New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-12
THOUSANDS WASTED IN GAS.
IyNOCCUPIED SPACES OF NEW-UTRECHI
BRIGHTLY ILLUMINATED.
LAMPS THAT SHINE ONLY on POTATO AND CAB
RAGE F1EIDs-THE OPERATIONS OF THE FUR
GIIESON RING-LAWS PASSED oN ihH
o1-IET''-CoNTRACTs MADE AND EN-
TENDED-Is THIS WASTE THAT
CAN BE PREVENTED?

rENDEp-rs THIS WASTE THAT
CAN Re PREVENTED
II ,o,,,ca, econon,v there is supposed to be some
relationship between demand and supply but 'hat
principle has been cast TO the WINDS III the eoo'os
or tho reyerse-practlsed by Supervisor Cornelius
Furgue3on in furnishing the town Oh -'e"-
With street flashlights New-Utrecht Is now In
transition state In point of fact II IL warh Oh
Brooklyn, having become such on July l. III sunni
respects however II still retains It's character
as n town of Kings County. for II IL not yet iui'S
under the control OF the city government "a. '''
purposes of this narrative IT VIII DE cohs''e'''
wholly as town. the transactions 10 w ~
lated all occurred while 1t was stlii a low" !"
both fact and name. .
NowI-,rech, is trayersed by various railroads.
steam and trolley which carry passengers 10 anu
in the direction of Coney Island. Any one PaSS''s
over one OF these lines at night would have H''ie
doub, that he was travelling through a fairly dense
" populated part OF Brooklyn. on every manu- gas
,amns are seen to twinkle OF course one naturally
reflects where there Is so much light there h'uS'
be a large number OF people Long lines or glitter
ing lamps stretch away in every direction. ana
the only surprise awakened BY the phenomenon Is
that they should be so clearly visible a"ho"e '''
houses which they presumably must illuminate
Should he travel the same or one OF the o''e'
lines by daylight, however he will see ina, as
rule these stree; lamps illuminate Only waste an"
empty spaces Here and there Is house 10 De
cure hut the number OF houses Is insignificant COM
pared with the prodga number OF street lights
Streets barely opened are lined on both s'oes WI"
lamps Literally. potato feds. corn ne.os anu eau
bage fields lighted up Some or the lamps are 80
hidden by bushes and In regions not yet cieaeu
I'D as TO be bic only at distance or ie" iee'
In other cases they cast a rich gov upon an o'her
wise desoate and unattractive sandbank street
without lamps in New-Utrecht Is exceptional On
every hand there signs OF the most reckless eN
travagance in the erection OF street lights ana the
traveller cannot but reflect on the bo.dness OF the
politicians who must be responsible FOR such wah'oh
waste of the peoples money.
THE FURGUESON RING.
or course the politicians held responsible. and
those not thoroughly familiar with the neghbor'
hood may think that here are numerous evidences
of the unbridled extravaganza OF the brooklyn
ring But the Brooklyn ring. while 1t has many
sins 10 answer for cannot be held responsible Tor
the use OF gas in the town of New-ttrecht on
scale that would not be surpassed were the popu-
laton twenty times what II is. ring OF smaller
dimensions but one which has been modelled pretty
closely after the big controlled by Boss Nc
Laughlin for may years. Is really responsive TOT
the urrestrained extravaganza which mas bceh
practised in New-t'trecht 1t has all been done
under the forms OF law, OF course. but the law
was passed and amended so quietly. and with 80
little knowledge the part OF those Interested as
TO what going on. that the thing was done
before any one except .he chief actors knew what
had taken place. The history OF the Town Board
OF Improvements and the Kings County Gas and
Illuminating Company is an interesting one.
During the session OF 1858 bill was passed estab-
fishing a Board Of improvements FOR the town OF
New Utrecht to consist OF the supervisor, one
member appointed by the Supervisor one appointed
by the Justices OF the Peace. by The Assessors
OF the town. and bv the Commissioners ~ High
ways That looks like a fair division 81 the appoint
ing power and would seem 20 insure "A representa-
tive board Blu, when II Is remembered that the
appointing officials 10 all intents and purposes
creatures Of Boss Firgueson. the matter assumes
a different aspect
The act further provided that on the petition Of
majority Of the freeholders along any highway the
Board should establish and maintain Ras district
the contract for supplying gas 20 he let only after
ADVERTISING and - be awarded TO the lowest bid
der This bill was submitted 10 a town meeting in
August, 1855 and was accepted by the people. The
next winter It was amended by striking out the pro-
Whom requiring "A petition OF taxpayers before gas
district created. thus vastly Increasing ne
power Of the Board Of improvements on D"cem-
Der 10 lsss the Kings County Gas and Illuminating
Company was Incorporated with capital Of 800
600 and with "A charter 20 extend for NIFTY years
Az ELASTIC CONTRACT.
The Board OF Improvements made up OF SUI
pervisor Furgueson j. Lott Nostrand. Justice John
Kecgan the latter being Furguesons private secre-
,ary II proceeded TO make contract with the
Kings County Gas and Illuminating Company TO sup
ply stree, lamps AT SIS year-a price far In excess
OF the amount paid to gas companies In cities Ike
New-York and brooklyn. There was In fact, no
competition for the contract. as there was no other
gas company in the field. Another amendment OF
the law followed and this time Il was provided that
the cos, OF the gas should he a charge upon the
whole town. and not upon the property Immediately
benefited. This opened the way for The erection OF
street lamps on an enormous scale. FOR the people
became impressed with the idea that II they had 10
nav for the gas they might az we'll get some benefit
from II themselves: they also thought that their
property nigh; be benefited to some extent and tho
chances OF selling II Increased II II was lighted In
regular city fashion. "If pay for gas" they said.
I'VE want gas"
The contract with the gas company was originally
made for ten years. but under the amended act the
ten years restriction was abolished and the CON
tracts already made confirmed. The plans OF
the ring who OF course. controlled the gas company
and were preparing to put enormous profits into
their pockets. were thus copper fastened. ana the
we're now complete The work Of erecting lamps
went rapidly In the budget OF lss? the gas appro
Tastng the tax rate from ,7 % s.! per 5000 In
1893 the appropriation was rnised to '2ooD for ~
town and supplying them with gas lights went rap
idly on and stii further to tighten its hold upon
contract with the gas company for fifteen years.
90 that II Will run until 1915. This was done at
meeting which j. Lott Nostrand old not attend;
ne afterward said that he should have opposed the
proposition had he been present.
Now Il must be remembered. In order to appreci-
ate the enormity OF the inquity for which the
Furgueson ring responsible, that by the Federal
Census OF 1880 the population OF New-ttrecht was
only 1894 and by the State Census OF 1892 9.l29.
The town is now part OF brooklyn. but the con
tract with the Kings County Gas and Illuminating
Company Is still In force. and will remain so for
twenty one years to come Apparently there Is no
OF IL n
tract unless the evidence OF fraud and corruption
In the awarding OF IT is overwhelming. 1t Is posi-
BILE that a suit may be brought by taxpayers In
the future determine whether this useless burn
ing OF gas In wild and waste places far from the
centres OF civilization and population is not
waste In the sense that the law can take hold
OF IL and restrain II. II would be interesting. at
all events to have all the facts connected with
the organization OF the gas company and the
clo Ia