Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-05
GAS ADJUSTMENTS
HELD TOO COSTLY
|. BY COMPANY HEAD
Wood Tells Utilities Commits
sion General CheCk-up Is
of Doubtful Value.
CHANGES BEING MADE
ON USERS COMPLAINTS
President Declares New Work
Would Be Required Later Because
of Changing Conditions.

George A. G.. Wood, president Of the
Washington Gas Light Co., reported to
the Public Utilities Commission today
that the readjustment of the appliances
Of $4,000 gas consumers would cost
hundreds of thousands of dollars and
expressed the belief that the need for
a general readjustment cannot be de-
termined at the present time because OF
unstable pressure conditions.
Mr.. Woods report was sent to the
commission in answer to its demand
for specific information showing action
taken by the company on the commits
sions order of January % to take steps
at once to make such adjustments in
all consumers equipment as may be
necessary to meet pressure conditions.
Minimum Cost so Cents.
Mr. Wood said the commissions order
was construed as Offering some "lati-
tude" for Judgment in order to avoid
situation which would be burden
some to all parties concerned"
The minimum cost per adjustment,
Mr.. Wood pointed out, is SO cents.
The company, in an effort to comply
with the spirit of the commissions
orders directing that steps be taken at
once to make such adjustments as may
be necessary, he said, is making care
full adjustment of appliances in all new
cases of new installations and upon
specific complaints for consumers. The
company, he declared, feels confident
that its customers will report cases of
a serious character.
Confidently with the receipt Of Mr..
Woods report, the commission received
| a letter from Manton NJ Wyvell,
prominent Washington lawyer, showing
that as result of complaint he made
to the gas company over high bill, the
now OF gas In combination gas storage
heater in his home has been reduced
from IA to 81 cubic feet an hour.
Pressure Cut Down.
An engineer from the gas company,
| sent to investigate the complaint, Mr..
Wyvell said, reported that the pressure
going into his gas appliances was ter
| rifically high and was causing
| tremendous use of gas"
The engineer, in his report, said he
had reduced the dow from 144 to 81
| cubic feet an hour on the combination
| storage heater, and has also cut down
| the pressure and regulated the burners
Of the range and laundry stove.
1Ou Will sec SdlQ NAT.
Wyvell, that the complaint produced
good results and that evidently other
householders are suffering from the
same high pressure from which I suf-
fered.''
Pressure conditions, Mr.. Wood said,
are not permanent and stable, due TO
the changes being made in the distribu
ton system to comply with the commits
sionS recent orders, and also because Of
h. IatT zT1T Na TNrR ~
system of the mixture of natural and
carburetted water gas. AS result, he
explained, an accurate and permanent
adjustment of appliances is impossible.
The mixture of natural and artificial
gas in its passage through the system,
Mr.. Wood explained, picks up certain
accumulated oil deposited over past
years, which, until stabilized, gives some
variation to the gas actually being re-
ceived by customers, tending in general
to make this gas of a high heating
value.
at has seemed best to us, in an effort
to comply with the spirit of your
ORDERS he told the commission. Ito
meet this situation by the careful adj
justment of appliances in all new cases
of new installations and upon specific
customers complaints. This is upon
the assumption that such complaints
naturally represent the most serious
conditions and should therefore receive
first attention.
ITO do otherwise would be to at
tempt to adjust all appliances in a
given area which would take an ex-
tended time. with the certainty that
before one adjustment was completed
conditions would have altered, and
probably several readjustments would be
necessary.
This would be disturbing to our
customers and to our organization and
We believe productive of i'll will. This
is entirely aside from the cost involved,
which would amount to minimum per
adjustment of SO cents, and in the
aggregate to hundreds of thousands Of
dollars.
Sees Latitude In Order.
eve wish also to advance the opinion
that the need for such a general re-
it should be made cannot be deter
mined at the present time.
Having the whole situation in mind,
we construed your order to make such
adjustments as may be necessary as
offering some latitude for judgment In
order to avoid situation which would
be burdensome to all parties con-
cerned.
I'VE feel confident that our Gus
toners will notify us of cases of a
serious character which We are most
anxious to care for. In furtherance of
this idea we advertised our desire COM
pletely to satisfy all complaints and
asked for calls to make adjustments
when necessary"
Mr.. Wood also told the commission
that pressure readings at various gov
ernor stations indicate very clearly a
marked improvement In the general
distribution situation.