Evening journal., 1889-04-04
THE LYING GAS METER.
Reduced Rates Make Higher Gas Bills.
General Complaint About the Bills for

Reduced Rates mAhe hisheF ~"7 Di9.
General Complaint About the Bills for
Last Quarter.
The Wilmington Coal Gas Company
cont ont its hills Yesterday and Tuesday
for gas consumed during the quarter
ending April /, and to day the air is full
Of mutterings and complaints against the
company for the increased size ot the
bills over all previous ones.
The complaint is general; nearly every
ones bill is higher than that for the cor
responding quarter of last year, in spite
of the reduction from $1.50 to 81. 80 per
thousand feet. The notoriously lying gas
meter has got in its work during the last
three months in greater ratio than ever
before. The bills for gas con-
sumed in private residences and
stores alike. considering the reduced
rate, run. on an average, ten per cent. or
more than last year, and in many cases
exceed those of of the quarter ending
January l, which contained the shortest
DAYS of the year and the Christmas holi-
days Nearly every bill shows that more
feet of gas has been consumed than for
the same quarter last year.
An EVENING JOURNAL reporter circu-
lated among few of the Market street
merchants this morning with the follow
result:
L. Harry johnson, of johnson & Barn
hill, said his personal bill and the store
bill was higher than for the correspond
ing quarter of last year.
Lichtenstein & Hart complained that
their bill was exhorbitant. They had
not had time to compare it with last
years, however
George II. Brown, manager Of the
Postal Telegraph Company, said that the
bill for the telegraph company was higher
than for last quarter when the short
days caused the gas to be lighted early
in the days
Joseph w. Coley, with the Harlan
Hollingsworth Company, and j. Franz
Higgins, freight agent Of the B. & o. Z
r.. were impressed by the size of thei
bills. but had not compared them witt
last years.
Robert L. Russell OF Russell, Missime
& Co.. stated that his firms bill was i
per cent. higher than last y sr's.
William NJ Pyle's bill was about tn
same as that for the same quarter o
last year The number OF feet con
sumed for the last quarter of 1888 a
given by the bill, was 500 feet less thar
the quarter just ended The last quar-
ter Of 1888 contained the holidays and
greater number Of hours in which ga
was burned.
j. +. Thomas showed his bills for tn
corresponding quarters Of 1887 and 1885
For 1887 the bill was $11.25; 1885
S13. %; 1887, S1377. The number 0
feet for the quater ending April wa
greater than that for the quarter endin
T January /.
, Adam Grubb & Sons bill is 40 cent
I higher than for the same quarter las
year.
The bill of c. W. Edwards of thi
7 paper for 1891 $14i that for 1888 wa
Z $1,000
r Joseph Tatnall, of the Ninth ward. sal
he had not noticed any great differenC
{ in the gas bills, but he noticed that th
t gas was very poor and fiickering.
S Joseph Dent Of Sherwin & Sons, jev
elery store said that the gas bill at h
home was much larger this quarter tina
! for the same quarter last year.
. A well known real estate lawyer sa
n Eyes, have noticed that as the priI
~ per foot goes down, the bill comes u
The light is poor, it must be cause
y either by water in the gas or too high
r pressure, and possibly the meters do n
Y, register properly. | have noticed th
I'd the more electric lights that come in
IA use the more money the gas compani
IN make.
'ff Hawkins & Company, No. 712 Marl
street are mad. They have not used
much gas this quarter as that of Il
(. year, so says Mr.. Wiley, but the bill
SO higher. They have secured estimat
2 from the Electric Company and will pI
badly put in electric light shortly.
es The attention of the reporter W
ct called to a private house where. last ye
for the first quarter, FIVE gas lights We
, in use This year but one was used, a
u the bill was 81 more
d. Adams g. Brother have been closi
early three nights in the week of la
hs while last year for the correspond
lg quarter they kept open late each mig
L.. The bill this quarter is as large if 1
IL larger, than that of the correspond
sl quarter last year.
VI. w. D. Phillips, the -four and feed m
1t, chant at the corner of Fourth a
y; French streets, found his bill ma
". larger, when he had used a good deal Il
lie, gas than he did last year.
A. Dr. ]. H Simms at Fourth and hi
&c streets had used less gas, yet had
e. larger bill than last year.
ge c. S. Middleton, grocer at Fourth 8
". King streets thought he had used
hn same amount of gas, but had lar
IT, gas bill.