The Washington times., 1920-08-23
H|GHD. c. GAS
RATE TO.STAY
Company Wants sl.25 Schedule
To Be Maintained Through
October and November.
OIL is FORCING COST UP
Officials Silent on Hearing Set
For Thursday Before UtiIi-
ties Commission.

Washington will continue to pay
$l.25 per thousand cubic feet for its
gas this winter. in the opinion OF
many who have followed the request
of the Washington Gas Light Com
pany for. a continuation of the rate
which was granted them several
months ago.
PETITION FOR SAME RATE.
Several months ago the Washington
Gas Light Company petitioned the
Utilities Commission for an advance
In rates from 95 cents to $l.25! The
request was granted for three months,
the new rate to expire October ] this
year The gas company has petition
ed the Utilities Commission again for
a continuation of the rate OF $1.2S
for the months of October and No
Yember.
A formal public hearing on their
request will be held Thursday morn
ing in the board room at the District
building.
Conditions have changed since the
gas company made it's first application
for an increase. With the proposed
freight increase, the company VIII
have to pay more for its coal than
it did when 1t made application for
an increase.
Since the company made applica-
tion, the price Of oil has advanced
one-quarter of a cent gallon. while
the new freight rates will amount to
more than a dollar a ton in cost to
the company. The company uses
about a million and a half gallons
of oil a month, $4,000 tons of anthra-
cite coal a year and $4,000 tons of
steam coal a year.
Howard S. Reeside. president of the
Washington Gas Light Company is
out of the city but will be back in
time for the hearing Thursday. None
of the officials at the gas company's
office could vouch for statement
made some time ago that the gas
company would in few months not
only ask that the rate of $l.25 a
thousand cubic feet be made perma-
nent, but that they would even ask
for an increase over that.
rs oil. A BIG FACTOR.
With the ever rising coet Of coal
and oil. particularly oil. the company
is said to be pretty hard pressed. De-
spite the fact that officials OF the
Bureau of Mines have repeatedly
warned gas companies throughout the
country that they will soon have to
stop the use of oil in the manufacture
of gas, the Washington Gas Light
Company continues to make most OF
it's gas with oil. They have small
plant that Is capable of making coal
gas. but this plant is never used. The
company owns Analostan Island IN
the Potomac river, upon which they
propose to build a large gas plant,
that will manufacture gas out OF coal,
of building
vanc-d d so that the company has for
~ present discarded the plans.
he officials of the company. who
are asking that the Utilities Commits
sion allow them to make per cent on
their investment, say that it would De-
folly to go into the market and obtain
money at 10 per cent to erect the new
plant, when the Utilities Commission
hesitates to grant them Z per cent
return.
USE OF GAS DOUBLED.
The use Of gas in Washington has
doubled in the past five years and the
plant that the company now own
and operates is pushed to the limit
to supply Washington with sufhcien.
gas.
officials of the Bureau of Mines say
that the method Of manufacturing gas
will have to undergo a decided change
IL they are to keep up with the prog
ress of the American people in the
use of gas. Gas is now sold at so
much per cubic foot, which the Gov
ernment officials say is waste.
They claim that gas should be fur
nished at heat units because gas is
now used principally for heating and
cooking purposes. The lighting use
Of gas is the smallest part of its use.
they say, but even If 1t were the
greatest use it would still be more
economical. as the use of mantles
would do away with the ned for high
candle power requirements Of gas.
Gas companies all over the country
are getting higher rates, 1t Is said, on
the showing that 1T Is costing more to
manufacture the eas.