The New York herald., 1879-03-19

Total. 81. 49,, 1868
These appropriations were exhausted, of course
the charge per lamp ranging from S25 to SGT. Oe
late the service has been from satisfactory,
tain parts of the city being left in total darkness long
after eight in the evening" while in others the quality
of the light was little better than that obtanable
from the old-fashioned penny dip. Repeated efforts
have been made to change from coal gas to naphtha
but hitherto without At a meeting of tho
Board Of Aldermen, held the evening of the 10th
inst, two reports were presented by committee to
whom the subject Of lighting tho city had been
ferred.
HOW HAPPENED.
Honest john French reported in favor Of naph-
tina. and offered resolution directing the Board of
City Works to enter into contract with New York
company known the Automatic Gas Lamp and
Lighting Company, st the rate named In their
propossl-vz, $40 40 per lamp for a small
district. or SO IS for the entire city. Al
dcrman Frencbs colleagues in the COM
mittee fought hard for the gas companies
and reported in favor Of recontracting with them.
An acrid debate followed. in which Alderman French
claimed that Brooklyn could not afford to continue
to pay for coal gas, that the appropriation in
sufficient that the light unsatisfactory and that
an arrangement with the naphtha company would
not only give the city better illumination. but do
1t at q saving of 800. 900 In the year.
Consider able feeling was manifested by the Alder.
motive in the proposed Arrangement was to compel
the gas companies to lower their prices, and the
other charging that as the naphtha company charge
S42 so a lamp in New Jersey, 1t would undoubtedly
play game Brooklyn soon the old
lamps were stored away and the new ones put in
place.
Finally the point raised that neither report
signed by majority Of the committee. and the
at the last meeting of the Board when several
lutions offered looking to amicable adjust
mn Of the Soss d
yesterday for speaker ksndaii--wss excused
h That 'Ai he ''ss' was frsndy to both parties
and didn't desire to interfere with either. but the
ing that he ought to be made to go on the record
we'll as his colleagues. The vote when takon was as
Mcintyre, O'Connell. Graham Smith. Petry. Waters.
French. Hacker. Seamen. Dreyer and Powers.lS.
Nesative-Mdermen Aitken, Block, Stewart Gunder.
OReilly, Ray, Kcnna, Williams, Bard and Fritz-1O.
WHAT WILL NOW BE DONE.
The Automatic Gas Lamp and Lighting Company
place on cherry street. but they contemplate larger
zation are John w. Barrow, William P. Libby. for
many years president Of the Ctizens' Gas Light
Company; A.. 8. Barnes. the publisher; William
ney, United States District Attorney. and william
Hester. publisher Of the Eagle newspaper. It was
Colonel Abner G. Keeney were large purchasers Of
the stock The light is to be the same as now given
in Hoboken Rochester Orange Staten Island. Bridge
port and Pittsburg. and the company claim that
It is equal to sixteen candle power. The cost to
the city will be $2S077S the lowest possible price
for isae is with small surplus 9 11s e. on 3 hand
REPAIRS while the cost Of coal gas down 10 April
must Of course be met The company will proceed
at once to erect suitable works Third street. in
Brooklyn, and say they will be prepared to furnish
the gns by tho specified time. It is limited that the
Mayor may veto the action of the Board but the gao
companies Arm In their resolve not to down.
SO that some new measure would seem to be
necessity.
prominent citisen Of Brooklyn, director in the
q taxpayer He thinks the better way would have
been continue the old contract with fewer lamps. II
the city cannot amSrd % a. TO psy fSs & % lamps let ut
is than folly tits ruin to the city and Its repu-
tation. For months the Brooklyn people have COM
planned of the bad quality of gas furnished in their
illumination of the streets. Some of the Jets
appear to be clogged and the merest spear
OF flame shoots up. But. in addition to
until the evening Is far advanced, to the great in-
convenience Of the public This is especially notice.
able in the streets and near the Heights and in
Of the streets tho river. It has been sup.
posed that there was in seeking relief at the
hands OF the Aldermen, but the fear to have
been groundlcss With tho size and expenses Of .
der the disadvantages Of . petty income
and tho inconveniences of o country town.
Rapid transit finds but little favor, some OF the
simply large boarding houses, and the Brooklyn
Bridge awaits New York capital to complcte it. Many
OF the stockholders Of the Automatic Company aro
iyn they participated in the earlier operations Of
the Bridge Company, are interested In the news.
papers and other great corporations of the city, and
thus afford peg on which the average citizon n can can
best interests OF the city, which, though thin In sizo
is far from ranking with many that are smaller In
material growth and genuine prosperity.