The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-09-12

c lamps on terms that may be injurious the pubic
snS his a he ss
former contracts was Illegal and UTMOST TO the ctyeus
may 30 able wen for lime e stay 20 hsavy expend
TO the oppressed and overtaxed rae payers
In the HEaALD Of Friday. January 70, 1895. under
vigorous Protest OF Comptrcsr Brennan Against the
Termination OF the Present COZ tracts"How the CIIy
Comptroller Refuses % uyssce''-.The Law and Tho
Facts OF the Mater we published Mr. Brennans
adopted BY tho Common Council on the Goth day Of
Decembe., 1854 These resolutions, which are ss FOL.
lows snd ss we're 81 y tho Mayer r., on the day
tracts then exist ny al an end:-
a., as a s ssS ss s, " q
sal ep Il or cS vs. sSa q h.
AZ mil aa s' q s s gas shall
@ ss q s e s 40 Ss 70 S
eonilscs and lie same shall cease determine and BE- aSso
& r an sna o cay ns Ss II. q d 20
suncr; be II further wi
M s ' .a o. sas s
g law proceed 70 nsfs or c9n'rse.s
q ne various districts Or the with and ting % Tie
anry isa 0' INC s''a o. que year ir0 TIE IAN o.
nr Brennan goes the history of the contracts at
considerable length. The contract with the Manhattan
Company enabled the Corporation TO light all the amps
in the district TO which the contract applied at frac
on half cent per hour for each lamp and by the
contract The Corporation would have enjoyed this right
tall the lst OF May 1868. Mr. Brennan says.'ihe
utons Of the Common Council without any considera-
on reason-for expressed, pretended
10 exis--snrfendcrs aud gves up 70 the company this
obligation; proposes 70 forfeit All the benefits and sdsan
ales acquired by the contract, aud which
time long and practically surenders all the interest
of the city TO the company, authorzin y TO charge
competition, there can be none, under the proposed
arrangement The company, for augnt TINT appears
| to che contrary, or can be urged IN opposition,
may charge ten times or hundred tines az
much present, aud thus saddle the city with bur
dens and increase OF taxation 10 corresponding
tent" Mr. Brennan denonlses the measure, as pub
lie wrong, aud as against public policy and sayawhat
every person knows TO be ruethat 1t is not dictated
by that regard Tor the interest OF tho city
which should influence municipal rulers
The abolition OF the contract was effected WITH.
cut consideration. II was hurried through at the
end of the year when business is often transacted
goto and not n detail Mr. brennan thinks that the
proceeding was Illegal, and thai every dollar added
the taxation of the city by any such act dollar pro-
to DO taken from the pockets of the people unusly
aud illegally. He believes that our gas companies
monopoios, having the exclusive control OF the
business Of furnishing people vhe necessity; that
they have exacied, and exacting, their terms;
thar The complaints OF people against this monopoly
have not been received with any great favor bcraity
that stockholders reaped enormous gains. aud
that the people bavo no. prospcred by any correspond
ing berality from then virtual masters Tic anhran
capital now is So 0000 The reqirs tha, ali bids
for contracts shah be opened The presence Of tie
Comptroller, and in this instance sr iirennap refused TO
he present at any such bids or TO recognize them in any
r)annef
The power thus placed in the hands Of the company
ingy find them doing The cessation OF the contract
gave Them the cppofiunity, but the public spoke out
against the act which neither just honorable,
considering the large amount Of patronage the companies
had received from tho cItizonl.
A Householder wrote to US N the month Of june
1860, complaining Of the impositions Of the ras COM
paniea lie stated Last year commenced using gas
ing The price CHARGED Tor the fIet Iew months was at
tho ratio Of twenty-five cents xer 100 feet In the TALL
without any notice tnsy pat = Gp ". and
last Ny bill for the mouth past May has jnss been
sent 10 for pay ment IN which the price Is twenty eight
cents, The following printed notice attached TO it,
'Notcc.-The consumers OF the Metropolitan Gaslight
eompany'-a little knowledge of grammar and the rules
of composition would do the managers Of the company
no harm; any number Of consumers would not be
able TO 'bot" the Me,ropoap Gasllgbt. Com
June the proc of gas will he trtytwo cents per 100
cubic feet, with the government tax added thereto i"
why should that tax added3 Is no, upon tho
profits Of the Company and why should they charge the
public what they themselves are legally and honoaby
pay the amounts OF your ,uco@e tax B The e,,er Of
'Househoider goes ON to say THE price OF coal and
| TALLY reduced and yet the companies keep increasing
without limit II their demands not complied With
they refuse TO furnish he light and cut or your supply
nj once Is there Legal remedy, must be Gccced
jus, they plcasef u seems to me- adds the hopeful
Nous holder -"that Common Council ought 10
| nouopones and thor growing impositons." Tho Com
mon Council, indeed Why, they do nothing but per
petrato the most notorious jobs They DO not care tor
The interests or th6ctizcns II they did should
have to complain Of this gas monopoly.
These etsc and stat mcns Indicatod how The public
felt on tins ques ion. Day by day, and week by week.
disconcni and dissatisfaction with the rocecdn aud
| conduct OF the gas companies became greater and
greater. public meeting held N the hall Of the
Citizens Association, No sla broadway, the evening
s ssr.ss sdsr y ;ssn sIa
pend gas companies for tho illumination OF their
stores aud dwellings may be remedicd. From informa
in tho State Of New York aono hundred and forty
eas manufacturing cempsn,es with vested capital,
the aggregate, Of s24,o000o0 The average profit is
thirty per cent $1,000 00O In round numbers This is
an enormous pronf, u the figures DO correct II II has
been aseetainsa that The advantages are 50 largely
Citizens NJ. s'i sssmssp's, vhs avs 20 ne
soPer.iisn al,oss'Dsr out 2 ia question,
CIVIC anairsnake effort 70 lake The msauiacturc Of
gas into their own hand.s Al The meeting to which
TO the Legislature for redress ~ sns deemed in-
perayey necessary for the protection OF the interests OF
the general rubic We have never heard thai the ie
rsaue has done anything 70 stop the monopoly though
proposed 10 deal with other phases Of the Gas question
The monopoly st continues the complaints Of the pub
Though COMMITTEES Of Ave appointed At the meeting
70 prepare an address, ssnbodyng statement d the
The sas companies aud draw up consultation and by
laws Tor Gas Consumers Protective the pub
I've have not enjoyed their expected escape from the
On NE evening on which tho above meeting was held
We o. sSosyn met n he Institute % can,ze
operate wiah similar CARNATIONS IN other parts OF iho
state Ia promoting the passage Of &C, ofhe Legsla
! following important resolutions wore adopted;--
Rcs,lvsd Thai Tho msnufsc,ure and supply Or hsisg
virtual monopoly and, therefore, incapable private
petition. UNJUST "a well ncxpedep that should be
mads the oocas,cn % lrvrdrately eprohng individuals.
Hesved That Dividends q roas 10 sscethoders y any
afs state should per crnf
psr snnsp, and hat eli prols beyond i- Asohn and
reasonable contingencies should b. divided among
| 4. a
Resolvsd, That the capital scck " every company
this state should he rfcsenei their boots
In fact OF the scs co@ value OF helr works and The
c.pal required 70 operate them snd a. ~ iamp's "
then works and dividend. .okholdrrs fraud uloe
| the community aud shouid be prohibited BY law
Received That the frequent ruhaon % tho sdalrs n
every sonlsny In this thu public ard
| should bc secured b. law
Resolved That all existing aas companies organized under
special charters shoud b. plcd their
organize uadcr The general law and thai should -
established n Albany under As charge Of The Comptroller
oact proper onccf " he state have ,he general
F.un of Ill he companies. with fl powers
luo her Affairs. cores hrr abuses aud promote thes
4 enN ency.
/ Those we're imror,an, resolutions Soon after thor
hsd been passed the Gas Consumers Association, tho