The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-12-20

protests against the conduct OF the
gas hearing begun this morning In
the Press club auditorium.
The disturbance came when City
Thomas Kennedy asked
that the business men and house
wives who had come 20 complain OF
the service should be heard first. tho
gas compsny's attorneys and experts
TO be heard later.
COMMISSIONERS DECLINE
TO HEAR PUBLIC FIRST
This request was denied by Com
missioners Kuykendall and cieland-
Commissioners Spinning. the third
member OF the board, is not in at
tendance.
When the hearing was begun. At
torney Charles X. Poe. for the gas
company. outlined a history Of the
experiments conducted by thu ga6
company, and related conditions and
changes in other states and countrfcs
In the therman heat qualities OF Rs~.
He then called Professor George T..
whipple. Of the University Of Wash
ington. who had been employed by
the gas companies OF Seattle. Spo-
kane and Tacoma, to testify to labor
atory and other investigations made
by him with reference to reducing
the gas standard from the-prerent
coo British thermal units TO $50 h.
+. T.. which the gas company wants
as the new standard.
In outlining what ground he In
tended to cover, Professor whipple
made Il evident that he would be on
the stand for several hours. IL was
then that Kennedy proposed that the
men and women who snatched a few
precious moments from their bust
ness and the housework should b
heard first
FOLLOWING USUAL
PR0CEDURE."-kUYkENDALL
We are following the usual pro
cedure." declared Chairman Kuyken-
dali. in denying the proposal.
This announcement was met by a
storm OF groans, boos and hisses
from the audience. and shouts OF de-
rision were hurled from every part
OF the room
SO persistent was the tumuit THAI
kuykenda1l declared a recess for five
minutes. after announcing that the
complainants would be heard Tues
day morning. at 10 o'clock.
When the hearing resumed.
about half the audience left.
THAT there may be no misap
prehension in the matter" statct
Kuykendall. II want TO say tina.
this hearing is not primarily on
the complaints OF the consumers
but that il is a hearing initiated
by the commission itself in rela
ton TO changing of the rules gov
erning the gas company. As the
application for the change Is made
by the company. and the burden
of proof is upon IL. the company's
proof must come first"
GREAT SHOUT OF LAUGHTER
Is ANSWER TO OFFER
At this point Attorney Poe OF
fered 10 send out gas men to adjust
burners between now and the hear
ing In the morning for anybody
in the audience who had any com.
plant. The offer was met with
"a great shout OF laughter.
In his opening statement Poe
declared that the gas company
is going thru the same thing NJ
the Puget Sound Traction company
did
"You did not believe them" he
said. "when they said they couldn't
make it on five-cent fare. Now
you know they spoke the truth. (
And now we tell you that we are
not able 10 furnish gas at the
old rates at coo n. T. u
He appealed to the audiences
knowledge that coal and oil have
gone up In price, and that cx,
periments have proven elsewhere
that 45o u. T. U. is a sufficient
standard for gas; the present 500
b. T. o." he said, was simply
burning oil and wasting it."
1--WE admit that there is ground
for complaint" Poe added. hut
that Is not due to the quality OF
the gas. but because we haven't
had the time to make all the ex,
periments necessary, to make all
the needed adjustments. We prom
Use you that given the time to
make good on these experiments.
we will not only give you as good
gas as you had before but better
service"