Evening star., 1932-02-14
Program to Be Ready for
Submission at Public Hear
ing Wednesday.
RESEARCH ASSISTANT
COMPLIES STATISTICS
Object of Plans Is to Increase s.
Cent Saving Under Rates Pro.
posed by Company.

Richmond B. Keech, peoples coun-
sci before the Public Utilities Com
mission, whose enthusiasm was not
stirred very much by the new rate
schedule proposed by the washington
Gas Light Co., went to work. yesterday
on a schedule of his own-one which
he hopes will offer the small domestic
gas consumer more relief than held
out by the company.
What Keech wants to do is to in
tect an element of public appeal into
the gas schedule, something he feels
the company failed to do when 1t pro-
posed a domestic rate which would
knock off only S cents month on the
bills of majority of consumers.
Keech will have his program assem-
bled in time for the public hearing
before the commission Wednesday,
when the new rate schedule is taken
up for the first time for formal con-
sideration.
Busy on Car Merger.
Since the company submitted the
new schedule, about 10 days ago. Keech
has not had much time to think about
gas because hearings at the Capitol on
the street car merger bill have occupied
his attention. However. j. M. Nichol-
son, his research assistant, has been
gathering a mass of data and statistics
taken from the files of the company
and the commission, a study OF which
the peoples counsel believed will en-
able him to strike schedule salts
factory to the company and yet pro-
vide for the domestic consumer a re-
duction, more substantial than 5 cents
q month.
According to the companys calcula-
tions, the new schedule will save gas
consumers approximately S2l1,0OO
wear. commercial consumers pocketlng
S111.0OO and domestic users the re-
manning 100000. The new rates also
are designed so that substantial por-
lions of the cut go to large consumers.
It is Keech's opinion that perhaps
the $211 900 saving can be divided
somewhat differently. so the average
a 81 or IS bill each month, can actually
feel some benefit from the new rates.
This class Of consumer outnun1bers the
large domestic user by more than three
to one.
Sees Little Opposition.
Keech has not gone far enough with
his study to find out what can be done.
He thinks. however, If he can write
a schedule, more equitable than the
one proposed it will not meet with
any serious objection from the COM
pany In fact, he pointed out, George
A. G. Wood, president Of the company,
has shown "a fine spirit OF co-opera-
tion" In freely furnishing his Office with
the information he is using as basis
for revising the schedule.
THE basic proposition involved in my
study" Keech said, "is to bring about
q greater reduction to the domestic
consumer, If that Is possible without
doing an Injustice to commercial con-
sumers.
II am going to test the proposed
rates by comparing the different sched-
ules, and determining the extent OF the
effect of the reduction on various
classes of consumers. I also want 70
learn what effect the new schedule will
have on the company's rate OF return
Thus far I have only made a su-
perficial examination of the data pro-
cured by Mr.. Nicholson and have been
unable to arrive at any decision
Naither can ! see the probable result
at this time"
Rates Of Proposed Schedule.
The proposed schedule for domestic
use calls for a charge Of 81 for the
first 1000 cubic feet For the next
1000 cubic feet the rate is 80 cents
per 1000; IS cents for the next As, 5,00O
cubic feet, and 80 cents per 1000 cubic
feet for all gas consumed in excess OF
$4,000 cubic feet. The domestic
schedule now in force is 81 per 1,OO0
cubic feet for the first $500 cubic feet,
and 80 cents per 1000 cubic feet for
all gas consumed in excess of 1,50O
cubic feet.
Information furnished by the COM
pany shows that under the proposed
schedule, there would be no saving
whatever to 25,752 consumers who now
use 1000 cubic feet or less per month.
In the next group Of domestic con-
suraers are 61,670 customers who use
from 1000 to 5000 cubic feet month,
who would save 5 cents month each.
There are 1887 consumers who use
from 5000 to $4,000 cubic feet month
who would save about 25 cents a
month each. The smallest group OF
domestic consumers, numbering %,
who use $4,000 cubic feet and more per
month ye,,ld save sc. .65 q month each.