New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-03

count oil the analrs OF THIS company lOr one year,
from LIST February, ls45, to Feb /, ls49, an alb
stract Of which, sufficient for the purpose follows;
STATEMENT OF PROFITS.
From Gas. -~'"'" &47l5 Il IL Labor, msE'sgss
' ters ........ I'll 9.8 office expenseselolo os
Gas ftilngs.... Hl9 ! Gosl..:.i:: l,535 10
EXteudg works. 80
Profits OF l848.... l,59l IL
ToaI.........& $3.50 Is 81 Total. 10
COST OF GAS SOLD FOa 1913. VIZ:
BLISS IL cost Of Raw Material
SS a:, ae ri i, tS35SSfiejRSE
nearly ............ As. O.d.
As IS cost Of coal for fuel
for furnaces, per
1000 feet..........ls. 6d.-js.6kd.
9e7 7 3 labor ofmsking Gas.
salaries and Offices
expenses, pr 10000
1870 90 81 6 cost OF Lime, nearyos- 2d-7s Sd.
Il Prem on Exchange change nearly %. 3D.
l66 % "a Commission.
572 10 cost Tor repairs of Works, nearly 2s Oid
as cost extending Works, nearly ........ I'D
Total cost Of Gas per 1000 feet (s2 TO- Or27
cents per gg iee H. 200 fee; - nroGt ~ o'
ward dividend of less than l-l6th per
cent on capital Of AZ O0O................ IS. It'd
TOTAL ..,........................l7s.l 3D.
TIE dividend for lS40 was per cent on capital Of
&20OO0 1000
Earned from the following sources Of evenue:
consumers over .,......s4 "a per cent $50 IA
From Intel meters about lilo I'll SO
From Coke Coal Tar ana
Lime, about......-....... S-iO - ol3 II
From Gas Fittings, about. 7-lo - u 10
Profits for ls4a were: 7 1916 I56lI4e
Amount taken from the prof
It's of the previous year 10
make up dividend Of
ahont
8per .&l6OO
From this statement it Will be seen that while
the raw material (coal) cost but IL, 1875 lSs sd
lS4,5i3 7O) the other expenses were t2 623 IS. I'd
(SlO492 Az or more than two.thrds OF the whole
cost of manufacture. This on a full examination,
will be found to be the case with every company,
whether located here or elsewhere
The increased price of labor here over it in Eng
land might have been noticed by your Committee
more fully than il has been, for it is well known
that labor in America receives nearer its just re-
ward than in any part of the world. There the
laborer tolls in the works in his different capacity,
for from TO three shillngs perday, earning bat
q scanty subsistence for himself and his family.
Here he receives from one dollar TO two dollars for
the same time and is enabled 10 enjoy with others
some of the Injuries Of life. This difference, if
properly estimated, and allowing the whole TWEEN
ty.tour hours, day and night, for year, would Of
itself materially iaugment the cost of gas But they
believe they have sufficiently sho wn that the cost
oil gas depends as well on the cost OF the raw ma
terial as on variety of circumstances herein no.
ticed-that the public lamps are lighted in no place
in this country as cheaply as they in this city
and that the private consumer is furnished with
gas as low If all circumstances are duly consider
ed. as in any other place in the United States,
while the article supplied is superior, on the aver
age, 20 all.
Both ofthe companies have, so far as your Com.
mittee have ascertained conducted their estab
hshments with aview to the accommodation of the
public as well as of private consumers, and have,
whenever the circumstances of the Increased sale
Of their gas would allow il, reduc d its price.
They have each recently reduced the price of
their gas from 40 to IS cents per 100 cubic feet to
private consumers, and as soon as the increased
consumption, together with the interest of the
shareholders, will admit 1t, they intend to make
further reduction thereof
During the previous year the New York Com.
pany suffered by an accident TO their works in
Canal-st by fire. which limited the amount of
their gas, and complaints were made OF the fail
ure Of gas by numerous persons, but so far as
your Committee have ascertained, the crcum.
stance OF this occurrence was beyond their
control.
Immediately thereafter they removed TO their
new and present works at the foot OF Twenty
third-st East River aud changed the material Of
their manufacture from resin 10 coal. In doing
this there were material hlndrances and failures
oftentmes of gas, but since they have been fully
under way they believe that no complaint, either
in respect to the quantity or quality OF gas, has
been made.
BY the recent contract with the Manhattan
Company they are compelled to lay down in such
streets as shall be directed by the Common Coun.
Gil, independently Of the mains they may lay
otherwise, at least $4,000 worth Of mains. I'M
der this provision the streets in the upper portion
OF the City have been rapidly lighted with gas,
and that company now light about 3,765 public
lamps north of Grand st.
The present contract Of the lower or New-York
Company, is now, aud has been, less favorable
than the upper. or Manhattan. They receive for
each public lamp lighted by them the same as the
cost of each oil lamp. This Of course varies with
the price u oil. The average price of the oil
lamps has been about from sll and sla This
includes cleaning lighting and extinguishing. and
the company usually lose large amount from