
the lamp was never carried out so
far as | know. 1t involved a slight
additional expense and Mr.. Kirby
called it bosh
Question:: / understand that you
know that with the exception of the
method of trimming all the recon-
mendations you made for improve
ments were carried out?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question: Are you familiar with
the contract between this company
and the city, and know what sort of
lamp that contract calls for?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question: Assuming that these
lamps are trimmed properly in the
manner that you suggested in your
letter, with the other changes that
have been made, including this add
ing of the coled pig tail holder and
the substitution of the graphite dash
pots, would not those changes have
put the company in position to fully
comply with it's contract with the
city?
Answer: 1t would.
Question: If the changes you sug-
gested ever had been made, and you
say you know that they have all
been made except as TO the trimming.
in your opinion these changes would
give the city at the present time a
lamp that would fully comply with
the contract?
Answer: Provided the current was
kept up, yes, sir.
Question: I understand from the
testimony previously given you stat
ed that the system as system was a
rs ampere system, and that the pres
ent difficulty, if there is any, was~in
the behavior of the individual lamps?
Answer: Yes, sir.
Question: So that if this company
is not living up to the requirements
of its contract with the city that
failure is not due to its system, but
TO the behavior of the individual
lamps?
Answer: That opinion comedies
exactly with the decision in the Col
orado Springs case.
Question:: Mr.. Kirby in his testi-
mony made the statement that one
third Of the lamps were never chang
ed. Do you know whether that is
true or not?
rraAnSsMS,eSr; 1rs.''--i--" ss'i,",ad
quite confident that they were made.
That is merely question of fact,
which ! think can be readily ascer-
tanned by an examination of the con-
struction ledger, if the present COM
pany is in possession of that ledger.
My acquaintance with the first super
intcndent would lead me TO believe
that if the proper coils were pur-
chased and supplied to him, he would
have put them in the lamp. That
can he readily settled. have no
positive knowledge about that, nor
think has any man that is now con-
nected with the company. There Is
a man who knows who has been
working as a machinist at the Emer-
son Pump Works, he knows, because
he made the changes.
The Chairman: You mean Mr.
Smythe?
lIr. Belts: Yes, sir. That is his
name.
Mr.. Harlow: | will ask you &c
state-if you have any objection tc
doing so you. need not answer this
uuestion-in your opinion as an eX-
pert electrician, and from your cb-
servation and knowledge of Mr.. klT'
by and Mr.. Lloyd, do you regard
either OF these gentlemen as quail
fled 10 give expert testimony on mat
tiers of this kind?
Mr.. Fisher: That is an improper
question.
The Chairman: | don't think thai
could be asked.
Mr.. Harlow: ! desire TO state tina
the report already filed and the re
of council must necessarily be based
at least in part, upon the testlmon!
given before this committee by MI
Kirby and Mr.. Lloyd. 1t seems to me
therefore, highly important to fine
: out whether or not in the opinion
of men qualified to Judge, the testl
mony of Mr.. Kirby and Mr.. Lloyt
as given should be entitled to weight
! The only way that question can b.
determined is to find out what is TIT
opinion of those who are qualified
: opipion of tahose who are qualified
!. to know and who do know. We ar
. all laymen, and we may say we know
nothing about the subject of electri
city. If you are to pay attention t
;. the testimony of Messrs. Lloyd an'
Kirby you ought to determine hov
much weight should be given tina
| testimony. If they are experienced
their testimony should be considered
If they are not qualified this commit
tee ought to know it.
: Mr.. Fisher: Have you any knowl
edge of Mr.. Kirby's experience as a
electrician?
Mr. Belts: | have. would Xix
to say that the opinion or one eN
pert expressed about another,s CHAR
acteristics or abilities don't appea
to me to have much bearing on tn
subject I don't think one witnes
Z. ought to make any statements
that kind about another.
= Mr.. Spinks: ! don't think Their
. is any objection on the part of tn
:. committee. 1t is matter for thi
= committee to determine as to tn
. qualifications. We know that MI
Kirby has been employed by the cit
! and by the Alexandria Electric Com