New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-08-06

! its franchise. but a large amount of cash o''V
But the crusade did not end here. The ras
which is generally understood TO represent ~
Standard Gil people, combined for their own nro
lection, forming trust or what IL known az IN
Detroit Gas Company, and listed four millions -
the capital stock and two millions vi the consoii
dated first mortgage per cent twenty -fve-yea,
gold bonds on the New-York Stock Exchange In
q financial paper announcing this consolidation -
wus stated That the net earnings for the precedips
wear of the Detroit Gaslight Company had beess
1920 so; that of the Mutual Gas COMPANY
SI01 ,337 a3 and that Of the Michigan Gas Com,
Iany, Sl6s,376 II, total of S3S3,0 23 Tia
officers of the new company wcTr Wiliam G. M
MILAN, president: Frank =. Byrnc, vice-president:
John lyrne of No. "a Wall-st New-York, treas.
urcr. and John c. Donnclly, secretary. The an.
nouncement of this consolidation promptly
sczcd upon by the Mayor az evidence Of another
violation Of the original agreement between the
city and the Mutual Gas Company. Professor
Kent was employed TO examine the law on ths
nuestion by the Mavor, afl he reported that tina
consolidation was illegal, and that the city WA
in position 10 refuse to allow this new concern
10 Law pipes unless il obtained new franchise
from the city. In other words, that the fran
chi.cs granted TO the individual companies cannot
Inc transmitted TO the consolidated concern
TAKING THE LAW IN HIS OWN HANDS.
The trust of course, took different view and
proceeded to lay pipe, or rather, connect the pipes
Of the old Detroit Gashght Company and the
Mutual Gasight Company. The Mayor tried to
cot ont an Injunction restraining them but Judge
Reilly refused TO grant it. Instead of quietly
sitting down under this ruling of the Court, tho
Mayor fortified by the advice of the City Counsel,
determined to prevent the proposed action of tho
cas- companies regardless or the Courts failure to
assist him. On the lith of last month gang Of
lal,0rers was sent by the Gas Trust 10 tear up the
street, 10 connect the mains. rs soon they aD-
pcarcd on the ground the Mayor ordered the Board
Of Public Works 10 forbid any work of the kind
and
the pOard of Public Works - any extent n,ccs-
-ary. His orders obeyed. The laborers had
no sooner begun TO lift the paving blocks than
Tie poice were them ard marched them off 70
the station house.
Tho gag companies attorneys protested violently,
hut TN" gas mains still remain unconnecte1, and
now the trust is talking about compromise. Tho
Mayor met them promptly on this ground. as he
has the street railroads, declaring that he was not
DESTROYS of driving any one ont Of business. but
on the contrary he was an XiOus to have the cor.
porations that had been doing business continue 70
90 30 if they would only regard the interests u
the city. A. indicating his feeling this point
i this extract from his message to the Common
Council
Now that your honorable body has taken de-
cisve action in repeang ordinances which have
been Violated in spirit and i" et s and nd IN reyGk
arises, What is the sensible and bnsinessllke
II thpd 10 pursue in adjusting this important mat
ter i'm the interests % the whole people? The
Detroit Gas Company has bought two manIfactur.
ing pants and large amount of pipe in the
.'rrts. and j. therefore in better position 10
give satisfactory service 10 IN" public II II so de-
sir,~. than any new company. which would have
10 tear up our good pav"mcntS = lay new pipes,
would be. Therefore WIZ would il not lie Wise
Cor yOnr honorab" body 10 pass an or finance 2iv-
ing III" Detroit Gas Company the right 10 lay i's
IiD,s in the streets. under such conditions a. viii
fully protect consumers from cXtOrtion and tho
public from Inconvenience in the tearing up It
streets, etc, and provide therein thai the ord-
nance sha1 have force unless accepted by tie
company within certain time? The idea that
the gas company must be conferred with before an
ordinance the subject is adopted by your hon.
orable body j. pr,posterous The company will
never show its hand and make public how much
Of concession it will give to the city until It'd
city submits "A proposition by which il will b9
legally bound If the company wiz not accept
UGH an ordinance. fixing reasonable rltos for tho
'upr Of - ard rca>cn'hlc proyision' for the
pr :"c.ion ~ coG~uilo'Y go 1 t. public. then an
orGing &c ~iOulI Ia grantr to the new company,
whose petition il mentioned above. or 70 soma
other company, authorizing il TO lay pipes and
supply gas under the conditions as to rates which
are therein specified
SENSATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS.
The fight with the electric company was even
more sensational. The Detroit Electric Light and
Power Company had the exclusive field here but
its price has been high and service exceedingly
unsatisfactory It's contract expired July l. A
year or two ago the Michigan Legislature passed
a law enabling towns TO own lighting plants but
company. Mayor Pincrce, becoming convinced
that there would lie no competition for city
contract, went to the last Legislature and after
a hard struggle succeeded in getting the limi-
tations removed. 4 bitter fght followed in the
Common Council. which wa, found 10 be con.
troliod by the electric light people The local
manager of the company made the effort of his
lie Talk about bribery was plentiful. Tia
Mayor made a gallant fight, but the Council vas .
against him, and the electric light charter was
certain - he renewed by the influence OF money.
On the night th1t the Council 10 moCa -
grant the company new charter. there was
general feeling of gloom on the part OF all goot
citizens. such a feeling a. prevailed in New-lors
when the Broadway charter was granted. IL was
openly stated that the sum paid 10 each Alder.
man who accepted bride was $500. The Alayor,
however has been exceptionally fortunate. When
a situation has been most desperate something
has invariably developed in his favor. and this
electric light contest proved another Illustration
of his remarkably good luck one of the Alder
men came TO him in the afternoon and stated thai
he had been approached by Fitzgerald. the mana
ger of the electric light company, and that ne
flying himself that the Alderman was telling tho
truth the Mayor swore out warrant for ttI-
gcralds arrest. saw that it was executed. ana,
taking the money, went into the meeting OF ths
COMMON Council as soon a. II had b"en cdllrd
to order. The Aldermen looked up with some
surprise. feeling which was intensified when ne
mounted the platform and boldly declared h Inas
offered brbe by the electric light companys
manager.
SOME REMARKABLE VICTORIES.
The members looked at each other In alarm.
The guilty men were aghast One Of the
oldest said. Name the Alderman" The
Mayor did So His action like thunder'
)olt. There was an immediate reversal of po-
'tion the part of the Aldermen all along the
ine and they fliry scrambled over one another
n their efforts TO vote right They were afraid
o deliver the goods which they had sold. for
while the Mayor was talking the accused manager
lad been lodged In the police station. The evl-
lence against him was not sufficient in the
opinion of the court to secure his conviction, bus
sufficient for the Mayors purposes The
!. Ill