New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-30
Dishonest Where is our protection We 90 me-
believe that one man in thousand ever looks at his

dishonest here "a our pfoTcaiou'
believe that one man in thousand ever looks at MS
meter; lor that TO most the Inspection, II MADE
would communicate much information. Some OIL
us psy for the green tin case standing in our cell
lsrs; but how many Of us comprehend its mocha
nim or numerat,on' Then, again there are very
grave doubts whether ii is possible to measure the
flow Of gas with precision at all. These douo"
were freely expressed before Committee OF Tue
House OF Commons, BY scientific men, lo' man!
years ago. Again, whether your meter be 10 order
or out of order is question which, from the inge-
NOUS construction and highly secret nature OF that
continuance, il is impossible for you TO determine
ar for any body to determine for you. The colnpa-
ny, which has no confidence in your honesty, places
implicit faith in the green Tin box, probably be-
cause. if il should make mistakes they would be in
favor of the corporation. Clocks get out OF order;
Why not meteIs1 We DO lot suppose that the by
draulc clocks Of the ancients measured time with
tie accuracy Of chronometer; and yet we expect
meter TO measure gas by water with the mathe-
matical precision of patent lever watch.
We admit that this is difficult matter to adjust.
w
doub.edly check upon the consumer. That's, it
is so unless he finds after some experience las
some have done) that the more prudent he has
been the greater is his monthly bill. In such case
he usually resorts to series of reckless aud waste
f experiments lighting all the burners in his house
aud keeping them burning nearly all night. At the
eud of month of this indignant illumination, upon
the rendering of the BILL some people profess that
their prodigality has saved money for them, or at
any rate has not lost any for them.
If the Gas Companies are Of great benefit TO the
public SO the public is Of great benefit to the Gas
Companies. The least therefore, which We have
right TO expect from them Is ciyilty. If they can
not measure their goods with the correctness eN-
hibited by grocers aud butchers and other trades
men. LET them at least be generous enough TO nyes-
tgate causes of complaint If a man says civilly,
as man recently did in the Brooklyn Gas Office,
" Sir, last month my bill was SO 20. thought
" that sum too large for my small family. had
been using six burners: at once cut of three of
Z" them. Now you have sent TO me blu for the
- same period Of time larger BY 2 than the last
and if man politely asks some explanation of thus
pecuniary and gaseous phenomenon, why should
the clerk in attendance be seized with sudden
deafness and the most decided dumbness and the
most intense abstraction Why should he not re-
ceive, why should not the Company consider the
suggestion, that there may possibly be screw
loose in the metcr1 The gentleman Aforesaid
writes to us that as the evening shades were be-
ginning to prevail, and as he had the fear OF the
man with the instruments before him, he paid his
bill and departed, albeit he was certain that he
could have kept Wax candles burning night and
day in every room in his house during the month at
a less expense.
The English Parliament has been compelled re-
peatedly to interfere with the LoIdon Gas Com
panies, although there they are not the monopolies
which they are with us We notice that Com
mttee of the State Senate has been appointed to in
yestigate the matter We are not informed what
will be the character and scope Of its deliberations;
but while the Legislature is about it. it might as
well make thorough work of the whole subject of
meters, monopoles, the quality of gas, and the
price of IT,