The Washington times., 1912-09-20
GAS SUPPLIED IN
DISTRICT FAILS TO
MEET LEGAL TESTS
Inspector of Meters Finds IL
Eliminating Power Not
Up to Standard.

Official photometric tests of gas fur
nished consumers by the Washington
Gas Light Company show that on forty
three days during the fiscal year ended
June 30 the illuminating power was be-
low the legal standard of twenty-five
candles, according to the annual report
OF E. G. Runyon, inspector of gas
and meters, made public today.
The law provides that the gas fur
nished by any gas light companies in
the District shall be of twenty-five
candle-power, and shall be free OF the
impurtty known as sulphureted hydro
gen. The penalty for furnishing gas be-
low the legal standard is fine Of 500
a day.
Suit to recover penalties from the
Washington Gas Light Company for
furnishing gas below the legal standard
was instituted by the District in 1907.
The court directed a verdict in favor Of
the defendant, which was reversed by
the Court of Appeals, and a settlement
was effected in favor of the District
The Court OF Appeals decided, however,
that In order to recover a penalty It
must De proved that the gas Is below
the legal standard two days in success
sion.
1t was decided also that it must be
shoWn that the gas was of inferior
qualty for a continuous period of
twenty-four hours.
Difficulties of Evidence.
In view of the difficulties in the way
of presenting to the court satisfactory
evidence of violations of the law as
thus construed, the District has since
entered no proceedings against the gas
light companies, Notwithstanding re-
ports OF the inspector of gas and meters
nave since shown that on a number of
days the gas furnished was below the
legal standard.
This condition is viewed by District
officials as an additional argument for
the passage of public utility bill I'M
der which the gas light companies
would be compelled to furnish a product
Of standard candlepower and free of i'm
purities.
1t was shown also by the tests. accord
Ing to the report, that on fifty-six days
snlpherated hydrogen was present in
the gas The amount of ammonia and
sulphur. 1t is stated, was we'll within
the maximum limits allowed by law.
on thirty-seven days the gas fur
nished by the Georgetown Gas Light
ompany was below the legal standard
In Illuminating power and purity, ac-
cording to the report.
Four Stations Maintained.
For convenience in making the re-
quired daily tests four testing stations
supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light
Company and three in the territory sup
piled by the Washington Gas Light
Company.
During the year, 21.279 gas meters
were inspected, an increase of over 100
per cent over the preceding year. The
increase, 1t Is said, is due principally
to the inauguration by the Washington
Gas Light Company a year ago Of the
policy of removing for inspection all
gas meters which have been in con-
tinuous service for more than three
years. The benefits from this practice,
says the report, are evidenced by the
marked decrease in the number of COM
plants received from gas consumers.
or 9C6 meters examined III response
to requests by consumers supplied by
the Washington Gas Light COMPANY,
457 or 5o.44 per cent wene found to reg
lister fast, according to the report. OF
1,219 examined in response to the re-
quest of the gas company, 40 or 3.2S
were fast, rs were slow, 26 were cor
rect, and S75 failed to register.
Eighty-five meters were inspected on
REQUEST of consumers of the George
town Gas Light Company. or this
number thirty-three were fast, eight
were slow. and forty-four were correct
OF the ten meters inspected on request
Of the company, three were fast, two
were slow, and five were cornsct.