New-York tribune., 1896-12-11
DECK PLAN OF THE PURITAN.

latter can bid or not for the contract at its own
pleasure. This shows the hopelessness of reso-
luton like that upon which Alderman Guilfoyle
insists. directing the City Works Department to
reject all bids above 81. AS the company must
bid the same price for private consumption as
1t does for the city buildings il Is apparent to
any one that knows the ways Of trusts that the
gas company would not bid at all and nothing
would have been achieved except further delay
There is another feature of the Wray law that
is worthy Of consideration. 1t provides that con-
tractors must supply gas at lower rate than
81 % per LOCO feet for the first year and grad
uated reduction thereafter 1t has been remarked
a number of times that the best the company
could do for itself under this bid 81 "a for
the first year. 81 23 for the second year. and thus
on drop of l cent each year. But prominent
lawyer yesterday gave an opinion that there
is nothing to prevent the monopoly from bidding
81 "a 99-100 for the first year and 81 "A 9S-1O0
for the second year, and thus scaling down by
some small fraction Of a cent each year Any
body who is good at mathematics can figure out
for himself how many years 1t would take at
that rate for the city in general to get back to
the 75-cent gas that was furnished the county
buildings by the Fulton Municipal Gas Company
two years ago.
1t is not probably so much the graduating re-
duction feature of the Wray law that makes
the Trust so anxious to have it repealed as it Is
the fact that if contract be made the city can
compel the company to for the gas furnished
and then compel it to prove TO the Court the
value of the gas. 1t is this power on the part Of
the Mayor and the City Works Commissioner to
make the company prove that it's gas is worth
more than the 10 cents charged year ago that
is making the Trust unhappy. Alderman LEIGH
Lx,.~ fl<1
tention to this phase of the subject and noted
that there is practically in making a
contract now for 1896. as the courts may make
the Trust tell some interesting things about the
cost Of gas if the company is made to sue for the
gas supplied the city this year.
Much Is being said around the public build
ings these days about the motives that actuate
the slothful Committee on Electricity and Gas
and other Aldermen. Generally corporations
have a bare majority in the Board of Aldermen
when they have any majority at all. but in
this case all the Aldermen vote apparently in
the way that serves the best interests of the
corporations, except two. The fact that the
Democrats vote nearly unit may be ac-
counted for by the fact that Hugh McLaush-
lin wants them to. Mr. Mclaughlin was for
mery heavy holder Of gas stock and 1t was
never learned that he had disposed of his stock.
The present exposure of the evils suffered
because Of the existence of Gas Trust has
stirred up again a consideration Of the project
Of bringing a taxpayers suit to dissolve the
Trust, and TO nave the cnarter OF one or the
companies, whose charter contains clause
making 1t forfeited In case consolidation be
effected with any other company. annulled
Paul f. De Fere who recently attempted un-
successfully to get the Attorney-General to pro-
ceed against the Trust. has been watching the
recent course Of affairs with interest He said
yesterday:
1.-The Corporation Counsel should bring suit
for the city as consumer OF gas. / am of the
opinion that he could act without the consent
OF the Common Council. His grounds should
ho hat he been
cornered. and that the highest price allowed by
law was being charged. He should pray TO
have the combined companies and the indi-
yiduals connected with hem enjoined from con-
tinuing the monopoly
''The District-Attorney should direct the
Grand Jury to investigate this Trust, with a
view of learning whether the organizers are
not guilty of a crime. There Is certainly as
much reason for investigating this there is
for looking into the condition OF the public
buildings which is done so often by the Grand
Juries The price charged for gas is out
rageous. l had responsible engineers guarantee
10 furnish me a good quality Of gas at 30 cents
q thousand feet. 1t is no reply for the gas
monopoly to point out how much II must earn
in order to pay dividends Three-quarters OF
the stock and bonds of this company are water