New-York tribune., 1869-03-05
THE GAS INVESTIGATION.
THIRD DAY-coMrLAINrs OF CITIZENS, ETC


The Assembly Committee yesterday con-
tnued their investigation into the workings OF the Gas
Companies of this city and Brooklyn The session was
held at the st. Nicholas Hotel James ~ Halsed of
the directors Of the Harlem Gas Company testified that
he was one OF tho Financial Committee, and that the
vouchers OF passed through his hands In
every month He could give the total receipts Of the
prOht OF between ii and IL per cent on the years bust
ness The actual cost OF gas was 81 80 per 1000 feet
impression was that cent had been the usual div
cent, five per cent seminnual They reduced the price
from TO " 30 on the LIST OF january Their capital was
81 000 O0 but what the original Investment he did
not know. The stock has considerably increased IN
value. At the last SALE the stock swas valued at $685. the
padup value Of the being $50 Property purchased
by tho Company years ago, was worth double what it
was at the time OF purchase.
Charles Roome. President OF the Manhattan Gas Light
Company in his testimony said lie became President In
1854 he had however been connected with the Company
for period OF 80 years the company gave UP the ehar
ter years they were governed by the general law,
special act for tile regulation of gas companies Ihey dd
not charge for rent Of meters Every meter IN use
ply any persons with who applied hut thry were not
compelled 10y law To trust them. They could cut on tho
Inspector For 1865 he did not remember how often tue
dividends were declared There was no regularity with
respect To this out of 220 pounds "f the ordinary coal
used 10y them. 0OOO cubic feet o gas were produced
They charged So 1000 fee that was fair profit They
supplied tho city with gs aud charged i53 year 1or
lamps When the Legislature passed law for stopping
rent for the meters they raised the price of gas The
Charman-IIa Have the stockholders received any dvi-
dend or profit other than that issued sem.arnualy
OF Indebtedness to the s,Ockholders at the rate Of
ABOUT onehalf the capital stock. The shares were go
each The dividend Of 2l per cent last year Oh the
AoO0OO amounting to SOcUO In addition 10 which they
paid seven per cent on the ccrtlnche oi ld.oeuhss
ISlHOM0, They had no privilege which excluded either
Companies from making gas IN tis district. Inc manu-
facture Of more expensive now tha prior 10 o
war owing the increased Of charges for materials
used. The law compelled them 10 supply every hppltAnt,
aud that their reason for getting security III the snpe
Il.Np mai
Their deposits t2O0OOO II CONSUMERS refused 10
gave a deposit they refused the supply; - -.
Charnnu-Cau you explain Why IN frequent, cases
where gas but little burned that bills were higherf
Mines hnd heard Of such cuu plaIus, but lie
saw a Gas bin vet that was not high when meters
ceased 10 register IL difficult To tell To whom the
bcneat woud accrue the b0okkeeper sometimes estI-
mates from tic time of the Of the register the
Company were liable To lose large amount on money ny
the nrcmnulston of nnd bills; when they found deposit
an Insufficient security they sent for additional sum-
poor gus will pass through tho pipes quicker ana moro
Joseph A. Gubbaron, Chief Engineer Manhattan Gas
Works testified that for is years ho had been employed
there had been practical engineer Tor ~ years the
quality Of illumination of their ghs was never lower IMAM
10 CANDLES the examinations were made every oher
day. The Illuminating power OF lhcr GHs was hs nkm as
il was possible make it with the coal they used The
cost had Increased within tho last
few years the price OF ga' tnfro years ago WIS - o.
VIM Davidson, Inspector 81 GAS Meters for the Stao OF
NrwYork, dcroreh that IA addition To his duties as IN
sIcctur he had other engagements which claimed MS
attention tom sJ In the morning I'LL six az night lie had
two deputies who attended Ia the examination ~ meiefs
lie authorized to srleci depntes HIS annual salary
for these dulirs {25h. out or which sum ne phld
several thousands of nrlers IL ne sent ont inaee',o
meters lac should be- subject to removal Ihee was no
supervision him lie was directly responsible To he
Governor OF the State of NcwYork for the manner in
which he performed his duties and he alone wOuld nave
tie power him He knew OF no such omission
the passing 81 meters by his deputies without subject
Ing them to tie necessary test. .
H. L. Callendcn. editor Of The GdSLgh Journal testi:
fed that lie fpilar with the mode OF distribution OF
gs the consumer he should say the gas IN Boston ana
ST. Louis Is ~ higher standard ~ Illuminating qahy
thn that of III ST. LOUIS the charge is Si In
Boston he thought s. 80 was the price; In both places the
gas would IS caudles to the best o his Judgneh
the iu New York MAS about ~ or u eahdle ne tOud
not udgc whether circumstances would WHTrant the ln-
crease which had been made In the price OF gas -
MIR Bcrgem-Do you think the CONSUMERS 1f New-lork
be supplied with superior light 10 that they are
now using ri "A reduced cOsti
proyrd sysiem which consisted Of the introduction of
hydrogen gas into The coal gas Experiments on ths
system have been made with favorable results The I'M
Nm. II. Roberto merchant tailor, uf No 80 Union
square, west side. appeared before the committee TO
company Tie p!th Of the grievance that his bills
mad suddenly increased from $40 and ss to so 80 and AZ
terwarl 90 To- aud In The next month 10 slO5 DO lie
sent 10 the Company ana man was sent VINO eonu pot
Turn The gas of Finding that the register was lmpeT"
feet ho scnt to the Gas Inspector VINO after an
the complainant on applying 10 the Gas COMPANY 10,
reduction of his bill The Company declined To take he
estimate Ui the Inspector, and sent man VINO ulaue
difference uf per cent against him, when the Company
proposed making deduction 10 the c&ttDt OF ~ per cent
which conditions he ultimately accepted. He, however.
gave orders for the gas be taken from his premises,
uud hc Ina. since used kerosene oil.
Jolin H. Adams. President Of the New-York Gas Light
Coupnry ON being sworn. asked by the Chairman II
lac had brought hs books 10 which ho reped lhAS ho
had not ..,. c--,.,. 49,, ~, n,or
authorized enforce The production of h!s private books
lie should bc happy 70 answer any question rs To pr2ns
ucut og authuriy in which ~ stated that tho Committee
were invested with flll power to send for persons ana
The committee thcS adjourned until to-day atioo'clock