The New York herald., 1869-03-06
The GAS MO.0POLIEs.


0rl.er Of the Never Yield Company ON ths
s,and-- Testimony of Victims.
1,be legislative Committee having charge OF thu
,nvestiyaton Into the operations OF the gas compa
MES continued the inquest yesterday and last even
fng The committee thus far have labore1 mos
i,anstr ously ana have succeeded In uneartning
same important facts from the officers Of the ga
companies and nom consumers They commenced
business Yesterday morning at ten O'clock by calling
IL r. MCGOWAN, Secretary OF the Harlem Gaslight
Company who was sworn and examined by Mr.
Mitchell chairman OF the committee, testified mainly
as folows:-I am stockholder In the Harlem Gas
light COMPANY; am secretary OF the company, and
conycrsaat with its business management; 1fty dol
rs per share was the original price OF the stock;
has recently been sold at 1876 per cent; l receive
salary OF 1000 per annum; complaints often come
from consumers; we give two notices before we cut
oil the gas; dividends are declared semiannualiy
the largest dividend was declared February, 1896
we issued extra dividend OF thirty three ana one
tnra per cent; tie company was organized IN 1855;
the total amount OF DIVIDENDS declared is 1866 per
cent average OF eleven per cent per annum.
Witness was examined by Mr.. Bergen in relation
to the nOtomcircal tests made by the company. but
no points of interest were elected further than as
gwen In the testimony OF Mr.. Balmore engineer OF
the company.
By Mr. La Bau-We have about sixty and one
hail-mlles OF pipe; original capital was $3.50 0oo
and it was increased IRON time TO time until 1884,
wAen it made $1,000, 600; the statement that we
have never made any report is incorrect. there
was a resolution passed in March, 1866 by the Legis
lature ordering ths company to make report on all
matters contested with the company; In reply 10
TIA Resolution made report, winch Is now on file
n. "A. Dayiuson being recalled, placed In evidence
the .raassfipt OF his business, ne had found that he
M - IA nf Aaf
ggs.tess error iound, ind Luat there have been
e.r0Is o nine per cent am one as nign as sixteea
per cent; read mir. koDerts' statement, as pub
Asaed. uut cannot nnd any record IN my onlce OF
II; IL nusI oe nilslad: remember the case quite
distinctly. Dut nave no oliciai record oi 1t.
William Lester, being sworl. testlued:-Am deputy
meier Inspector; have held the once two yeas;
was wo.Ains at tns meter business before was
y,olnsed every meter lore scaling it; .
new meter may receive i usage on the way; very
lttie VIII put IA meier out oil order; have never
reccyed ANY consideration, direct or inoirect from
Qay gas COMPANY; we do not charge anything lor
insleculg new mesers; when complaint is maze
aJout . me.er ii tne persol sends is To the Once
Charge notA1ns, Tut II Mr. Davidson sends gas
ntaef 10 taAe 1t down he Charges ior tae
gasatter's time; l gasliLler; 40 no,
wOrk ior any establishment gas company
my tine Is ciiely occupied al The inspection; 4 re-
cove sooo L year Tor inspecting; / was engaged al
tse meter factory Dciore was appontc ABOUT one
Week, ain not meter maker. but am acquainted
wlln tie business; am not citizen VI the United
States; sent einAn in this city secured me the ap-
ponslenL-
Examined by Mr.. Bergen at some length as to the
metnod inspecting and testing Tae testi-
noly on tl.ls po.iI was not OF amy general puulc
taIeres
hcury Chauncey, OF 25 Washington square, stock
h lder III tie New YORK, Manhattan aad Metropoli-
Tan COMPANIES, ueils sworn and examined by tue
Chairman, sald-4 AN director IN the New York
COapalY; nave been away IN Europe
rug tne past lour years, aad my brosAer
has acted rs MY agent aud has co.iecI-
ed the dividends; | do not know the amount
ol the dlyidelds declared; would rather not state
now nucn Stock own; do not know wRetaer /
receive Two Or n.ty per cent. bat tank l nave
good Investmen. or would not hold TO it; can't
tel any tning specifically without consulting my
bvUks; do hot Anow the nunpef of extra shares 4
have received nom tae company; Ihave attended,
a1y meeting 1T wiilcn diviaclis were declared.
By MI. LII Bau-l ain sure nave mol received any
eX.ta stoc9 or pro1s from tie Metropolitan Com
paly; IRON me Aanaattan have fecsised sne Ger.
hHcae es "a lnaeO.edness; would not Ike 10 hazard
aay statement IA le-aid 70 figures, as would oc
oo.igesi prooloiy 10 come olcA aad correct
"itness-Am Obliged To answer these questions
IN regard To ms private allairSr 1 don't tAInk the
COMMITTEE has i rissat 10 asa-
Ar La bau-Me 90 nos wish to go into your pri-
vate matters, but we ask you as director oi puD-
hc concern.
lhe Cn4.rman-This New York Company is very
unwilling 10 answer anytaing. me PrssIdent won i
Answer anything without the authority OF tae di
rectors ana the directors refuse 10 answer anytllny
II was unay dscldei 10 waive me question ior IA,
present, as Tie witness was evld nIy acquanlc,
w.ta tue anairs ol the company Ia which he Is III
rector.
beins sworn. lest1ed lnat he nad been twenly year
III Tue lower part vi the ciy. had gwen the appilca
"a
ment or as aoilisiss aad how aiucI benefit lie had
done 10 .hO>c who esnloJ ci IN. lie nslstel t.la
tne manage lent OF the gas companies mere was Il
.ole morse aair mean aud paifIy, and they do rot
furnisn enough gas"
several attempts we're madc to shut the witness
on, by reminding MN tnat IL was necessary 10 De
las brief as possiD.e," and olce III wnIic Dy
"tnst all, SIR bal he under iuli pressure,
and as be saii was ''.ull OF ith and did not stop
Dr. Elmer being called and sworn testned-I am
aphysielan. aud nave ssen great dea. OF attent N
I nj al htruI FaflFl "A A4E
neariy douue the quantity OF gas Gnay be made IRON
Tile same quantity vi coal, without increasing tue
expense, anu gave al the same ulne letter light,
by u.ili1ing tue nyuro.en wasted In the man
uiactule vi gas utsides, the gas would
b. pure anu wound not De contaminated with sui.
paaf coLI1ounus, IKE Tie other gas; my attention
was called 10 the suoect 10y tne bal eaects the
impure gas Oh patiens; nave callct tue attention
o. tue copallles " the matter; they have sent
mIttees 70 examine, Dut lney have done notning
In relation 10 u; company has recently been
formed this city: In pniladephi the gas Is SUP.
pAed Dy the CITY, Tie same the ITosol watsr IN
New iork; the Illuminating power there Is ABOUT
fourteen caldles, there Is 10 doubt about the lime
process beng the best IOr purifying, but II the
companies would use the lime and iron IN
conjunction 1t would do away with the
ouelstye odOT, and would not increase tie
expense; | have teatel the gas furnished by tue
hanhdttan Company aud nave found IL generally
fJntesn candies Uut very often IL Is as low as
tSegc canaies; good. lar quaity OF gas should b.
eighteen candle power; my tests were male al .
d.s auee o. auout IoJ rods from the Manhattan gas
WORKS. beleye unqucsA0nably that the gas eompa.
mes could furnish Ostter gas more reasonaD
prce tn tley now do.
Joseph Wood being sworn tesuaed-I do business
nt no. 20 Fourth avenue; TIE person wno had the
place before me used the gas from the Mannatta An
COMPANY three ears; on september q applied to
tue Manhattan Company lor tne gas; on tue 2sin
october the Inspector came and SAID the
meter registered 200 feet; SAID there
must be something wrong about that; tns
ins yector SAID he had n0.hing 10 do witt
the matter except TO take tue register; went Il
tue ONCE AM The ball was caculatel so that Ia
auoun. was slo2 or slO4; protested against II al,
sad The uie.er was wrong; was told tnst the lcts
WAS tested before u Was put 10. examined tn
meter and found the meter was an old one; oI
Thursday II called before on monday, got DIli fo
So -. man came " test the meter tue day ate
the nrst Inspection, and lie took the index Tor INA
day and made II 90 feet; the next day another ma,
came aud found II 30J leet; mad used our burner
less the second day; we have ten burners altogether
We we're using tue gas lron about eight o CLOCK II
la the evening TO about ten O'Clock;
was told few days after that the bii
was foIty-two dollars; on the flrst day the bll
was made out at tlirsy ceuts hundred, aud the
second ulii was at twenty. I'VE cents hundIcd.
protested the as lp m I'M