The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-29
THE GAS QUESTION.
WHAT THE CoNsUMERs HAVE TO SAY
an THE SUBJECT AND now THEY
VIEW THE MONOPOLY.

few days ago we published statement OF
the gas eompany's aide Of the question ~ 10
tween II and the com planning consumers. me
cost OF manufacturing coal gas was given. me
expenses incurred In this manufacture asd the
profits realized by the company from II.
Yesterday a DnnooRAT reporter sought ont
eavarnl large oonsumsra 10 learn from them
their Ideas concerning the subject and 70 eet
the reason OF their strong Opposition 10 the
monopoly.
One gentleman, we'll known here said! your
paner has already published enough ABOUT me
angular neasur emenls Of Rns and tho peculiar
increase there sometimes IL IN gas bills from
month 10 month when almost tho same quantity
ia aonsuu,ad The cases are almost too numer.
oua 10 mention where the bill for ono month
may have been % aud The next ~. whom there
hns been no appreciable increase In tho amount
used. whether II be tho company. the person
taking the flgurea from the dial or the fault Of
the gneter n In impossible for me TO say. But
that such things do occur. almost every con
sumner will testify. Now, don't propose to dis
euss this matter. for have no data whereon to
baae an opinion M 10 whore the blame lies.
What strikes me most In one part OF the state
rnent you published, wbars, according to the
figures. Il would seem that the gas company
gagged tn prices 40 M to make them pay
nj leaat per centum on tho capital stock Mt oil
hazards. There seemed to be- n determination
hatthere should always b. ut least this amount
or dividend. no matter what might accrue
Nothing below per cont could enter into the
company's calculation Now n seems TO mo
that this 10 little heavy. In an Investment. or
rather IN the capital stock Of a company. ~ .pso
900 Of which IN genuine stock and the balance Of
tho o. 10000 mere iobbing tissue paper that II
Ia coming Il strong on the people to force them
TO pay for gas price that makes no per
cont on the whole amount. Seven per cent
II a very large interest on such large sum.
much larger than you can find anywhere paid
on like amount. A reduction OF per cent
would give n considerable decrease In tho price
OF gas. and heaven knows per cent ought TO
pay on n capital OF three and three-anarter
million dollars now Another thing that j no.
tieed 10 the statement was tho amount Of sala-
RES have noticed that In the ufflne there are
not mere than five clerks then there In a gem
eral superintendent aud treasurer, aud at the
EaA works prubnbly two Hupa intaudents. Now
xtb,ooo IL n little stiT for this tea patty but of
course II the corporation iik'R y AMI tho stack-
holders agree to 1t there II 10 use ~ outatders
grumblng. IL Ia vidont salary IL no obivot To
Tho company. that's ell
Another gentleman. u merchant. was spoken
to- He was down on thescom pany bnoauao
unlike every other business concern. IL had ile
own MEASURE. about |bt II no ono knew any
thing, snl ~ oustome,s mad ~ lnkei ~ measure
sugar OF n barrel of -four see them W. ighcd on
the scales. The weights must show tho stamp
Of m ineuecto, and he scales TOO , know shat
l am getting juAt my pound or one hundred and
nlnety-six pounds, az tue case may be. Now
when purchase one hundred cubic feet Of gas
from tue gas com panv. what ooeursY II In do
livared 10 mo through n meter, the construction
Of which l. M well rs everybody else. am pro.
foundly ignorant Of. and Mt the end Of a week
am told tkat / have received my ono hundred
cubic feet. There Ia no Inspectors mark on
the meter. nor in there any officer under the
law empowered to place one on them. The
meter may turn out, five foet per hour
aud mark ten for all that | know. The
company own me meters. put them no ana u
Now. although have been using gas for
Urea. many years 4 cannot tell for the life OF me
whether low water Ia the meter has any feet
on the measurement or not. l don't know
whether, II tho meter u properly hiled
me that the mechanism Of the dials ia accurate.
and that It does not mark one hundred feeG
when only ten are uted NJ at. air; i,'s ono
ment OF our wood. our tea and oofree aud the
grocer weighs them before Us on inspected
their article, lock up their uninspected scales.
company tell mo that every me or in the city
two ~ TsrbsnRs scassi don't besve o
There In another thing" said our friend.
and that IL concerning. this deposit matter.
required to make a deposit with the company.
the amount OF which varies With the probable
consumption OF gus in your establishment
Now for Instance. ut the end Of the month
your bill comes In and you are not able prompt
company will not go on furnishing you gas
until the amount OF your deposit IL consumed.
No. eirl No such thing ~ hat. They turn tho
gas OF and you are lett In darkness and your
deposit goes for paught That's what they do"
A number OF other persons were interviewed.
but their complaints referred to the meters.
ETC., which ground has been travelled over be-
fore. That there is strong and serious oppo.
sition to the manner in which gas is measured
and the prices charged there can be no dues-
ton and til at IL liz assuming proportions merit
ing the serious attention Of the Ras company IL
certain. II is not enough for the company to
show that they have 10 charge such price in
order 10 declare a dividend OF per cent on the
capital stock. lesser rate would encourage
greater consumption and hence moro profits.