Evening star., 1926-10-23
MAJ. COVELL PRAISES RECORD
OF DISTRICT PUBLIC UTILITIES
Trolley, Gas and Electric Service Compare
Favorably With Other Cities, Official
Tells Business Men.

The public utilities of the National
Capital received the approval OF
Maj. w. L. r. Covell, Assistant En-
gineer Commissioner, in recent
speech before the Washington Cham
Der Of Commerce. Maj. Covell's s
speech dealt with all the local public
utility services in detail.
His address follows:
TOO often when an employe of
one of our utility companies makes
q mistake, or perhaps when we only
Imagine he makes mistake. we think
of our public utilities as public fulfill
ties. But the public of Washington
can look with satisfaction upon its
public utility situation. There are
flaws in 1t, it creaks and it groans
as 1t changes from day to day, but
taken all in all. it compares most
favorably with the conditions in other
cities and in the States of this
country.
Service Really Excellent.
"The service In Washington on the
average is really excellent. The over
all speed Of our street cars Is well
above the average for other cities.
Except for New York. we are the only
city having all underground trolley
construction in the main section of
cars are well maintained. I hope YOU
have all noticed that both companies
recently have been making special
efforts to put the paving between
their tracks In excellent shape
rather hard on the companies, too,
when we remember that lot of the
damage was caused by busses and
private autos taking fares away
from them.
~. .,oe &C. oP avoaJIapt ono 1t+v-
we'll above the average in heating
value 1t is not subject to sputtering
nor to the extremely low pressure
common at this time of the year in
some cities which are dependent upon
natural gas. The gas company has
had little difficulty in maintaining
pressure In Chevy Chase, but this
soon will be remedied by the con-
struction Of booster station on Wis
consin avenue near River road.
Electric Service Is o. X.
"Our electric service is fine. Fifteen
or twenty years ago Interruptions in
service were not uncommon to those
of you who had electricity in your
homes. Today they are rarity.
just think back over the past II
months and note how few, If any. in
terruptions of over a few minutes
have occurred.
THE American Telephone and Tele-
graph, I believe, has taken especial
pains to see that the telephone service
in this city is excelled by no other
company in this country-and this, Of
course, means in the world-as you
who have had the experience of tele-
phoning in Europe we'll know. I Won
der how many of you know what this
service really is? 1 suggest, as an ex-
pertinent. that the next III times
you use the telephone. you time the
interval between the moment you take
down the receiver and the moment
when central says. Number, please"
Ninety per cent Of you, am sure, will
be astonished at the average time.
Gas Service Extended.
"All companies are meeting the
growth Of the city in very salts
factory manner. The Washington
and Georgetown Gas companies have
about completed the extensions to
the Benning and to the Conduit road
eections-over eight miles Of main
being laid. The number of complaints
received by the commission on failure
60 extend service or for tnadequacy
are diminishing each year. in spite
Of the fact that the population Is
rapidly increasing. This is the best
possible proof of the increasing eff1-
riency of the companies and the Pub
lie Utilities Commission in maintain
sng service.
1.-THE charges for service In Wash
angton compare favorably with charges
in other comparable cities. Our street
car fare is cents cash and six tickets
for 40 cents, which is roughly the
average of cities of this size. New
York city has a scent fare. but this
is maintained by the city. in effect.