Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-09
EXPERT TESTIMONY ON GAS QUESTIONS
President Humphreys, of Stevens Institute, Again
on the Stand.


follows: For 1897, 3.44 cents, and for
| 1909 S.9I cents per thousand. In other
the 1909 coal. They paid more for it, and
| they got a little better result, especially
in the residuals, showing an increase in
receipts from the residuals of 0.53 cents,
| almost exactly wiping out the difference
In the increased cost of coal Of 0.5S cents
| Therefore, the final comparison is that
| the coal. less the residuals, for 1907 was
S.54 cents. and 1909 $50 cents, or an in
crease of only O.05 of cent.
On the other hand, as have shown,
(! the oil was bought for less and shows
| a decrease per thousand of 3.35 cents.
Now, there is the item of taxes. the
amount paid for taxes In 1907 was $40
055.27. which would be equal to 593 cents
per thousand feet sold. based upon the
number of feet sod that year. That is
the way I have been figuring it each
the divisor the gas sold in the year re-
| ferred to- and l will show YOU in mo-
ment why / make that distinction. In
1907 the company paid for taxes $13l,-
1895, equal to 6.3S cents per thousand
on the gas sold that year, or an increase
between the two comparing the cost of
gas per thousand, of almost exactly one
haif cent per thousand, or. more ex-
actly, 40 cents. Looking at it from
little different point of view, and as also
another example of how careful YOU have
to be as to how you take. your figures for
comparison. il for each year We divide
the amount paid for taxes by the gas sold
in 1909, we find that there is an in
creased cost of 102 cents per thousand,
a little over cent a thousand increase in
taxes figuring it that way.
Now. in the same classification which
you see here, and which appears on page
> of. the report under discussion, We find
items. taxes paid collector District of
Columbia: - United States inspector gas
and meters, District of Columbia labora-
tories for inspection gas and meters,
District of Columbia inspector plumbing,
&c" Now. taking that total amount,
which l cali taxes and inspections, we
have for 1907 ga cents, and 1908 Ga
cents The difference btween the two is
not great. but a large item of cost for
each year. In other words, the taxes,
inspections and the like cost the COM
pany last year 6s4 cents per thousand
feet on every thousand feet sold. While /
have not been able to make the analysis
of general expenses in a way that would
some items. and I happen to know one,
which increased considerably the general
expense. For instance. last year the
company had to pay for the expense OF
which are expensive. For instance, the
appraisement made by my firm, as |
have already stated, occupied my whole
engineering and accounting forces for, l
think. two months. and. of course, they
had to be paid for it,. especially so with
the men who have the requisite ability
learning and reputation. And in the
same way these hearings all cost money.
l would not dare to say what these hear
ings have cost throughout the country,
and this item of cost should be thought
of in connection with such investigations
as the present one.
Now, there was something said about
the average sales per meter. and 1 es-
pecially want to correct some figures
that ] introduced there, because in my
haste to answer a number of questions
asked at the same time, and In one IN
stance at least / confused the average
sales per meter with the minimum AT
that time was only making an estimate.
for l had made no figures at that time
have done the actual computing now,
however and l would like to have these
figures taken as correcting any others
that l may have introduced in that re-
spect
Taking the total amount of gas sold
through meters, including all the largest
consumers. the government offices and the
like, and basing it upon the average per
thousand received, say 95.7 cents per
thousand. the average receipts per meter
last year for the year were $31. 80. or for
the month, $316. If, however. those same
sales had been made upon the basis of
80 cents per thousand, which was so for
half the year, the average sales per meter
would have been $500 for the year, or
1927 for the month. about 8 cents per
day. / think that is the kind of figure
that ought to be very instructive. 1t is
difficult for the layman really to appre-
ciate that the average can be SO low. OF
course it comes from the fact that there
are great many very small consumers,
and this has led to the devising of q GER
tain plan of charge which / will refer to
in moment, where the price includes a
charge known as 1.-The readiness to serve
charge" This is system Of charge
which is being considefed in this country
1t is extremely complicated but it is
based upon the. fact that there are so
many consumers who do not burn enough
gas to pay the expense Of keeping them
on the books.
The further testimony will appear later.