The New York herald., 1876-02-24
A Great Conflict About the Light
Material in Brooklyn.
CORPORATIONS CHARGED WITH EXTORTlON.
The State Inspector Finds Many Me-
terS Running Too Fast.
REDUCTION OF THE PRICE IN THIS CITY.
What Were the Causes OF the
Lessened Charges.

In the early part OF the fall OF 1875 the people OF the
City OF Churches, especially those residing in South
Brooklyn began TO notice that their gas bills
occdingly hgh-even larger than the preceding year.
The small In Court street. Columbia street. Flat
bush avenue, Third avenue, Atlantic avenue
Fulton street. Myrtle avenue and Grand street
and other thoroughfares in Williamsburg, or
dcrcd out their meters and put up oil lamps the
fixtures In their IL found that the stock
aud The windows wore lit up with briancy superior
TO the bad quality OF gas which they had been using,
Inquiry showed that the saving about eighty per
cent ON the monthly bills. Hence 1t not
10 be wondered that the proprietors OF the
larger dry goods, drug, clothing and other
stores, who have long literally groaned
under their enormous gas bills, should follow in tho
footsteps Of the smaller establishments The oil fever
spreads throughout the Eastern and Western districts
and to-day OF the finest establishments in Brook
lyn are Illuminated with oil The gas companies which
six Ia number-i Citizens, Peoples, Metropolitan,
Nassau, Brooklyn and Williamsburg, found that the
meters being returned by the cart load They did
not however make any reduction In the price til Feb
ruary l. and the bills higher than Finally,
when the longest nights OF the year had gone past,
they tho price to private from SO
per thousand feet to 81 rs with the hope OF retaining
wavering consumers
TEST CASE.
Finally the accumulation Of complaints on all sides
led to legal being for redress by Mr. Sam
uel j. Young Secretary OF the Metropolitan Insurance
Company In New York, and residing in Brooklyn. Ho
discovered such outrageous increase In the bills
rendered By the Citizens Gas Company that he de-
termined upon taking the meter out and having 1t
regularly tested before paying the bill He at first
fused pay the bill whicn they demanded but evenu-
| MI ho nay 10
the meter, but he would not permit them 10 do
So and on December his counsel applied TO the City
Court Tor order restraining the gas company from
removing the meter Till IL had been tested An afi-
davt OF which the substance is suboined, the
basis upon which the company was restrained from
In the affidavit Mr.. Young stated that about
December he called at the Office of the Citizens Gas
Light Company and had an interview with Mr.. Libby,
the President, with regard to the extraordinary in-
of the bill presented TO him for gas said TO have
been consumed during the preceding month"; and asked
whether any explanation could be gwen of it. He
answered by Mr.. Libby that he could give no more
for II than he could give why Mr. Young should
have the rheumatism in the LEFT shoulder this year and
not have had IL last year Amer conversation
SIR oung said that perhaps there was some imper-
fection the meter and that he would put meter
OF his and would lind out II such was the
case, and he left the office with the under
standing that action, looking to the rectincation
OF in hs BILL would be taken by the company
! or allowed by them. Mr. Young the same day had
ordered be furnished by the American Meter
Company and ordered be taken the inspector in
| New York city to be tested Upon making application
certain gas litter In Brooklyn TO have the meter
attached to his gas pipes he was refused on the ground
that II lie interiered assisted In any way in this
matter that he would probably be subjected to serious
annoyance in his business by the said Gas Light Com
pany and It's agents, and Mr. Young forced send
10 New York city for the necessary workmen TO set and
| attach tho meter.
The meter was found to register too much and the
complainant was refunded portion OF the money
claimed From this test case other consumers took
the cue and citizen who had informed himself In the
matter OF general irregularities among many meters,
which were Injurious to tho interest OF consumers,
took ten OF these metres from places South
Brooklyn TO New York inspector, and IT was found
thai they from three thirteen per
in registering In almost every case the company paid
the of transportation, the testing, also rebate
except in ono case, where the claim $3.50
SHORT rKrERs INSPECTED
! Mr.. w. l.. Gilbert, OF No. 325 Union street, made
the discovery "a week two ago that the gas meter
used by an acquaintance OF his at No. 274 Clinton
street far too fast He took the meter the
State Inspector Mr. John Byrnc No 431 Grand street,
/ New York, and 1t there tested. II costs about
be about nine per cent too fast, but the law allows
margin OF two per cent each meter-that Is to say,
II the meter found TO be itoen cent too fast the
inspector would only give certificate for thirteen per
cent against the gas company. In this way the law
seeks to protect the companies by allowing for rreg
uarties in the mechanical arrangement OF the
which may be unavoidable. IL Is at that ratio
that the certificates OF the Inspector
given. So In the OF the meter at No 274
Clinton street, the certificate showed IL to be only
per cent too fast The gas company hearing tho
facts paid 81 so and rebate besides The next meter
tested was in house No Tompkins place This meter
found TO be thirteen per cent too fast IL had been
In use for thirteen years and the last bill under It's
registration $2l 90. The company promised 10
settle the rebate. should the bill at that house
average, as It is estimated $l3 per month"; the rebate
would average 81 43 month, and the total duo him
would be about 1928 0S IL remains TO be
whether the gas company will pay this sum. The
courts may be called upon TO decide tho issue In
II Is said gas meter will never get last, but
IL will clog up II left idle
Al No 247 Baltic street meter removed for in
specton This meter was found TO be ten per cent
fast The company beng notified OF this also, at
first refused to allow for testing the meter They
offered TO pay part Vt It, but they finally paid IL all
So, with the understanding that they should paw
The rebate this meter, II rs claimed,
$50; the question is not yet settled The gas com
panics claim that citizen right TO remove
meter for the purpose of having II Inspected but t Is
said that any citizen may have his meter tested long
as ho does not disturb the gas companies pipes The
inspector stated that during the last few months no
has tested old than be had tho last nine
years.
A member OF leading firm in Court street had q
meter tested aud found u TO be four per cent fast
gentleman residing at No. l97 Clinton street had
meter placed in his house, instead of an old
which had run up heavy bs The bills under the old
meter were $25 per MONTH now they do not average
over $S 20 That meter has been Inspected and found
correct
meter was tested from No. 165 Pacific street and
iound be seycn per cent too last The company
paid rebate Of 50 40 month October last, be-
sides the cost OF testing, 81 So
The meter taken from No 325 Union street, on being
recently tested found 60 bc six per cent too fast
The company paid rebate and tho cost OF testing
That meter had been three years In use.
Two meters, one a 30-lght meter aud the other a
20ght meter, taken few weeks ago from large
dry goods Atlantic street, near Henry street,
another from the dwelling part OF the house,
up stairs to have them tested Tho 30-light meter
proved TO be three per cent too fast, and the
20lght meter four per cent too slow. The new
20hght put In alter the complaints had been
made to the gas company The meter up stars was all
right
AcrIox oF THE CITY ArrHoRrrKa
The Common Council as the year drawing 10 a
close and when the question OF The enormous Of
lighting the public streets aud buildings came
up, that they paying dear
by far for the illumination. They began
10 realize that something must be done, and that
quickly, TO bring the wealthy gas corporations 10 a
realization Of the TACT that they drawing too
much money from the city treasury The cost OF
lighting Brooklyn during the year 1875 5000 0O0
Bills were rendered 10 the city by contract at the
OF 81 30 per 900 feet, being nfty less than
cost OF gas to private consumers This disparity the
cd of bnt In M