New-York tribune., 1886-07-05
PRICES LOWER, BUT BILLS HIGHER,
PEOPLE MADE TO BURN MORE GAS
EXPERIENCES OF LARGE coNsUMERs-MR. SHEER
WOODS SUGGESTIONS.

WOODS SUGGESTIONS.
AS provocatives of stro ng language, tne gas
bills for June which coming tardy, put never
thoess surely. great succesa The trouoie as OK
planned in THE TRIBUNE OF Friday last is caused oy the
reducing the price OF gas from 81 10 to 81 20
per thousand feeL Consumers declaring thst Incy
getting benefits from reduction and that tner
bills as large and mysterious as OF old Ihe cnei
patrons OF gas manufacturers are the CITY anu sno
big hotels. The city is OF the fight for aside rom
the fact that 1t has right to gro~i wnen
overcharged, 1t is just now commit'ea 70
the price OF 81 40 thousand feet
and will bs until January l. 1887 But the hotel men
free to complain and they do with great unanmity
The OF their complaint is that their bills for juno
under the 81 25 tariff large hose Tor last year
under the 81 so and 81 rs charges TRIBUNE re-
porter made Inquiries among other large consumers
At Macy's stores Mr. Terry the manager. was asked:
Have you any complaint to make against your June
gas bill !"
81 have got tired ofcompainng" answered Mr Terry.
" Long ago Learned that the amount Of gas burned
had apparently very slight relation TO the amount pau
for It. don't question the accuracy OF the readings OF
the meters. for they always Tailed by our cerks
but somehow other they affected IN surprsing
at times. have not compared this years Dill
for June with that for last year but WILL
Mr.. Terry communed long and earnestly with fat
lsdg-rs and thsn said: Same old Dill"
How sow
why our bill for Juno is as heavy this year
az last and yet We close as early, ourn
less gas II there is any difference and exercise
economy whenever can. The Increased amount Oh
feet charged runs our bill up"
Daniel Son, the drIgOods dealers In Broadwayn nave
eighteen meters In their and have an elaborate
system OF checks upon tho gas companies. AHe hrh
employ whose soe duty Is to go aoous lighting
up and farming dow gas and taking the readings OF the
at each weekly visit OF the gas company's re-
twhf
obtained from his book Burned 1886. june ~ meters
so. 200 feet of gas at 3 25-s1OO 25 Burned 1883,
June "a 400 feet Of gas 81 50-S1ll6O II Will be
that this June $500 more feet are charged
than last June. "But" said the amazed Mr. Hill, " we
burned only half the time this year. Last year
shut up at $3.50 this year we close at O'CLOCK
sharp We light up at $50 p M; you will see that
whereas burned gas one hour day last year. we
burn It only half hour, onehaf the time ln-
stead OF drawing $500 feet gas through our meters
we should burn something Ike 10000 feet less and We
havs the very best governors on our metres uou
know how to account for this ,,-. ~ ,,.,.
Other dry-gools compiaped Of like conditions
Outside the drygoOds business complaints loud auu ol
ter heard. The Vienna Bakery has large resla-
at Broadway aud Ienth-st and oaKe shops IN
another building Owing to earlier c0slns during June
the manager expected smaller pills But said ne 70
the reporter on Saturday. from May TO IA we were
charged with $4,000 feet OF gas ana psld e4o Ss 2
The frat bill to come under the tarf was FOR
gas May 20 to June5 and 1t was within seventh
tive cents much az tAe previous one an o 5ne 1ay @
growing longer and less tsght Iequred-5l, 500 zee
s3g 49, Next week the oill climbed ntte nsher anu
the days got little Ion ser, ana little less gas was
burned II was 32 100 feet at $40 r. and the next
S TfsH Tor uss is feet a. at So It
grow longer, and the Is III later and turned out
earlier. the gas bills grow II we ddh use any VIC
would probably have to buy the works" -.
John H. Sherwood. president OF the consumers Asso-
al ana Yin ave enjoying the cheerful light OF pri-
vste gas plant from the terrors Of the gas
and asked mis- opinion upon the question. he said
I'VE won great victory "hrn we 1UlTu U,a Sop Sp
TO aghs another heht and obllzs the companies
TO render honest bills. Nothing IS easier SIAs snan
am informed that they are running three and half
inches pressure which Is vertable cyclone MN gas
and biz air pressure will force the gas out OF the
burner in spite OF aud care There is SOME
thing radically wrong In the way OF chargng gas ~
much as II should give you the contract for furnishing
so much cloth and had the power TO make me take
asmuoh you wanted to give me ana OF tne 9uy ra
.cheme char1ng not by measure out uy
mea'ureneIib he AHI Letter ot the law were lived VI
| 10 the reduction would save New-fOrk consumer
a. 600 600 That is the estimate OF Mr. Gardner our
scTetsry The Iaw should obuge men to charge for
burning gas OF certain quality at certain pressurr
There is no manner doubt tntt they can anord 10 1u
rih tv.ntvcsndle gas at 81 25 thousand one OF the
managers OF one OF the 0ig companies Nuo,n Jaw
Gently admitted to that his company could manu-
s.cure az 81 rs and pay centon the actnal cap
tai day Will come when you "lIa SEQ I,' soot
i~to mo cnoking department OF the household Roou
mty o cookng gas can Manufactured at MY cent.
a thousand feet. snd think accompany WILL 'o VI
| within a year for this purpose ..,s y,
There a curious thng about the measurenea's 81 ot
the Clty Gas Examiner L. G Love. lou wiz ~
All his 1bsrry ATOMS taken between tne hours
a m and D. .. the hours when the pressure Is a. AZ
minimum why don't he take the measure al VI VI :, .
oclock when all the theatres ara gonS ahu lno
ali over the city At full bastf Mnas 10 eae ~
IN dron the pressure the lowest notch uu'lHS
| day While the examiner Is at work. ana seuu - !.
! up into the hundreds at night IaSo on .no vou
| nort for the week ending June anu you W
viii see thatin no was the time OF oD'si ,s
i later that D H. Let rue show you anOtner cut,Vas
thing Even during the daytime, whIe tne & %
are ke.ping down pressure. the force mas vee
nn Inca the drop in price During the week enIint
Frbrrary 20 this year the average pressure P n LIN Me-
dvsra1 IN tne burners but 9b 10 " III ,ns s ni @
tual and for the week ending June iVo T 70 ~. Msre
FOR lbe week ending June II lO2 ana Iva. 90 - ar
ran measure for the Kending February ~ Nss o
70 so June s. 10 TO II aud June II 80 10 40, 90
wnuld he Interesting know how high the pressure XVI
| at o'clock" ,. .ho ,aaa that any
,h1,s hnr ares. OF weather aud lack or ECONOMY
mn aas bills ia secuted. The secretary OF .no az
Spnnanv s,iI. All know Is that our recrlplo az
much anal er than last year at this time. Asls
! can furnish good gas at 81 20, ana propose uoi "
THE CENTENARY or FOhILA'D'