Evening star., 1917-12-02
eASCOMPAM ASKS
FOR INCREASED RATE
Petitions Utilities Commission
for Price of $1.10 Per
1000 Cubic Feet.
ALLEGES HIGHER COST

Because of the greatly increased cost
Of materials. labor and everything en-
tsring into the manufacture and dis
ty1bution Of gas, the Washington Gas
Light Company has h1sd with the pub
p1Rmission to increase the price Of gas
sclA to IN moro than 10000 consumers
TAs company In its petition asks that it
b permitted to charge $11o per 1000
cubic fss<. instead OF the present rate.
- cents Per 1.ooo cubic feet
In his lsetar Of transmittal. accom-
yanying voluminous charts and tabula-
ttoos allowing in detail the Increased
esGts Of al raw materials. labor. taxes
and maintenance. Howard 9. Reside.
prosident of the Washington Gas Light
Company, shows that In the face of
radically reduced dividends to share
Ao3de9s Of the company the receipts for
gAo under the present rates-75 cents
10 private consumers and 70 cents to
the government and the District of CO.
fumbia-are such that the company's
product is actually being sold at what
amounts to loss.
RSvenues Reduced, Says Report.
Reviewing tho various phases of
ne gas-making and distributing busi-
Asss' Of the company from July 1, 1901.
Whsa the rate at which gas might be
DolA 10 consumers in the District of CO.
1smAta was f3xed at 81 per 1000 feet. to
~ period 1sos-1s11. during which the
company voluntarily reduced the net
price Of gas to 80 and then to IS cents,
President Reeside in his letter shows
that the clause in the Districts appro-
prtation act effective September /, 1915.
lowering the rate for gas to 76 cents to
private consumers and 70 cents to the
FEDERAL government and tho District of
Columoia, not only reduced the rev.
emues of the company by about IL per
cant, but did SO at the very beginning
OF the period of increased cost Of labor
An4 a. all materials entering into the
manufacture and distribution of gas
Since then. President Resides letter
continues, the company has reduced
oiv1dends to shareholders by approxi-
maseiy Is per cent in the effort to
make ends meet on the reduced price
OF gaaL Rapidly mounting cost Of all
matsrials. labor. etc, however. the let
ter sets forth. has made the effort
nu1tlees- One item alone-the oil used
IN making the company's sas-the letter
etAte1. has more than doubled in cost
President Reeside, in his letter, says:
Ehe result of one years trial under
ne rates fxed by said statute (the
d e appropriation act of September /,
1870 was loss in receipts to the COM
pany Exclusive of gas sold to the
Geofgetown Gas Light Company Of
$1t.b66.18 and a reduction in the amount
Of annual dividends paid to it's stock
holders Of rs per cent, as compared
With the dividends paid between No
xember 1. 1910. and August 1. 1917. In
eais connection the commissions at
tendon Is called to the fact that the
losg would have been considerably
larger had not the company, in the ex-
ercise Of good business foresight, in
April. 1915. entered into contract for
large quantity of gas oil which would
have been sufficient for its ordinary
p1rposes until about April 80, 1918,
f10ngh by reason of the abnormal in
elease in the population Of the Dis
fx1et. which increased the demand for
rs for heating end cooking purposes,
the company has recently had so pur-
chase 1000, 900 gallons of oil, the mar
ket price of which was slightly under
cents a gallon, or more than twice
the price paid by the company under its
contract of April, 1915.