The New York herald., 1879-07-10
Everybody To Be Blessed Hereafter with
Cheaper Gas Bills.
GREAT REDUCTION IN RATES

people Is tnat this Important revolutlon mas Deeu
wrought by the Introduction Of the electric light
into competition with the Illuminating gas manufac
tured from COAL naphtha and other substances. The
officials of the companies Indignantly spurn this
proposition as too absurd for moments considera
ton. Without exception they pooh pooh the idea of
electricity ever being brought to the perfection of
supplying individual consumers with illumination
such as is attained by gas. The reduction is to a
substantial extent. and it has been made it is
claimed, because Of the present lessened cost Of
material and labor.
In interview had with HERALD reporter
General Roome the president Of the Manhattan Cas-
light Company who began the present war of re-
trenchment. gives another view of the for the
present movement. The public will probably care
little about the real imaginary Of the quar-
rel among the gas purveyors long they get good
light and cheap rates, have the prospect Of per-
forming their household cooking with gas cheap
that prudent housekeepers will thereafter do with
out coal, cnders and the bother and incon-
siderable item of servants wages. Yesterday
HERALD reporter paid visit to all the gaslight
panies the CITY, and the result of his tour printed
below. will be found Of interest to every gas
sumer
GENERAL RooAiE's ExPI.ANArIoN.
General Charles W. Roome. president Of the Man
haitian Gaslight Company, called upon at his
residence in West Fifty-second street. where that
gentleman confined by u slight illness. "In the
absence of data, which at the Office. will tell
you all can." said he. "sbout the reduction the
price Of gas made by the Manhattan Company. and
the causes which led to it."
"what is the extent of the rcduction?
Tho extent of the reduction. which went into
effect the 1st Of July. VARIES To the largest con-
sumers sell gas at 81 25 per 1000 cubic feot
and the prices vary intermediatey according to the
quantity of gas consumed To be more exact the
price OF gas to those who consume less than 1000
cubic feet per month is 50 per 1000 cubic feet; to
those who the latter amount and over per month
it will be 81 90 per 1000 feet. and still further
cessions made in the of large consumers
until the minimum rate have spoken of Is reached.
.How many consumers has the Manhattan Com
panyy"
''Has the Introduction Of the electric light had
reductions?'
Mr. Roome replied contemptuously and quicklv:-
The electric light has had nothing whatever to do
with the matter. do not think the electric Light
worth moments consideration
What are the causes. may ask. which have led
IL will tell you what the policy Of the Manhattan
Gaslght Company has been. and then the subject
will be better understood. have always been in
favor of selling gas at small profit possible
commensurate with a fair degree of profit to our
pany which began in 1887 we have reduced the price
OF gas from So 1000 cubic feet to So So Having
no opposition when the broke out the increased
OF all materials and the enhanced value labor
compelled us to advance the price. There also
that time the government tax OF TWENTY-FIVE
each 1000 cubic feet OF gas made. The increased
rate ut that time from 81 to SO per 900 feet.
And now will inform you o. fact which has
hitherto been made public. Mr.. James Brooks,
then member of Congress from the Eighth district
OF this city, at request urged upon Congress the
proprety OF the abolition OF this tax 1t was done
sumers gas should have the benefit of the change
We reduced the price to 81 70. Afterward
we reduced twenty-five per 1000 feet making
the cost s2 So at which rate it remained up to the
LIST OF july"
'.Thcre have been complaints against your CON-
pany in the past" the reporter remarked, sugges-
lively.
WAR TO THE KNIFE.
II will recite of the facts of the past Years
ago the Manhattan Gsslight Company made
wherever the authorities might direct. At that
the resolutions authorizing the of gas by the
the work under their provisions being carried out
under the direction of the Superintendent of Lamps
and Gas. Under that contract were to light the
street lamps ior u price then agreed upon for
period of twenty years The city quired the COM
pany to lay pipes in streets whore we could have
inducement to go, because the amount OF private
consumption would be very small. A large part o
the money thus expended has never been remunera-
tive to The company We have laid pipes and lighted
every street in district, extending from Grand
to Thrtyfourth street, and before the Metropolitan
Company went into operation as high mp as Gen.
trail Park Three opposition companies have been
chartered and obtained the consent the city lay
pipes wherever they pleased on the island Two of
these companies under retrction whatever
rs to the price Of gas charged the consumer"
(Which are the companies you refer tor
II refer to the Mutual and Metropolitan compa-
nes The Municipal Gaslight Company the last one
established. bound themselves not to charge over
So 40 per 1000 cubic feet. The Metropolitan Com
pany bought all pipes north OF Thirty-fourth
street. The Mutual and Municipal companies are
competing with the Metropolitan, Manhattan and
New York companies. Being free to lay their pipes
where they pleased the Mutual and Municipal COM
panies have selected those streets only where the
largest consumers ould be obtained leaving the
remuncratve portion of the districts to be supplied
by the Manhattan. The consequence is that they
could go to the large consumers aud undersel u.s.
therefore taking from the profitable part of our
business In other words they select the tenderlon
leaving to digest the tougher portion OF food for
| sustenance Necessity has therefore compelled
| to fight them their own terms IL they mean to
! make us supply the poor without profit de-
termined they shall not be permitted to money
out of the rich 1t is war to the knife. We do not
| fear either one OF the competing companies. 1 am
fully confident that the gas made by the Manhattan
Company is purer and safer than that manufactured
by either Of the others, and that its illuminating
power Is fully equal to either
'Do you think the electric light Will ultimately
supplant the use OF Illuminating gasp
81 do not. The electric light is costly and I'M
steady. The day may come however, when 1t may
be made available for purposes of display or light
reason to expect that it can ever come into general
use. In Paris. during the Exposition. 1t cost Ave
ct as or was s the
hbition. because 1t made an attractive display. In
London has been lately tried to light the banks of
the Thames. but on account of its great expense
they have abandoned its use"
coMpANYs REDUCTION.
At the Office OF the New York Gaslight Company. in
Hester street. the reporter found MIR. George W.
Doane, the secretary. "Our company" said he
supplies the district below Grand street from river
to river. The price now charged is 81 50per 1000
cubic feet The subject of u reduction of the
of gas furnished our consumers agitated before
the 1st of july and would have been acted upon be-
fore the present time were II not that many of
Board of Directors In the country and II has
therefore been impossible to convene board meet
ing"
| "will you reduce the pricer'
IL have doubt whatever Of Ii. A meeting will
be held tomorrow for the purpose of taking steps
toward putting into effect q reduced scale.'
"Has the Edison light induced the company to
make q reduction2
Edison has had nothing whatever to do with IL.
| Competition and dull times have influenced the