The sun., 1896-12-09
THE ALDERMEN'S GAS DAY.
FUEL Gas FRANCHIsE ToTBD
AWAY CHEAP, 30 TO 4.
The Grant Supposed to 30 Void ana
Litigation Invited-An Hands Vote to
INQUIRE Into tho Feasibility or the City
Going Into thn (an. Ru.tns,, Ht..tc


INQUIRE Into tho Feasibility or the City
SoinE Into tho Gas Business Itself.
Yesterday was gas day in tho Aldermon's
| chamber. Alderman Olcott led off by intro
| ducinE resolution calling for the appoint tment
| OF n committee OF seven to investigate the
| whole subject of the cost of the manufacture of
| illuminating gas. with tho view TO the acquire
mont bv the city of the plants of the Consoli-
dated and other companies. and the days sos
sion wound UP with vote of 20 TO to grant a
franchise to tho Consumers Fuel Gas, Heat
and Power Company to tear up tho citys streets
and lay gas mains Tho passage OF the rcsolu-
tion was accomplished after three hours talk
There were long talks by Alderman Goodman
and President Joroloman, who left the chair
to raise his voice against the scheme. and short
talks by Aldermen Ocott. Hall. Ware and
Parker. with incidental Interruptions and qucs-
tions by Aldermen Noonar, Good win. and sew
eral others. The field of discourse was wide,
embracing in Its range the rights of the rich
and the poor. and the beauties and defects of the
franchise granted to the Hucklebcrry road. As
to the gas company. the CORPORATION Counsel
had given two opinions to the effect that tho
Board of Aldermen has no power TO make such
4 grant. and Justice Smyth, when he dismissed
tho application for an Injunction restraining
tho Board from doing 1t, stated that, while the
Court could not presume that the Aldermen
were about to act corruptly, aud II was not
y
to the Boards power to give the privilege to
any one.
The report of the Committee on Lamps and
Gas. OF which Aldermen Schilling, Goodman,
Hackett. Noonan. and O'Brien are the MEM
bers. was In favor of granting the franchise TO
the Consumers Company upon the conditions
that the manu- featuring plants OF the concern
be erected under the supervision OF the Board
Of iealth; that gas be supplied TO all persons
residing doing business on the line of mains
ut q rrice not greater than 40 cents thousand
the city 40 cents pnch lirenl font n ~
torn up; That it pay bonus OF $4,000 into
the, city Treasury; that it shall not consolidate
with any other company for ten years; that IL
shall supply gas to public buildings for 70 cents
a Thousand, and that 1t will give bonds to tho
Comptroller for the proper pei formunre of tho
work. There are lot of otlcr st!pulntions.
Alderman Halls amendment to comuel tho
ury five per cent. OF its gross receipts was lost
by vote OF % to 3. His motion that the
franchise oe sold at public auction to the high
est bidder was lost hy the same vote. Alder:
man Hall then moved that the consent granted
In the franchise be limited to twenty years,
and he was again defeated.
President Jeroloman said the compensation
to the city was too little. As he put II:
that committee. il he owned the streets and IL
paItry sum Of SIS 900 and 20 cents a foot Tor
chise is worth S5o. 900. 600, ard we propose-to
600. 600 - ''' ''''' ava 'N
Alderman olco,t said that ho had become
convinced .tnnC luel ElS would De u great boon
TO the people Of the city. but he had crave
doubts as to the Boards right TO grant the
privilege.
was probably - Iacing itself in n position OF
denance', hy passing tho franchise. Never
Aldermen might have an opportunity to have
their power defined by the courts.
price for the definition il the courts decided
that the granting of the franchise Is legal
said Alderman Ware.
MD I'm a,D1a nttt-hf
to be thnnktul for the opportunity to give this
privilege TO that company"
OF the Board who vo,ed against granting tho
franchise 10 the Consumers Comn9ny were
and Ware. The twenty-sx who voted Tor it
were Aldermen Brown. Burke. Campbell. Clan
GE s Ge h 9pnb1
SshiiIins. School; TAFT, Windolsh. Wines,
In the preamble OF his resolution to inves.i-
gate the subject OF gas making. Alderman
health. and comfort of every citizen that each |
inhabitant OF the city should have an oppor- |
1nny to to- ohnin the best and light and
The formation of the gast trust" he con-
tinuei. illustrates The futiiity OF expecting
lishment Of competing companies. This nu- |
nicipaty has rallied to secure cheap street |
tive bids it ba. been the invarinble expert |
once that there Is not real competition. but |
the dtNhrent companies appOrt1on among |
themselves the different districts OF the city"
Tie res solution. which was unanimously |
adopted, directs the President OF the Board TO !
APPOINT a committee Of seven 10 make thor |
ough investigation of the feasibility and the |
practica bility OF nunicipal ownership OF gas |
plants, the cost OF making gas as now carried |
on by the existing companies. the price at !
which the city could deliver gas to consumers, |
together with all the material facts in connec- |
tion, Herewith that may be deemed necessary |
by the committee TO give Information to tho |
Mayor and the Board Of Aldermen. The reso- |
ution also calls for the preparation by tho |
commits OF a bill To be presented TO the !
Legislature to carry out It's recommendations. |
A number OF north side property owners pro-
tested to the Aldermen yesterday against the
rates charged for water by the water companies !
operating in tho annexed district. The protest
stated that the rate charged above the Harlem |
River was as high Rs SlS.75 year for n house
as agninst $S a year In the more compact parts
of the city. The north siders asked for in
yestigatton. and the matter was referred to tho
Committee on Law.
Alderman OlcOtts ordinance requiring the
Metropolitan Traction Company. the Third
Avenue Cable Company. and the Union Rail-
way Company to bring their cars 10 full stop
before crossing Seventh aud Eighth avenues at
Fifty-third, 10th. l2jth. ana l35th streets
was referred TO the Railroad Committee.