The Washington times., 1910-04-09
The Whole Truth About the
Gas Companies.
Wanted:

The House Committee District of Columbia affairs has shown
most oommendabe patience with the gas companies and not to be
blamed good approaching exhaustion The
gentlemen who have been sent by the companies to tell the commit
tee about IFS affairs have been commissioned provide the
least possible information and their attitude has been such SggeS
small consideration for the dignity selfpect the committee
Small wonder that another the committeeman been
demanding to know why the Gas Company sends them alleged
expert who presenting cancellations about gas invariably
pleads ignorance of the specific of the Washington companies
Dr. Humphreys doubtless knows good deal about gas but his te
mOny has been about pertinent the he had
been explaining the condensation OF the scheme OF Of uni
veEa vapor
District Committee wants is expert information
pert conversation Dr. Humphreys beyond doubt leading
conveTsaions though feeling of local pride Compe the ova
ton that Marathon aksr animated by purpose obscure specific
data linguistic penumbra very little able
townan Mr. Richard H. Goborough general counsel and chief fxer
for the Gas Monopoly.
The members of the why executive
officers Of the gas companies do appear Perhaps because
the side they would be disadvantage pleading ignorance
of everything the committee wanted know; possibly also because of
certain modesy testing their meager faculties OF conversational
observation a committee which shows distressing symptoms OF de-
sire TO know the facts.
Now common report that the president of the company
paid $4,000 year For that salary the company ought
get mighty lot of intelligence and very specific intelligence about
gas the committee appears to he on right proposing
summon Mr.. Mclean TO tell what he knows.
And apopos this question of salaries suggestion to the in
curing members the they VIII the proper
officials the Census Bureau they viii learn that salaries gas
officials Washington more per thousand feet of gas produced
any jurisdiction United That the
report, and mighty interesting and suggestive report will be
found,
NeS Mclean. Goborough and the of tls hgfpced Of
fcas this may be worth all they cost But judgment
would easily they should be called be-
the committee and permitted tell what they Know.
The District Committee the right track It IS needed now to
know about gas Massachusetts, the English sliding scale
Illuminating systems T-b to lean what has been the financial
history manufacturing experience of the particular gas companies
Washington They double their capitalization IS It to the
public interest that they he allowed 10 do sO
The public cheaper gas Can he given cheaper gas with
out ConfsCaing the property of the COmPany3
Those the questions which light demanded The
mite can't them till gets look inside the gas
And right here suggestion about the uncertainty of information
provided by officials gas companies In the Consolidated Gas
case in York company prepared It's books great de
TAIL report showing the actual cost Of producing gas de
20 cents.
had mSngs and ordered the c0panyS books opened
A great accounting experts told take those books and
figure exactly costing the company to make gas What do
YOU think the reSut2
The accounting firm that the company making gas for
IS cents per thousand the compnys officials cost!
The two reports brought into the VINO made them
were examined found that the gas officials wT0g
and the expert accountants right!
Now Washington Light COmPany annual report tells
that costs 58228 cents per thousand feet make gas per thousand
Suppose they mistaken by IS cents were the New York Cc
soEdaed officials!
These things worth finding The District Committee is
plainly set on knowing just proper procedure and that
TO order complete investigation the entire business these
NAMES by experts from the outside Open the books the TRUTH
then act intefgentlv the facts that are disclosed
GOVERNMENT ON TRAIL OF which the American &C