The New York herald., 1876-03-16
THE MANHATTAN oAsLrGHr COMPANY.

The Secretary OF the Manhattan Company was found
at the Office of that company, the OF Irving
place and Fifteenth street. and at nrst, did seem
inclined 10 speak on the subject Gradually however
upon few interrogatories put by the reporter the
gentleman TO whom they addressed warmed up to
the topic and gave vent the expressions which are
subjoined.
He did not think, he said, that the interests OF tho
gas companies going TO DO injured to any great
extent by tho substitution Of oil for 1t would take
a long time, be thought for the oil system to be
adopted to sufficient degree to AFFECT the gas compa.
mics For several years past ever since the "hard
tunes began TO be ic those persons who have found
II necessary economic have practscd their econ
omy on gas among other things and a number OF per-
sons have given up the use OF gas entirely, and subs
tuled oil only because they were
coMrKLLED TO SAVE EXPENSE
wherever they could, and not because gas any
dcarer poorer than al any previous tine. The
number which have stopped using gas Is so very small
that company at least has prd no attention what
the matter In fact, not enough have given IL
up TO attract our attention to them
REroRTEk-Whai causes the price OF gas 10 be
highf
SEcKErARY-The price Of gas Is governed In the same
manner Is the price OF any manufactured article
When labor and the articles necessary 20 manufacture
gas are hiEh the price OF gas DC too But to
say that gas Is high now is prcposterous
GAS sor BEES Low
In great many years When. during the war our
price 81 per 1000 cubic feet and the government
levied a tax OF twenty-five per cent, u allowed
proves, ] think, that the government did
not consider that profit very great
As 10 the gas companies beng callcd monopolies
say that such title IS very Incorrect n under
stand The meaning Of the word. Almost all OF our
principal customers have the privilege OF taking gas
from two companies the pipes OF two companies being
laid In the vicinity OF their places and large number
have the privilege of three.
CAN rnAr M CALLED a moxoroLri
REroKTER--Many people complain that the in.
spectors oi incompetent dishonest in the
performance OF their duty. What have you say Ia
reply 10 that chargcf
SEcRErARY-Wc employ who does not come
TO us recommended Tor his integrity, and We believe
tnat all our inspectors their faithfully n II IS
only from their desire retain employment In these
times Any OF them who shirked his work would
very soon found out and they know II and
tnI Tncy arc frequently complained OF by customers
mo come to and say that they think that the
spcctor must have made mistake in his last report OF
tic gas used by the customer, and In every
such case the matter Is investigated carefully.
Nearly every time that such complaint IS made,
and the matter Is looked into II ls found that
inspector is In tho right OF course errors will be
made BY the most painstaking men; but my ex.
pcricncc has been that among our meter inspcc-
tors few mistakes are made. lot me explain TO
Won how Il Is impossible for us TO charge for
gas than " artuay burned suppose, Tor Instance,
that the meter IN your house, al the end OF last
month, indicated thai 1850 feet Of Gas had been