The evening world. Newspaper, March 2, 1903, Page 2

j : |} 4 getting poorer gas than it ever got before, sent through the mains at a Te a hd a aan Bi =a mremsernicepetorean pre eae Lyset oe perenne TANT THE WORLD: MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 2, 1903, {The Trust phenithseues Its Illuminant from |. Fuel Oil Instead of from Hard Coal—lt Is ', Then Forced Through the Service Pipes to the Helpless Consumers at Excessive Pressure, Making It Mostly Air. F Remarkable Outpouring of Complaints from Citizens Who Have Been Overcharged and Bulldozed by the Companies Merged In This Trust—The Hand of Rockefeller Is Shown in the Gas, Electric and Light and Heating Companies. Investigation by The Evening World has shown : That there IS a Gas Trust in this city. That the Gas Trust DOES force gas through its mains compressed air pressure. That the gas manufactured is inferior in quality, made ‘largely from fuel oil and coke. That the companies, in defiance of the law, sell gas to one another at cost price. That large consumers in New York are furnished with gas at 90 cents per thousand and less. That the Gas Trust is controlled entirely by the Stand- ard Oil Company. That the profit on each 1,000 feet of gas is 53 cents. AIR USED DESPITE DENIALS. It would be strange indeed were the managers of the Gas Trust to admit that they are forcing gas through their mains by compressed air Pressure becauc> they are making a poor quality of gas. It is the most natural thing in the world to find President Gawtrey, of the Consolidated Gas Company, denying such an allegation. But the fact remains, and in- vestigation, backed by the proper authority, will prove that New York City pressure that produces exorbitant gas bills. ', Concerning the method of manufacturing gas the average consumer dives in dense ignorance, Gas works are surrounded by high fences, and entrance is barred by gates. Visitors are not allowed to go through as they are in other manufacturing plants. The business fs of such a nature that few but trusted employees know anything about the tricks of the trade, and it is a matter of record that employees of gas companies are extremely loyal ite their employers. ' AIR IN EVERY BIG TANK. é "There is a general impression among citizens who pass the towering fanks in the yard of the gas companies that these tanks are kept filled i® with gas under compression which {is forced out by its own power. As a ‘matter of fact, no gas tank is kept filled with gas. top of every tank that is kept filled with air. The tendency of gas is to rise. The alr cushion ts kept at the top of the tank to force the gas out into the main, Generally a heavy air pressure is not required. Just sufficient pressure to keep the gas from floating up , to the top of the tank is all that is necessary when the gas is of frat-class| quality, . At the time of the coal strike the gas companies found themselves unable to secure sufficient coal. Previous to the strike they had been using There is a space at the material in the proportions of three-quarters coal to one-quarter coke and fuel oll combined, As coal became scarcer and scarcer more fuel ofl and coke were used, until the proportion became revéfsed, For a time, near | the end of the strike, the city was burning what was practically fuel oll gas, which has nothing like the illuminating quality of gas made from hard EXTRA PRESSURE NEEDED, This gas is heavier than gas of the purity required by law, and to get ft through the mains extra pressure was required, To supply this pressure compressed air was forced uto the tanks, Jamming down the gas, squeesing | it into the mains and forcing it through the meters In a manner to make the index hands fairly spin around the dials, |complete—well, It is no business of the HIS flame shows the proportion of air and gas that is general in New York City now. the picture indicates how great is the proportion of air that is served to the helpless consumer. This accounts for the poor illuminating quality of the lights. another constitutes a violation of the law, punishable by the forfeiture of the charter of the offending companies. NEARLY 100 PER CENT. PROFIT. Eyening World reporters have also learned that the cost of gas for every company doing business in the city averages 47 cents per thousand feet. This includes every item of cost, including fuel, labor, repairs and fixed charges on capital and bonded indebtedness, The highest cost of man- ufacturing and distributing gas that has ever been recorded in this city was during the coal strike, when it ran to 54 cents per thousand feet. It was to balance off the Joss on this increase that the Standard Oil Company con- tinued the policy of forcing inferior gas through the pipes after the coal strike had ended. New York is to-day burning what is practically fuel-oll gas and not coal gas. The companies buy their ofl from the Standard Ol] Company, which thus gets a profit coming and going—a profit on the oil and a profit on the reduced cost of manufacture and the increased bills to consumers. Auditors from the Standard Oil Company pay periodical visits to the offices of the gas companies and check up the oil purchases. The gas com- panies are forbidden to buy oil from any other concern than the Standard Oil Company, and the secret of the transaction is so well guarded that up to this time The Evening World has been unable to discover what price is paid. Another thing The Evening World has learned is that the gas combine {s selling gas to favored consumers at ninety cents a thousand feet and less, Big hotels and heavy users of gas work under contract wilh the companies. It will be notee that in the flood of protests that have poured in on The Evening World there has been none from large consumers, The house- holder, whose gas bill is a perpetual terror to him, is the man who pays $1 per thousand feet and has his meter register twice as much as he burns. Jf this discrimination in favor of big consumers on the part of the gas companies {s not strictly illegal, it is certainly contrary to public policy, and it shows beyond doubt that it Is not necessary to charge $1 per thousand feat for the gas companies to make a profit. Reporters investigating the methods of the companies have been aston- For instance, nen who are sent out to inspect meters are given a list of the inference, at least, that the company expects them to burn but one match to each meter they look at. If the match goes out before the inspection is ompany df the employee guesses at and they never guess small, the state of the meter HAVE THE SAME OFFICIALS, Recurring again to the close relations between the various companies in |the combine, it is necessary only to say that the chief engineer of the Con- solidated Gas Company is also the chief engineer of the Standard Gas Com- pany. In addition to this Auditor Whiteley, of the Consolidated Gas Com- pany, is also treasurer of the Standard Gas Company and comptroller of the Edison Company, of Manhattan and Brooklyn, ——_—_——_+ t+ HOW THE PUBLIC IS ROBBED Q0L Ab Mhe scarcity of coal through the strike had a gradual growth, so the deterioration in the quality of the gas was gradual- that it was scarcely noticed by the consumers. The companies founu that they had few complaints regarding the inferior quality of the gas, and when coal became plentiful again it was decided by the Standard Oi) Com- pany, which controls the gas and electric industries of this city, to keep | on serving up poor gas at high pressure. — When the companies deny that air {s forced into the mains, or that a continuous high air pressure ls kept on the gas, the denials have a basis "4m tact. The system is different. At certain times, depending upon the amount of pressure required, com- pressed air is forced into the tanks at tremendous pressure for a tew) moments at a time, To keep the pressure on continually would have the effect of blowing up the tank, But these occasional administrations of com- pressed air are sufllcient to keep a cushion at the top of the tank that presses down on the gas and sends it to the meters with a power that runs up the indexes, | AIR PUMPED IN BY ALL COMPANIE Reporters for the Evening World have been investigating the gas ques- tion for days, aud have found that the charge that inferior gas is being forced through the mains applies to all of the companies in the combina- tion, They have also found that the companies, in deflance of the law, @el) gas Lo each other at cost price, and that (here are mains leading direct , from the tanks of one company to another. | Take, for instance, the Consolidated and Standard Companies. between the two are most intimate. ee at No. 801 Third avenue. The Hvening World reporters have learned th Consolidated Company puts in meters that are supplied by the d Gas Company, and vice versa, iy an agreement between the companies by which the Standard, | bigger plants than the Consolidated, manufactures gas for that on ‘Pumpe it to its tanks. There is also an agreement by which ite eurpl ipply, When it has more gas on hand than ferring gaa.” The payments of bal-|o from $16,000 wo $2 & month, goraetgp lg te va The re- ge SO gradual, in fact, | Here are some astounding facts ob- to The Standard Company has, REVEALED BY GAS EXPERT, It ix made | up of some al hy some nid from & than sev tained by The Evening W 5 (whteh contd man who has been for m : i oxide and marsh gas), petroleum ¢ enteen years In the employ of the Con-/Owhich tag fliuminasing qualifies) And 4 sa atg hat he anys |earburetted adr (which dx alr saturated foliated Gas Company. What he anye)iih' naohusa fumes), Which alay con explains away some of the mysteries! (inte to the iehtine qualities of the Jof the Gas ‘Trust's methods, He shows| Whole combination, | nufacturer in his tru hia gas ix pumped by means of pow Up the gas manufacturer in hie truelovrut hydrauile pumps into. Ue Uight, nnd says that If the officials jatring ‘of kas holders tha! sure whose duty tt is to guard (h Manhattan Island. ‘There are a sco One aainat ba f and during the day. t New York against bad AL Beat he live meters did what they are »* quanititien doing the gas billy would be and the Gas Trust would pay smaller dividends af the heavy iron hood « “To begin with.’ he sald, “you mu mat The balay Welahts are in ae Nratiters wera nan F pressure is ne jknow that the itwoturers i eHeeeaR sD hit very hard by the coal strike. ‘The a steady flow of gas. b Increased cost of coul was a loss rs have long #itice : many thousands of dollars. What me natural than that the trust should t to make up the deflelt in its treasury the meters, caused by Uhis increase? “In order to do this they are giving New York poor gus-almost the I have ever known-and sending it away from the gas-holders under a heavy worst fully If the Wator got low pressure, Why under « heavy preamure Kot the best of tho con \use the gas iy so heavy that . , Would never get around unless they did, | ow in use ds and how many is a mlow moter Th mixture New York is now U fs gas, much Hehter ti Cis alr satura sto give it lumin. | wh Guolities What We Are Supposed to Get. | The gas that New Yorkers are posed to get is pure hydrogen gay Ie wixteon times lighter than alr, rated with naphiha fumes to it pany maker it with part of th ® the cons overnor on the pipe be nd one placed es the meter ti sup which ue he i aa vam of tmueh earvicy The shaded part of ished at the actually dishonest instructions that are given to employees. | meters to be inspected and one match for each meter. They are instructed, by | 4 HIS picture of a gas jet shows how much ought to be the proportion of air in order to insure a good light. The shaded part of the cut indicates what experts say would be about the right proportion of air to that of the gas. ONE YEAR AGO. Hard coal....+.....75 percent. Fuel oil and coke... .25 per cent. FUEL OIL AND COKE, NOT HARD COAL, THE CHIEF MATERIAL IN MAKING GAS TO-DAY. Fuel oil and coke. ..75 per cent. Hard coal..........25 percent. COMPLAINTS SHOW HOW GAS TRUST ROBS ITS VICTIMS. There js no falling off in the number| has. of complaints against the Gas Trust sent to the Evening World. Here 4s a brand new lot of them: Oldn’t Use Gas, but Got Big Bill. To the Edllor of The Evening World: Since about the first day of November last we have not been burning any gas in Our store, using electric lights exclu- sively. The only place where gas 18 used, and then only on very rare occa- sions, is in the cellar, Yet our gas bill from the 234 day of December, 1902, to the 2d day of January, 1903, was $14.60, being more than twice the maount we ever paid wnile actually using gas and when not using electric lights at all This is on the store floor of 3 Bowery, where the offices of the C Bee Mransfer & Storage Company are jocated, ‘The writer lives on the first floor of the building, My bills there are now gut- rageously high, wath from $11 to $12 per month—three times the amount charged when( the rate r 1,000 cuble feet. 1 sha operate with (he Evening World” it thera ie any way of securing redress. JOHN J. Cun High Jumpers, Kaitor of the Evening World lip for Au nd you my gas gust In August 1p 7.80. the bill wast nf How is . APPEL. Oharged Rditor of the My last Octob 312.60. During November we burned electric Hghts dur- ing twenty-six days, wich meant twen- “five fewor ga ‘lights every night. vember Was $14.10, ong. Since the elec- en in use my gas bilis e been higher than they were the fore when I had no elective light. J, KELLER, No. $55 Spring street, Away from Home, for Gas, To the Editor of The Evening World: My wife and I Were away five weeks, turning on Jan. 10. I got’a bill on my rn for $1.70, Then ta bill for for January, Now 1 have received another bil for $3.30. On neighbor next door received a bill, yesterday for $8, and they oannot understand [tas their bill was formerly one-quarter that amount. T do not care to have you publish my name, as if they should see it in your paper they may turn off my gas. POR 2 OAS TR bat Charged The Byeniug Wor ny. das bills jumped from of $18 monthly ‘to $35. Upon my refusing to pay off. Gas being in my Dust- lo the bil ing out of or- f r ‘one Ingh of gas. hi War na fanit of miner set tire: calved an “estimated” bill ‘for $35, oF equal to the J had patd There bein I pal er in re- bill, at th ‘The lation company is certainly trust the thousands of ders will aid that » effort to compel the ar poration to deal with the long Kitfering puullc In an eaultable manner A CONSUMER, He Favors State Ownersh To the Rallor of the @vening World 1 have complaints to the Gas Trust on punt of high bills answer al sisi SIE you are fed with the bills then close the The only Way to get rid by State ownership. 1ENRY ABRA No, 148 Forsyth t, New York BIN Jumped from 85 to $21.80, To tho Baltor of the Rveving World 1 have 4 seven-room hou Bronx. Our gas bill for Novemb “0. In December it was 18,80, Feriary, when burning less gas, it was $2 {the trust is ay it or we Kk admitted imponal- purposes nd burned BN NG ow Wo are bu 3 APPR, No. 8a East One Mandred aie BSixty- fourrh gtreet They “Fixed” Him All Right, To the Wilton of The Bvening World: | Js a disgrace to New York and to the {administration that auch @ gas humbug gas was shut|™ the | it hope you will prevent these rab- beries. It will do a vast deal of good to the public, . Se Poor Gas Causes Ill Health. To the Editor of The Evening World: thine 1p te almost time for the Board of Health to, protect the people of Great- er New York from the one cern called the Congolidated G pany anere ie ne lt in the wee where people suffer more ingigeation. : peop! trom people think thelr sufferings of this Kind of disease ‘are the result. of too much tich food. But they do not understand t for @ good digestion of any kind of meal we need the purest alr, " Corrupt air causes pneumonia, rheumatism, typhoid, nervousness, asth- ma, catarrh, consumption, etc. If the Hiden iy of this city had better air they would be more successful in very complicated cases. In cold weather the people cannot open their windows, to let out the vapor of Impurity conducted by our poor gas, which this privileged robber gang takes high prices for. It is permitted to exist, It 100,000 inhapi- tants of our clty would co-operate and atablinh an association and each mem: ber would take a share of could have the best-orga: tion in this city, which would give pure gas, and cheaper gas, I am at any time willing, ¢ to do my duty in helping to destroy this trust, HARKIN, 119 Bast Bighty third: Street, Wants Fight Kept Up. To the Biltor of The Evening World: Your fight against the gas trust Is worthy of praise. Ki meee a it PP scurs Of Cours ™) the Editor of The Evening World: Jf this ie not robbery, what is an bi for December ‘wae. $0.50 january it was $48.90, as you will see by the Inclosed re celpied diile. ONE OF THE ROBBED, To the WAltor of The Bvening World By attached ap you will e nother money-@aving scheme of the United Electric Light and Power Company and also of the different gas companies who —_—_— Laundry Want: First-class abirt ea Bt, Denis & RE Malla, GARRY, + Detweon 108th_and 100th sta OPERATORS do mendis 186 wa yw. on wringer, Sterling Laundry, WANTED —Fir marching Brooklyn. family Ironer wo help on per week, 408 Atlanue ‘, experienced woman in laundry, By letter only, James A ~clasd waist and vest ironet, 52 B. 9th at, and collars ary, 2316 8th STAR! Hea io kay and 18 Concord Ley ‘Te, the stor of The Beening Wo World: Last ‘bill YOUR GAS IS MADE OF FUEL OIL, NOT HARD COAL, _ WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR POOR QUALITY AND HIGH BILLS DIAGRAMS SHOWING WHY THE PE OPLE OF NEW YORK ARE COMPELLED TO BUY BIG TANKS OF AIR AT A FABULOUS PRICE FROM THE GAS TRUST,|| SEND YOUR COMPLAINTS OF GAS EXTORTION TO THE EVENING WORLD. writer, not for publication un COST OF GAS FROM THE MAKER TO THE CONSUMER IN NEW YORK. COST OF MANUFACTURE—Including coal, fuel oil, coke, labor, sundries, repairs to manufacturing machinery, repairs to factory, repairs to tanks and required salaries, 26 cents per thousand feet. COST OF DISTRIBUTION—Including repairs to mains, services, meters and stoves, indexing, bookkeeping and collecting, expenses of general office, repairs to buildings not factories, meter ex- penses, and fixed charges on thousand feet. The Gas Trust says there are no complaints of over- charge from its victims. To refute this statement The Evening World will print all complaints sent to this office. Each communication must have name and address of the Write only on one side of the paper. COMPLETE TOTAL OF COST—47 cents per thousand feet. CHARGE TO CONSUMER—41 per thousand feet. NET AND ABSOLUTE’/PROFIT—53 cents per thousand feet. less desired. capital and bonds, 21 cents per adopted the @ame means of ool- their dille, They do not tena a cptieet for, but require you to eend a cortatniy. e reat annoyan in has been in the habit ‘of Teving nie wife pay aay ‘house ills to now take them mtown and send them through his office. M. NIXO: Fewer Lights but Higher Bills, ¥6.20, year it "Se complaints and the 0 t ford have shut off six” phase tore. “St Bast Broadway. Pays $2.40 Month for One Light. To the Biltor of The Ever ‘Wor! tt me down as one of the suf- fererave Buring the summer time when Are showing assortments , of Portieres, Screens, Point Laces, Colored Nets, Madras, WILL OFFER TUESDAY, March 3d. y | Was $4.10, and much higher than that Hangings and Furniture Coverings, Cretonnes, Couch and Table Covers, Lounging Cushions. Sash Curtain Materials, consisting of Embroidered Muslins, Filet and Fancy Fish Nets; Egyptian, Soutache, Cluny and Irish ening a gas stove of three burnens one light for ithe rooms my aera was $1.80, During January I used of ei roa ah Dill was $2.40. 7 is worse ing money ou! WOLF DA PoE) ‘Norfolk Street. 19) How Gas Was Oat Oot To the DAltor of The Evening World: My gas bill for September—October a of other tenants, although for five days Lik eped an ral eames ys False | i. I spoke to the superintendent, gue SL sPKetoutt mee haut Te Bu he sent the same index man to the ‘ho use. ‘What he reported at the office I don’t know, but my bill the next month = $4.10, I did not pay it and the; yout the meter. Lace Draperies, Fabrics for etc. Renaissance Lace Curtains, originally $17.50 pair, at $0.75 Silk Damask Portieres, corded, originally $22. 50 pair, at Fabrics for Hangings, Wall originally $1.25 to $4.00 per yard, Cushion Tops, French and English Cretonne, per yard, Originally 28c. to 45c. ; High-grade Printed Taffetas and Droguets 50 inches wide; originally $1.75 to $2.00 Also several hundred pairs of Lace Curtains, in 2 to pair lots at from $3.00 to 510.00 per pair, being ONE-THIRD Less than the original prices. MEN'S FURNISHING DEPARTMENT. (To left of Sixth Avenue Entrance.) Neckwear and Gloves, Colored and Dress Shirts, also new materials for Shirts Pajamas, Night Robes, Bath Gowns, Underwear, 4 Hosiery, etc, 12,50 | and Furniture Coverings, a 75c. and $1.90 Each, 28¢, and 68¢, 19c, and 25¢, per yard, at 95c. to measure, RON ER, Laundry. 49 ‘Was, LAUNT)URSs—A goed laundrem by the areck Cail 4 Gaye 1 Ave. B. ironere ean For TUESDAY and WEDNESDAY, March 3d& 4th: MEN'S HEAVY CAPE GLOVES, Tans and Red, per palr, MEN'S HALF-HOSE, of embroidered and striped lisle thread and cotton; regular price 50c, per pair, at | $1.85 per box of half dozen pairs, MEN'S FINE LISLE THREAD HALF HOSE with embroidery and vertical stripes; regular price 75¢, per pair, at 92.25 per box of half dozen pairs. 4 3.00 32c, Pairs | 42c, Pale, r pve out iwht when burned, Hydrogen i Its native stale burns with a blue 0 Ie RY Dae malar in @ hundred jamw, MOAaures Up. With great facil- rw and i» Worthless asm juminant ‘0 manufacture this kind of gas costs hat 1 fa" under big presau: 3% Beier | and # cents per Unousand Keoniumers must also ny pane burn niger that 0 > Weg ad AE a i am very glad to see vee taking VJ tie Oause of publ fas ile of t pave been a up k to a f 4 to La