Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-07
UTILITIES BOARD
INSISTS ON CHECK
ON GAS READINGS
Vain Plea Made to Abandon
Practice in Schools and
City Institutions.
HIGH PRESSURE ACTION
is PROMISED VERBALLY
Standards Bureau Makes First Re.
port on Engineers Test of
Results of Mixture.

The Public Utilities Commission, it
was declared today, fatty turned down
a recent request of the Washington Gas
Light Co. for discontinuance of the %
year-old practice of having an inspector
Of the commission check the meter read
ings by the company's meter readers
in public school buildings and other
buildings housing activities of the Dis
trict government.
The company, through r. B. Har-
baugh, superintendent of meter readers,
it was said at the commission, urged
that it be permitted to make the meter
readings alone, during the regular meter
reading period. The present method, he
said, necessitates the special service of
one gas company employe and the use
of gas company automobile for four
days each month, except during school
vacation periods, when only two days
are required. All of this, Mr.. Harbaugh
explained, entailed an added expense to
the company.
Procedure Instituted in 1903.
Notifications of the statements of all
gas meters in use in buildings and
offices occupied by the District gov
eminent have been made by designated
employees of the Gas Inspection Bureau
of the commission since September,
1908. This procedure was instituted by
the Board of District Commissioners,
prior to the creation of the Public
Utilities Commission which came into
existence Is years later.
The commission employe who checks
the meter readings is also directed to
certify as to the correctness of the
amount rendered for the use Of gas in
District institutions. In reply to Mr..
Harbaugh'S request, the commission
told the company it is of the opinion
that the present practice should be con-
tinued.
Readjustment Promised.
Announcement also was made at the
commission. that officials of the gas
company have given verbal promise
that steps would be taken Immediately
to readjust all gas appliances in the
two areas in which gas pressures are
still in excess of the commissions tenn
porary allowance of 8 inches. The
the company until March 16 to reduce
the pressures in these areas under
threat of taking action "in accordance
with the pertinent provisions of law"
Two commission inspectors will be
assigned to check up on the appliance
adjustments made by the company en-
ployes, and another commission in
spector, 1T was said, will be directed to
keep a day by day record of the adj
justments.
Standards Bureau Reports.
The two existing high-pressure areas
are in the vicinity of Twentieth and K
streets and Seventh and, S streets. The
commission has pointed out that it has
sufficient evidence to convince it that
where the necessary adjustments have
not been made, the higher pressures are
responsible for greater amounts of gas
passing through the meters in a given
time, and that, as a consequence, the
bills Of many gas consumers have been
"unduly increased"
The Bureau of Standards has sub
mitted to the commission the first
report on the result of analyses its engi-
neers have made of the gas at the COM
missions request, which shows that
there are no constituents present in the
mixture of artificial and natural gas
that would cause greater disposition
of carbon from pilot lights than would
occur with the gas supplied in the Dis
trict before the natural gas was mixed
with it.
The bureau was urged to make a
series Of tests to show what effect
varying degrees of pressure would have
on gas consumption and also what
effect the combination of natural and
manufactured gas is having on gas
appliances.