The Washington times., 1921-10-05
CONDUIT ROAD
RESIDENTS ASK
. FOR GAS MAINS
Hearing Before Commissioners
in Effort to Compel Action by
Georgetown Company.

Several hundred residents OF the
territory on the Conduit Road and ad.
jacent property today asked the Pub
lie Utilities Commission to compel the
Georgetown Gas Light Company to
extend its mains to their section.
The company through its attorney,
Benjamin s. Minor, said that II did
not have enough money to lay the
mains and that to do the work would
necessitate an expense Of more than
So, 200.
Colonel Kutz, who sat as chairman
OF the Commission for the last time,
asked him II the company could not
include this item In its fair valuation
and through this method obtain a fair
return from the Commission.
l.. Il. White, president of the Con-
dutt Citizens Association. opened the
hearing by introducing Charles e.
Baker. who explained the plight Of
the residents in that section OF the
District. He said that the resi-
dents OF that section had for years
sought to obtain from the company
gas for cooking and lighting but
that they had always refused until
shortly before the war when the
company agreed to lay the mains
and for some unknown reason stop.
ped work shortly after It started.
zoo TO Buy Gas.
The reason given for the stoppage
given as that the War Department
objected to the running OF mains on
the Conduit Road for fear of con-
Eliminating the water supply of the
District. He said that there are
now more than 200 prospective Gus
toners OF the gas company in the
section which Is asking for gas, or
one purchaser to every siXty-two
feet.
d. K. Curtis, superintendent OF the
Washington Aqueduct. told the COM
mission that the Georgetown Gas
Company had been given permission
to lay mains on each side Of the
Conduit Road in 1915 and that the
permit had never been revoked.
Attorney Minor began the companvs
side of the discussion by saying that
the country through which the reel.
dents wanted the mains run vas a
billy, wild country, and that II would
be extremely expensive to the company
to Law the mains, and that after The
rnains were laid. that the service would
not be satisfactory On account OF the
1t was at this point that
Colonel KutE asked him II Il was not
true that they would include this lost
In their fair value and obtain per cent
return on the investment, in addition !
TO collecting the gas charges. MI.
Minor admitted that this was true. out
pointed out that the company had not
been able to meet the payments on its
bonded indebtedness since 1914, and !
that It has no money to lay the mai's.
He said that II the company was
able to sell its bonds It would be In a !
position to lay the mains and Colonel
Kutz told him that II he would pay !
per cent on the bonds that they would |
be bought up by the persons who !
wanted the gas. A. l.. Castillo, one
Of the residents. brought the bond
question TO a precipftate close by offer. !
ing TO buy the first $1,000 bond and
assured Mr.. Minor that his associates !
would buy the remainder.
Request Unreasonable"
Mr.. Minor said that the request to /.
lay gas mains was unreasonable and
that the company was not justified In
making the outlay for so small num-
Der OF consumers. He said that the
company was not in a position to aid
in the development Of the suburbs and
help develop real estate properties.
Colonel Kutz asked him III he did
not believe that the gas mains should
be laid where sewer and water
mains had been laid. He said he
did not think that the two were in !
the same class. Colonel KutZ then
asked him II II was not reasonable |
to expect the company to lay mains ,
to sell it's gas within the District |
when Il had laid mains to supply |
gas TO consumers outside of the Dis
trict Minor said that the gas sold .
outside tho District was sent out in |
bulk and did not bear the same rela-
ton to gas sold to individual con.
sumers.
The Commission is expected to an.
nounce its decision in a few weeks.
The delegates, who attended the con.
said, after It was ended,
that they believed they had made out
a good case and that from the ques.
tons Of Colonel Kutz the gas COM
pany would be compelled to lay the
mains this winter.