The evening world. Newspaper, March 4, 1903, Page 2

ments in Support of The Evening d’s Fight at the Hearing Before the .. Cities Committees of the Two Houses on _ the Bills Looking Toward City Ownership of Gas Plants. Bills to Be Introduced Providing that a For- ' feiture of Charter Shall Follow Outrageous Violations of the Law by the Merciless ~ Combine Which Holds Up the Public. ; (Bpectal to The Evening World.) Jpsarry, March 4—New York members of the Legislature have become joroughly eroused over The Evening World's exposures of the extortions of hs Gas Trust. In order to afford relief to the people who are suffering from the tax conifitions applying to the supervision of the monopoly the Legis- | gature ‘winl be asked within @ few days to pass at least two drastic measures. The fifet will be to amend. that section of the charter of Greater New ‘Which restricts the power of the Commissioner having fn charge the of the quality of gas served. Under existing laws the quality of “Gari bo tested only at certain intervals. The amendment will make it ligatory upon the Commissioner of Water Supply, Gas and Dlectricity to ce analysis of the gas furnished by all the companies of New York at juent and regular intervals and to hold these companies to the provision their charters that requires them to furnish gas of a designated quality. ‘way of bringing companies that furnish inferior gas to book. The fine 0 4 for violations is so small and the number of violations required is $0 Out of proportion to the importance of the question that the law ts almost Ig the Commissioner is equipped with the power to go into any as Worke and make tests at any time—or to make tests of the gas eupplied Gugh any burner at any time—the effect will be that the companies will é Gompelied to furnish gas of good quality if the penalty imposed for “jwiblations {s sufficiently strong. “= Instead of the present fine of $100, it is proposed to make three suc- jive violatiéus of the law providing for the supply of gas of good quality juivalent to the forfeiture of the charter of the offending company. It is known in Albany that the only reason why the companies maintain -® semblance of separate existence is to protect the charters under which Another amondment to the charter is expected to provide for the inspec- of gas meters whenever such inspection is called for by a consumer. or Alexander has so few men working under him in New York that ough inspections were called for frequently he could not send men nd to Wo business. The amendment will increase his force to such an that if a consumer believes that he is being robbed he can, by send- ; An } to the office of Mr. Alexander, have a skilled man to look over his meter a few hours. ENSE NOW FALLS ON CONSUMER. At the present time the expense of inspecting a meter falls upoti the mer and ranges from 40 cents to $1. It is proposed to make the gas stand the expense of meter insepction. Anothor evil that is to be 1s the placing of incorrect meters, ' A gas meter costs the companies an average of $4.70. There is a great ‘de leather in {ts mechanism, and leather, under the influence of heat, And becomes stiff, like leather in an old boot. Thousands of meters New York have not been inspected for five years. The idea for relief is have metors taken care of at the expense of the gas companies, Probably the most important measure of reliet proposed is the Provision de: Whien a méter is read the man who reads it shall leave with the con- | |,#umer a copy of the record. This will enable consumers to go at once to Sy their meters and verify the readings of the gas indexer. Under prevalent » Sconditiens no gas user in a flat-house, whose meter is in the cellar, knows Wnen the man who computes his bill visits the house. The amendment Behm will not only furnish the consumer a check upon the reading his meter but will compel honest reading of the meter, Inspired by tho disclosure of existing conditions made by The. Bvening id the New York members of the legislature have concluded: to give it people pure gas and to make the gas companies charge only ‘for what pused. The gas companies have had a hand in the making of the charter, he | the only way to remedy conditions is to amend the charter, ‘ EGISLATURE IS AROUSED. _ Arguments in support of The Evening W by the Gas Trust's oppressive methods were we embly Cities Committees yesterday. Bs orld’s fight for fair treatment listened to by the Senate and ‘The occasion was the hearin; no Senator Dowling’s and on Assemblyman Edward A, Miller's bills mace *@ubmit to a yote in New York City the question of munic gas, electric light and street railway plants, valent omneranlp ist At the Assembly hearing Mr, Miller said: “The necessity for public Ownership of the gas and electric light plants is being demonstrated ever ur by the New York Evening World in its present crusade against nt Gas Trust. In every borough the cry B0es8 up that the corporations are tary, insolent, unfair, unjust and apparently incompetent,” “Mepresentative-Elect Robert Baker said; “For thirteen Years in Brook: lyn I have seen the price of gas maintained at an outrageously high fi “ip : E does not cost 35 cents a thousand to produce it, We have to vy ri he railway companies are just as oppressive.” sas | Bx-Assomblyman Bartley Wright made comparisons with the cit @ , which had established a municipal gas plant in 1869. Gas ik been $1.14 a thousand; to-day it Je 0 centa, / Michael Raphael, of the Central Federation o: that Jabor generally favored thu r Proposition, then ff Labor of Brooklyn, eferendum on the gas and elec tric The same speakers appeared before the Senate Com- _ oo $2 TATE TESTS GAS METERS _ ON TRUST'S OWN PROVERS, BOP Evening World reporter was con- room, which |s usual Rated thifough tne meter department of | ive or elghty degrees, PConpolideied Gas Company at Twen-| How Meters Are PAA wtree: and yiret avenue to-duy| 2" ,Sennecting ‘the dere J Into ihe mysiories of metre Beet 8 vat ‘Phi is What he Jearnea |rrover fs allo ¥ about seventy Provea or by with the prover the the alr chamber of the under a« #eventeenth. Mag Provers, which is the name) '°Mthe pressure to pass through the ne by which a moter meter, This pressire, it wae explained enmloyed to determina! # Ofsthe same degreo maintained in ts Ep meter leaks, runs slow or|°MPAN»"s mains. The reporter observed or runs not a ail, | at all of the provers were Bauked a ye raied by alr and wat | Bis identical pressure and that no pros eins employed to buoy up| ‘#00 Was made for the testing of uny alr] ers nt w Highor pressure. - oe contains mah thi Stationed in the repair shop or meter ISLATURE TO CUT SHORT GAS TRU AND SAVE THE P ROBERT GRIER MONROE, WHO CAN IMPROVE QUALITY OF OUR GAS. Robert Grier Monroe, Commissioner of Water Supply, Gas and Elec- tricity, calary $7,000 a year; appropriation asked for his department this year, $5,069,613.58, Duties include directing his employees to inspect the illuminating gas of every company at least twice a year; gas may be inspected as frequently as the Commissioner may think best, not oftener than once a week. Statute provides that when gas illumination shall not comply with the reasonable and proper standard of purity as fixed by the Commissioner a fine of $100 shall be paid by such company to the city, Commissioner Monroe says: “I have found few violations of statute; I have no jurisdiction over gas meters; gas In New York is generally up to the standard by which we are directed to measure.” of that particular meter and causes tt to be tested. It is carried to the proving bench and there attached to the prover. ‘The meter may be Fee ap fast, slow or otherwise defective. It ls the busl- ness of the prover to determine just what is the matter. When the trouble is remedied the State Inspector causes a Dray ahest tag to be soldered to the meter indicating that It has been duly thapected and tested by a State oficial. Tt Is then registered In a book and sent back to the premises from which It was aken, It In the Company's Prover. But the fact remains that the meter, a8 well as the soveral hundred thousand meters Inspected in like fshion by. the Btate Inspectors, had been tested by a proving machine owned by the gas com- pany and kept under the absolute con- trol of the company. ‘Then, too, the employees of the com- pany, had done the testing, sometimes in the presence of the Inspector and sometimes when the Inspector was not resent. It Is through the courtesy of ihe gas company also that the testing of meters for the State officials fs per- ited. ‘The State Inspectors have no Independent means of ascertaining Whether or not a meter 1s absolutely re- supervise the tests of meters complained of to the inspection bureau, but also all meters made for the gas co! 8 an discovered by the companies’ agents to bevdefective in some particulae. When méters are reported to be slow or such condition is revealed in the bills of the conaumer that meter {s at once taken the company without the con- 's request and brougnt to the re- hops. ‘The company is always t to discover a slow meter and tout, but when the consumer com- Dro aul plaing that his meter 1s fast and insists that the company furnish another meter ie he receives litt attention. There is money to be coined by putting in fast metres, but the slow ones, ich are not thé rule by any means, always re- celve Immediate attention, They Find Slow Meters, Slow meters mean 4 saving to the con- simer, ‘Thus the slow meter ta bound 9 be detected through the medium of the “business office of the company, where bills are compared regularly. If there (s # falling off in the amount of he billy from any partle consumer (howe "bilia-are 1ald aside, for reference, si tavestigation follows. If the report | of that. Inspection evidences that the | Hable, ‘They must depend upon the plant] consumer js using as much gas as usual of the gus company, Tho Inapectors| while the bills show, a discrepancy the Must take the results as shown by the] cause ts at once attributed to the metre it s promptly hauled out, another su company's perso: stituted and the auspicious metre sent wned prover. In- Spector Brady, w nducted the re- porter over the p o-da! id that. “hospital. ere it is doctored RumMolent iuaranten was furmeshed be-| {ty to sult the, requirements and when cause the company testod Its own me-|{t'{y reinstalled that meter ts bound to ters on the very provers used by the] fn all expectations of the company. State Inspectors, The Mills @oon resume the former Not only Is the inspector eequired tol qgures, | proposition had been made in good faith And that he would not only bulld boats but plenty of them and fast ones, which | would turnin S splendid serv ot the franchise, i Atbere P. Boardman, of Tracy, Boar¢ —— man & Platt, Fepresenting, che ialtimare t Irate Staten Islanders, Many of | Them Women, Appear Before Sinking Fund Commission to Fight Mr. Hawkes’s Plan. led boats could ‘be built. | y don't you setle this whole af- fair by giving. a commutation rate at once?” asked Comptroller Grout, “We are willing to reduce the fare to three cents just as soon aw the ferry, becomes self-supporting.” declared Mi Boardman. "We now loging tho sands of dollars a year even at the pre ent rate.’ ‘The Comptrolle: question was cheered to the echo, while Mr, Board- man's answer was liughed at derislvely by the Staten Islanders. Lawyer Clarke Hissed. Lester W. Clarkes counsel for the Staten Island Traneft Company, nexxt addressed the Comméssion. He de- clared that the propo@ition of the Rogers Interests were calculated to create a monopoly of the transit facil- ities of the island to the detriment of the steam road interests. Groans and hisses greeted Mr, Clarke's next state- me “There hag not been a public meeting of protest held on the fsiand, that Is worthy of the name," he sald. ‘These IRialed massmectings have been ‘fixed all by H. MH. MIGHTY PROTEST ‘MADE. Delayed from half ar hour to an hour by the fog which enshrouded the uppsr bay to-day, the Staten Isanders who are opposed to the plan of Dock Com< missioner Hawkes to renew the ferry franchise of the Staten Island Rapid Transit Company were in fighting trim when they appeared before the Sinking Fund Commission at the resumed hear- ing on the franchise They were prepared to register their disapproval effectively, when the Mayor a need that the commission was ready to hear the protestants. There were fully two hundred Staten Island= ers present, many of them women, who indignant manipulated BROKE HER JAW, Because his flancee’s ball dress waz not Mniehed at the time promised Jobn Filee, a steamfitter, of No. 299 Eaat Fit- ty-fourth street, lost his temper and struck the disappointing tallor's wife In 6 face, breaking her jaw. Flee was rested and held in $1,000 ball for ex- amination to-morrow. are equally over the ex- pressed determination of the Deck Gom- missioner to renew the franchise on practically the old ternis £. J. Wheeler presented a resolution Which he read. It wan adopted at a mass-meoting of residents of Staten Isl- and, held last night at St. George. Tho resolution Was strongly condemnatory of the avowed purpose of the Dock Com- inissioner to ‘folst the old ferry Le@Q, MWD gh people of Biaten Island for the twenty-five years—the | Miss Annie @cott, the flancee In ques- proposed of ‘the franchise. tion, had intended to accompany Fhee P. Doyle, representing the Third |{o @ bail last night and had ordered a Ward Citlaens’ Association of Staten | Kw for the ocoasion from Jacob Kata, Island. presented an address #igned by | a ladies taflor, of No, 688 Third avenue. 125 prominent men of the (vland who ex-| The gown was to have been finished pressed thelr approval of (ie Doek Com- erday afternoon, It was not and missioner's plan. early last ng Mied Bott a at Fl a had a personal axe to gtind. The ball unless she ot it, He went, with ut the result stated, sald, were ne employed MH Rogers or int ated in pri propowed now terminals, in unproductive propel ——$——— AVPRECIATION PHO NOBILITY, of the Island 1y has and is now] Sie dole Tyler, M. Dy Commends yailroud ines fe i. in doourtmont are The provers used by the company also the means employed ne falne| WF ‘the Stale inspevtora to arrive at re init KY of gom-|ouite When a meter is complained of dhe | eof Abby @ conbumer it le broumhe to tne sho lh ¢ roe walure Of water ond room jn which the be identical, A e ty Ms a thé Complaint has ‘oer the me ‘0 Pate Gas Metay| . id Dove. aod Kveryday as trolley roads owned Rogers hover can) chevalier J. P. Spanier, write: alve. . thaly send me Borough President Cromwell spoke in bi favar pf the Dock Oormmi: "a plan. "Bat" he sald, "Tam hn Pany for eur ood plan which can secure Fact a, i A wi aS aa EE a orm of input hi card 1 ingles. Be a d|Hopes to See Trusts Abolished. $3.00, and of this I did not complain, IMPROVE QUALITY OF GAS, To the Editor of The Evening World: I am very glad that you are giving so much space to’ the poor quality of gas and excessive bills now furnished to the consumers of this city. Nothing but PUBLICITY will give relief. Keep up the agitation. I have written to Commissioner Robert Grier Monroe, calling his official attention to the low grade of gas furnished last evening in West One Hundred and Sixth street, where I live. Let others write. There is a standard for the light-giving quality of gas regulated by city ordinance and contained in the companies’ charters. It is the duty of. the Commissioner of the Department of Water, Gas and Electricity to see that the quality and standard of the gas are main- tained. : More and more PUBLICITY and the Commissioner must act and the companies must heed. Yours truly, PUBLICITY. (Name and address inclosed.) SEND YOUR COMPLAINTS OF GAS EXTORTION TO THE EVENING WORLD. 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 ‘writer, not for publication unless desired. Write only on one side of the paper. DETAILS OF GAS ROBBERY BY VICTIMS OF THE TRUST. was practically one concern, they would not change any more meters. My Oill for January this year was $2 more then for January, 1902. H. B,, Third avenue, There ts no falling off tn the com- plaints against the Gas Trust sent to The Evening World. Some of them read as follows: Bronx, To the Editor cf The Evening World: My gas bills are higher than ever. In December of last year my Dill was $1.80. In January jt was $2.20, and in February it was $2.50. I hope to see the day when the trust companies are demolished. MRS. BROCK. /Her Bll More Than Doubled, To the Editor of The Evealng World: I have dealt with the Consolidated Gas Company for twenty-nine years, When gas was $2.25 per 1,000 cudle feet, in the old days, my bills ran from $1.75 to $2 per month, and then I used to have more lights going. The last two months my gfs bills I cannot understand. From Dec. 17 to Jan. 17 my Dill was Burns O11, but Gas Bills Go Up. To the Editor of The Evening World: T am one of the victims of the Gas Trust. To show you the way I am having it rubbed into me I have in- closed some of my gas bills. You will see that my bill for De-ember was $2.10 and for January $3.60, and I did not burn any more lights In January than I did in December. I then came to the conclusion to use as little gas as poss!- ble, and burned oll lamps most of the time, when to my astonishment I re- celved a bill for $4.70. Now, this ts be- yond all reason, as I never burned more than two lights a night. I know full well that it won't do me any good to go and complain, as the company will tell me the same as it has my friends—"Pay or we will take but from Jan. 17 to Feb. 17 I recelved a@ bill for and I stopped cooking with gas the last month. I complained to the superintendent at No, 4 Irving place, but go no satisfaction J. M. “| Grow Hair In One Night.” Famous Doctor-Chemist Has Discovered a Secret Compound That Grows Ha't on Any Bald Head. Here Is Proof of Trust. ‘To the Editor of The Evening World: I see in The Evening World that Sec- retary Robert A. Carter, of the Consoll- dated Gas Company, denies that there is any affillation between the different gas companies, but I think the fol- lowing will prove that there Is some kind of an agreement between them. In the month of May, 190%, I moved to my present place of abode, and 4 found a meter belopging to the Central Union Gas Company connected . with the pipe which suppites my rooms, 4 went to the office of the Standard Gas Company and 1 told’ them I wanted a meter connevied, They sent oné of their men with the meter, and when he saw that a meter belonging to the Central Unton was supplying my rooms he re- fused to touch Jt, telling me that one company never set a meter where one belonging to the other company was already connected. 1 then asked him why that was, and he sald that, as it STILL UNKHOW Police Have Not Yet Learned Who Threw the Brick Which Caused the Death of Mrs. Samuels. His Startling Announcement, Accom- panied by Absolute Proof of Won- derful Cures, Causes Doctors to Marvel and Stand Dumfounded. The Discoverer Seads Free Trial Packages to All Who Write, After half a century spent in the Iabora- tory, crowned with high honors for his many world-famous discoveries, the cele- Grows Halr ta a Single Nigh! brated physiclan-chemist at the head of the great Altenhelm Medical Dispensary has Just made the startling announcement that he has produced a compound that grow hair on any bald he doctor mak the claim that after experiments taking years to complete he has at last re the goal of his ambition. To the dootor all heads are alike, Thore are none which can- not be cured by this remarkable remedy, The record of the cures already made ts truly mary thi high standi 6 great pl the convincing teetimony of thousa oltizens all over the country, i woul oo miraculous to be true, doubt of the doctor f, SUSPECT BART CLEARED. The murder of Mrs, Dora Samuels, forty years old, of No, 335 East Tenth sireot, who was struck on the head with & brick on Saturday last while watch- ing Aliss Phoebe Myerowlts loave her home at No, %9 Kast Tenia atreet to be married, remains 1»: “lyed. The police of the Union Market 6ta- tlon ‘arrested Peter thirt years old, of No. 10 Mast ‘Thirteenth sireet, on susplelon of having thrown the brick, It was suspected that Bart was chasing & pigeon Over the root of the house where the bride lived and threw the brick at the bird, Bart in- diated that he was not on the roof, Doteotives Donnely and Stevens, who have been on the case, reported to Dugivirate Flanimer in the Essex Market Court to-day that they had in- Vveotigated Rar story and were satis. fled that hé was not en the roof at the time the brick was thrown, Bart wae discharged, Cough Breaks boy's Les, 324 Time. iaticrciae ts sie at NAG, —YRANCIS, fon of Mr, and vr ae ES Sek There can be carnesinens in making bis claims, bis cures be disputed. Ho creer or aend to tak if any word for i ; Yroo! telat t thie wag to send Hyd ial PAsKAgeS of Hale ir restorative to any one who writ) ethan tor ti ouine & Scent stamp Co Hf HO Matter what the m you Bo Preah ST ROBBERY UBLIC FROM FURTHER EXTORTION, out the méter. I hope this will find room In your most valuable paper. H. SCHILLER, No. 720 President street, Brooklyn. Went from 86 to $14, To the Editor of The ivening World: I am another of the many victims of the gas extortion whioh has been in very active operation during the past three months. My bills heretofore were! batween $4 and $4, but for the last three months have advanced unt!l the last one was an even $14. It is not Posaible for consumption of gas to in- crease in such degree and there ‘s no other solution than that the Gas Trust is using some dishonest means to make the meters register something besides 5 W. B. BEACH, No. 169 West Ninsty-firet street. $10 a Month for Two Lights. ‘To the Editor of The Evening World: Two years ago my gas pill averaged $10 @ month for twenty lights (1 have & clgar store), which I thought was too much, #o I changed to electricity, and used only two Mghts; but my bills now @re never Jess than §3 and run to 70. I notified the State Gas Inspector, who examined my meter, and he said: it was fast, and the Consolidated Gas Company allowed me the enormous sum of $3.4 for two years’ overcharge. After making numerous complaints the best I could get from the gas company was: “If you don’t like our gas, go to another company.” These are facts which I can prove by their bills. ABE BREEDER, No. 442 Eighth avenue. Make the Meters Legible, To the Editor of The Evening World: If a law fs to be enacted to check the {mposition of the gas companies permit me to suggest two other provisions for consideration: First—That plain tndicators be placed on the meters to enable every one to understand them—such as are now in CHOCOLATE MOLASSES We will deliver any or all of the above specials at the fol- lowing rates : 100 ¥ 150 No goods went . ume on the water meters fr many cities, Becond—That a statement of the num- der of feet of gas consumed be lett with the householder at the titae the record of the meter is taken, to enable con- jumers to verify thelr bills. a phat Aa JEPFPRSONIAN. ESTABLISHED OVER 25 YEARS. N.S.BRANN, MANUFACTURING JEWELLER, 231 Eighth Ave., 48 & 22d Sts. OPEN EVENINGS. U4 kurat aoltd gold, Sainned, gold, 16 and 18 kt 20! ond old Wedding Ringa,|Ri: is $2.75 up. Handsome 14-Kt, Case. 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OL Laundry Wants—Femal PIL laundry ironer walled, “Kureka Laundry, 106 Wea Sith snily ironer. i ‘TED—At Rurekt Laundry, 106 Weat ‘Sach firat-class marker and apsorter; male oF female WANTED—Two ‘expert body Tronera on” m male or fymale, eteady work 3, Military to Oaat. Thos. M Int, N.Y on” ana experience’ car aie rf operaior on bosom crore tha che do neckbands. Apply at, ohen, nt Laundry, 428 'Clascon ave., ve FAMILY IRONER: frst clini. Nottage be and Pete WANTED—AT oollay adit ahift (Foaon Maiealatal vy. Mottord's Laundry, 850 Sih aye, Neuen ond 2818 EXPORIDNCED filly iroder, AdelpS! LRMMGry aT De ‘Brook De Kalb ave. ‘OLASS shirt starchers ply Columbia Bléam Law FOLDERS, tendo re alee Launhiy. of Wt. ikl WANTED 40 welp and be waatal Tw rs wiek eye. ii clans family it ie “S$ a MPN Af wARKER oi emorar wane oor W. j (