The morning times., 1895-08-11
How Deception by the Gas Com
pany Can Be Prevented.
AN EASY PLAN SUGGESTED
Were Published in the Morning
Lookout-Pollce Should Be More At
tentive to Reporting Dark Lamps.


has heretofore been practically keeping
its own account of their lighting and extin-
gushing OF street lamps on moonlight
nights. The Times this morning suggests
a means by which citizens can prevent de-
ception being practiced and charges made
! against the city for gas not burned
The city is furnished gas at the rate of
$2O.5O per lamp for 5000 hours of light
Ing each year. 1t was thought in June
that the Commissioners had found q law
by which terms more nearly as favorable
as obtained by other cities from their gas
companies miPht be wrung from the mo-
uopoly that dictates TO Washington
This law gave the Commissioners the
right 10 fix the price of gas for public use,
and as the law under which the contract
is made says merely that not more than
$50 so shall be paid, ii was supposed that
| the Commissioners would be at liberty to
| fix the price at any figure below $50 90.
But when the law was put before Attor-
ney Thomas he decided that il was wholly
superseded by the enactment under which
the lighting is now done, and the Commits
sioners had no discretion.
| SAME PRICE AS BEFORE.
Accordingly the terms in force for sew
eral years past were on July 1 allowed
! to continue for the current year.
As there is not money enough appropri-
ated 10 keep all the lamps lighted all night
under the eKerbitant rates thus exacted,
the Commissioners provide a schedule OF
lighting for each month which takes ad-
=,
dawn, and then on moonlight nights Super
! intendent of Lamps Allen is directed to
order the lights extinguished as soon as the
moon is up unless there are indications OF
rain. The time thus saved is credited to
| the city and is available for use at any other
| time.
| There are three means by which theautlIor-
tiles keep track of the actual time ofIighting
and extinguishing lamps. First, there
are inspectors to report when lamps are
found unlighted at hours when they are
scheduled to be lighted, and then the police
are furnished with schedules and directed
10 watch the matter and finally citizens
are expected to report lamps found unlight-
ed This works reasonably well when the
schedule is adhered to. Policemen and citi-
zens, as well as inspectors, are on the look
| Oul. anu luefe Gdll Dt uO BtHGIdl ulsTGi5dfQ
of the hours fixed
ON MOONLIGHT NIGHTS.
But when the moon shines the time of
| lighting is not named by Supt. Allen till
late in the afternoon, usually about p.
m, and then no notice is given either
! TO the police or the inspectors. If the
| night appears likely to be stormy the sched-
ule is left unchanged, and the city is charged
with the full nights burning of gas. The
| policeman, inspector, and citizen never
knows whether this is theorder or not.
1t Is an easy thing for the gas company,
| II au evening that was stormy a p. M
| becomes fair at Z, TO order the gas ex-
| tingushed in large sections Of the city,
| and thus transfer hundreds of dollars from
| the city's bank account to its own with
out furnishing any gas in return. The in
| spector and others Interested notice that
the lamps are not burning, but as the moon
| Is shining they suppose that ii is by Or
der of supt. ALIGN, and make no report.
Again, 1T very frequently happens that
| Supt. Allen orders the lamps out when ap-
pearances at O'Clock are for a fair night.
and storm comes up afterward, shroud-
ing the city in darkness, as often reported
| by The Times. So that if the lights are
out even when there is storm on
night calendared for moonlight, the mat
ter is not reported, because it is sup
posed Supt. Allen has simply been de-
| ceived again. Under these conditions the
whole account is left solely in the hands
of the gas company.
GEN. WHITAKER'S EXPERIENCE.
What the gas company is capable of doing
when left to its own devices is shown Icy
the experience OF Gen. E. w. Whitaker in
1885. A bill for IS .05 was rendered him
for January. He was sure he had not
used so much, and went to the office to
| protest. He was met with shuffling state
ments at first, but was finally assured
brazenly that his bill was correct, and he
must pay it. He was about to give up
when plan suggested itself by which he
proved that the bin rendered had been
| made out from meter that was never in
in his house at all.
| This, with other Instances, does not
prove wrong intent, but it shows a singu-
| lar carelessuess that results in a gain TO
the company. Similar carelessness, where
hundreds Of lamps are concerned, would
mean very large loss to the city.
A remedy is suggested. Let the change
IN the schedule on nights when the moon
is expected TO shine be put in the hands of
the police aud the inspectors, aud have