New-York tribune., 1885-03-15
rIOSING THE GAS INQUIRY.
rrsTIMoNY FOR AND AGAINST THE COM
PANIES.


PANIES.
uow METERS MAY BE TAMpERED WITH - Pho'
rEssoR CHANpLER's EVIDENCE.
uI ,voula like to have it noted" said Senator
s. o at the Morton House yesterday morning. LOOKING
:. his watch that the committee is ready 10 ~
half past TO- but there are no counsei anu no
here" About half an hour later the rooms Neio A
with lawyers and the friends and foes OF gas honoP
S,enera r. f. Tremain sat in front OF his Dattanon VI
consumers and their friends. among wnoni "1'
jackson s. Schultz, +. b. 1huroer anu JIM 49,
Sherwood. Henry II. Anderson stoou lor"Hu 10 w
Consolidated Company, and oscar AoinAone.' ~. -.
Kenpedv Jat,es Smith and othe ohcers vi 'ne e
conpancs we're enough to anoru hn suppo I.a,aa
che attack should be too vigorous. hA- 'us'i'0
Marcus otterbourg also asked an occasional quesuon
. ,Jarrison + CAVITY who had been directed on the
previous day to produce all papers relating 70
S,ons between the Knickerbocker and the Munic'p'i
,omnanes from 1879 to 1884, took the witness sthu
aud said he had understood that he was only to produce
Aocpments dated In 1879 and 1880. he had tnree
written instruments with him. and they were Piacem Al
eyldepce The first was q lease Oh al Inc hn'oAoi
hooker works to the Municipal Company daoe"
November I6 1880, which he said was the oniy lease
between the companies that he knew or Inc secoh
,ras an agreement OF the Knckerbocker Company W
furnish gas to the Municipal Company ana tne .u
cnarautee that at the time OF the purchase o to
erbockers plant debts did not exceed guaran'oou
amonut The witness said the lease was for nVe years
at 100000 year. This amount was never rno'
when the capital stock OF the Municipal Company was
Increased from 81 OOO 900 to $3,000.0OO Sl,Oooooo
Vas maid in money by the stockholders end others lie
did no. know what done with that money he nao
nothing to with the financial affairs or the "a
the company He termed the manager .ninR IL
was about that time," he said that we oniI iarEo
asboIder for S64O OOO and about that time between
$3.50 900 and 900 expended for the Improve
ment of the plant of the KnickerbOcker Company
The chairman announced that the evidence to be
obtained from the Controllers office would be taken AZ
Albany. - ,,.u,.o,
he had submitte all the evidence In behalf OF the con
suners tnat proposed TO give though he peeVed 'n
II there time the inquiry could oe ProH''oV
continued for several weeks longer. - ,o,
witnesses gas companies we're next eAhmeu
Mr. Anderson called Jonn Ii. Hunter. who stated that
in 1852 was employed by the Harlem Gas l1Snt ooih
pany. Mr. Anderson produced a letter. Wnict u 'he h
Witness declared he had received, purpOrtng 10 pe
sirued by JOHN IL. sherwood Mr.. Sherwood said the
signature his but he had directed Una, sacn M a
eiter be sent In il the witness was informed that MT
sherwoods bill SIS for the thirty days preeedMng M
January g. lss2 aud that lie had 10 sss and fnd be
chandeliers all comp except In the parlo ne went
os 10 T Was ed So the dWeS and there
odor of SUBSEQUENT examination % @ iyd 'i''
Professor Charles H. Chandler OF Columbia COiiese;;
formerly president of the Health Departen S s',ee ,
that for twenty seven years he iad pee y, al
manufacture OF gas and had been employed 10 ndhe
iu Ou< IL.
Consolidated Companies better than auy gas manu-
factured in this city, better than any suppnea III
fhis country and better than that manufactured IN
Tnglaud lie exhibited dry meter and explained Its
seton and said that IL the leather joins oi the oeows
sSassI sS s,h Ss a eonsncr There was no other Way OF
measuring the consumption OF gas tIah 10y tne meter
control OF the gas companies He had known OF cases
when he connected with the Board OF Health %epe
were stuck into the walls TO make II appe ar as tne
houses were piped for gas. When taken hOd OF they
eouln he u
ton -, D. - l., ,h.,
General Tremain-HOw many houses have you known
constructed in this way Al don't remember, h
were several. They might have been some OF tDose
built by Mr. sherwood In England gas can te FURNISHED
there which the by products, such as coke tar
and ammonia were sold sometimes for more than the
Senator Daily asked if it not true that in England
the dividends OF gas companies were Limited py law.
General Trenan and read from the English
statutes in support OF the assertion .. r.,,.,
Mr. AndersOn-We don't always accept EhShsh
senator Daly-r would suggest compromise Let
Ms adopt Irish customs. (Laughter.J , -, -,
Mr. Chandler, in urther explaining the mechanlsm oi
gas meter said that by changing the position OF nut
inside index could be made TO indicate Incorrectly
the amount OF gas consumed , a., a.. -, a.,
General Tremain inquired whether the top OF the
meter could be removed at the gas works SO as 10
tamper with the interior mechanism Without breaking
the State seal which Is placed on TOP when metes aiG
tested. The witness replied that IL could he expianeu
the construction OF pressure gauge anu ssu ,Ia q,
On inch OF sO and that drawing cider through
ffraW eXerted q pressure OF several inches.
Senator Thomas who the only member OF tne
committee present at this time. suggested that TINS
branch OF the inquiry would be particularly Interesting
10 us associates and should be suspended until they
arrived at which there was a laugh.
The witness testified that many cases OF inaccu
races IN the which had been investigated IL had
been found that average the gas companies
suffered more loss from this than the cobsuers
General Treman here read some passages from thc
testimony OF Professor Chandler before the Joint COM
mitee on Manufactures of the Massachusetts eglsa-
ture IN which set forth the manner IN wDch tne
Eew-York gas companies had divided TINS city INTO
districts settling their differences at the expense OF
the public The companies had said " What Is the use
OF fighting each Osher We get our money out o the
Professor Chandler resuming his testimony. said 1t
would advantage for the companles 10 manu-
facture the kind OF gas at the different WORKS
because they would be at the mercy OF tne men WHO
supplied them with materials He Thought IL Wonln not
be IA good thing fOrhe consu mel 10 nave pressure reg
lators placed at different polnts IN the city.
Ex-jstice OtterbOurg called attention 10 report OF
the gas inspector of the District OF Columbia In which II
was shown that the results of.eer inspections
were the consumers and against the gas com
panes In reply this General Tremain read from the
report a recommendation tna the companies should
not be ALLOW ed 10 inspect the meters.
Chairman Thomas then announced that the hearing
closed. rhe Committee will report to the Legs
lsture possible. and If any acti IN is recon-
adjournment
EXAMINING WOULD-BE POLICEMEN.