The Washington times., 1910-04-08
NJ ssouTian, Dissatisfied,
Seeks TO Learn Return
on Actual Investment.
BUFFALO EXPERT
AGAIN EXAMINED
Presents Figures, But Is Declared
Not In Position 10 Give
Information Desired"

The House District Committee. at
I its hearing today. decided 10 investi-
gate in detail the financial condition
OF the Washington Gas Light Com
pany- with q view TO determining
whether the people or Washington are
{ being overcharged for the gas con
sumed.
/ This decision was reached AZ the
4 suggestion OF Representative COudrey
+ Of Missouri, who declared that he was
/ dissatisfied with the method OF the
+ gas company IN presenting its case TO
/ the committee through gas expert
. who was not in a position 70 give the
. committee the detailed information IN
! regard TO the cOmpany's finances
{ Mr. Coudrey, the author Of the Tesolu-
I tion under which the present investiga-
ton IS being conducted, declared that
+ he wants TO know and proposes to ind
out the profits OF the company based on
the amount OF capital put into the busi-
ness. irrespective CT profits earned and
/ turned back into the business
/ When tie hearing drew 70 close M
( CoUdrey suggested that the investigation
/ vas going lar aheId. and he wanted ID
{ get down 10 brass tacks- 0Ir- Aiken
/ OF South Carolina then announced tha-
I he was tired Of having the hearings
Z
/ committee viii meet again tJniglt-
Expert on Stand
/ Alexander c. Hlmphries. Of Buffalo.
/ the gas expert employed by the Wash
/ Ington Gasligft Company. was the first
I witness called TO-DAY
( Mr.. HUmphries took up a number OF
I complaints OF alleged harsh treatment
i b5- the Gas Company IN the matter OF
& payments Ee declared his investigation
{ or each complaint to the committee con
( vinced him t5=at the company at ali
( times showed q disposition 10 deal fair
/ ~ with the consumers
+ Referring to complaint Of the price Of
/ layiHS pipes, the witness said cutting
/ the pavement was expensive and that
+ the Gas Company did not get back from
f the consumer the entire outlay.
/ Dealing with the finances Of the com
pany. Nr. Humnhries said that the re-
F turn 10 the company in 1ep. based on
/ securities, showed a net profit OF 49,
S1L92, Or Hos per cent.
+ Figuring on Ine assets which. he said.
Z was a proposition entirely different from
E the securities, the returns based on as
E SeiS OF $4,000 amounted 10 .I3 per
! cent On the total appraised value OF
the company as a going concern. which
{ MT- HurnThTies figured TO be SI5.O0e sB,
the return. June - ISJs, vas 81 per
Basis Of Figures.
These figures. the witness said. zrers
not based on So-cent gas. but or tho
price existing at that time. He sub
mitted estimates OF what the returns
would be on S3-cent gas and said that
with estimated profits Of S545 90, the re-
turn on the SECURITIES would he re-
duced from LIS per cent TO SO Per
cent the returns on the assets would
be reduced from T-13 per cent 90 5-S5 per
cent and the returns figured % the
total value of the property would be
reduced from 81 per cent to u per cent
The witness corrected his urevfoT,
figures as TO the increased cost OF manu-
featuring ana delivering declaring that
the cost Of Eas Il 10 was es5 cents A
/ thousand. as compared with ga cents =
thousand in 1907. an Increase Of 81 De-
cent This Increase has somewhat les
than the amount given by Afr. HUM
phries at the last hearing
he also corrected his previous state
ment as 10 the average receipt per me-
ter The total amount Of gas sold in
lsCs he said. was at the average price
of s5-1 cents. The average rsceiDts Der
meter. he declared amounted TO 81 a.
for the year or sis month. TbS
same sales on the basis Of 90-cent gas
show an average per meter Of sg555 Tor
the year. Or SIS a month
Mr. HumphrieS declined 20 ten NTr
Cary the amount he received from the
gas company for presenting its case 10
the committee
Questions as 90 Meters.
That IS my private business he
said, and I co not know yet what I
am going to charge"
Mr.. Cary said consumers complained
that their bills were higher now than
) at the old rate and asked # 1t was
not possible to make a meter run faSr
[ just as it Is possible 10 make a watch
run fast.
, The witness said It was not. because
. / the mechanism IS different The com
pauies, he said do not put on addi-
( tlouat pressure in order that nEore gas
, might be burned because disastrous re
{ suits would follow
Investigation he said. showed that
consumers burned more gas when the
price was lowered Complaints that gas
: companies take advantage of consumers.
: ne said. were made without due consid-
: Grafton.
=: Referring again to putting on addi-
: tional pressure. Mr. Humphries said the
additional amount Of gas forced through
! the meter IS 10 the advantage OF the
2 consumer
T Returns From By-Products.
a Mr.. Cary asked If the profsJs received
from the by-prodUcts OF the Gas Com
panv did not constitute velvet The
= witness replied that II It were not for
Z the profits from this source the cost OF
a gas to the consumer would &c create
e Mr. Humphries said that the ap-
e praisaI OF Ss,30o.0a0 did not INCLUDE
( water in the stock"
Mr. Cary had read a letter from q.
? consume charging that his cost for
! Gas under the reduced rate is -rrster
e than 4 was at the 81 rate. and asked
1T1 Hunnphries 10 explain it.
j The witness said the only TePly hs