Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-14
WOOD IS ORDERED
To BRING IN FILES
HE TOOK TO HOME
Commission Allows President
to Return Gas Company
Papers.
W. A. ROBERTS SPRINGS
SURPRISE AT HEARING
Company's Own Report Said to
Have Urged Installation
of New Mains.

William A. Roberts, counsel for the
Public Utilities Commission, sprang a
surprise today at the opening Of the
hearing on pressures maintained by the
Washington Gas Light Co. before the
Public Utilities Commission. BY patient
questioning he developed the fact that
part of the company's files were taken
from its Offices by the president, George
A. G.. Wood, to his home, $500 Edge
moor lane. Edgemoor, Md, about a
month ago. Mr.. Roberts demanded a
subpoena to bring the files before
the commission and the commission
promptly issued the subpoena.
However, Wood asked that he be per-
mtted to bring in the files himself, and
the commission agreed to the request.
Urged More Mains.
The papers are said to contain recon-
mendations from two Of the companys
engineers, Frank A. Woodhead and
Walter M. Russell, urging construction
of additional gas mains to keep gas
pressures low Since the company's in
tensive selling campaign on gas fur
naces last Fall complaints of high
pressure conditions have been general
and the gas company has countered by
asking the commission to increase the
maximum allowable pressure from 6 to
10 inches.
The present hearing is called to dis
cuss that request. The papers also are
believed to contain documents throw
ing some light on the present ownership
of the Washington Gas Light Co. rms
also is under inquiry at the present
hearing in an effort to discover whether
the ownership is in violation OF the La
Toilette anti-merger act.
Mr.. Roberts developed that. when
Russell and Wood came to WASH
ington in May and June last, they made
a study of pressure conditions and
recommended to President Wood the
construction of certain additional mains
to keep preSsures within the legal
limits. The inference from the ques-
tions was that some OF these recon-
mendations had been turned down,
although Mr.. Wood did not admit this.
Planned Gas Survey.
Mr.. Wood admitted his engineers
early in the Summer Of 1880 advised
him that the distributor system was
exceeding the legal limits and said that
on their advice he decided to go ahead
with the system as 1t was and make
survey of pressure conditions during the
peak load in the Winter and then the
company would determine what 1t
should do about pressures. Neverthe-
less, it was not until June OF this year
that the company made its application
for the increase in the allowable maxi
mum.
Mr.. Wood said the company had in
stalled certain additional mains, not
ably one in Takoma Park, to reduce
pressures there and give better service
to Maryland consumers who suffered
from low pressure.
he came to Washington, he did not
plan to make the Washington plant
serve nearby communities, such as
Hyattsville and Alexandria. Mr.. Wood
replied that he had never heard OF
Hyattsville and knew Alexandria had
b plant of its own.
Through Main Lacking.
1t was later developed, however, that
all gas sent to the neighboring COM
munities is sent through the regular
washington oySOCIl dllO GAAoO
there is no through main to take care
of the country load. Mr.. Wood ad-
mitted that, where there is a call for
service far from the gas holder, it Is
necessary to increase the pressure at
the sending point, otherwise the gas
'bled off" by consumers in the inter-
vening territory would reduce the pres
sure at the extremity Of the line be-
dow an efficient minimum.
Mr.. Woods long croSs-eXamination
by Mr. Roberts and Peoples Counsel
Richmond B. Keech followed general
opening statement in which he said
that it would be shown by expert wit
nesses that gas pressures within the 10
inch maximum the company proposes
do not affect consumers bills.
During his cross-examination he de-
clined to answer several questions on
the ground he was not technical gas
expert, but was one who had grown up
in the financial departments of utility
holding corporation.
He said there were approximately $50
house heater installations when he
came to Washington in 1880 and IN the
single month of October, 1880, when
the company's sales campaign was un-
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