New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-30
The News OF Brooklyn
GAS QUESTIONS TO BE HEARD IN ALBANY
ON JULY Is.
COUNSEL. IN THE LESTER APPLICATION TO THE
ATTORNEY-G ENERAL SAYS HARD THINGS
ABOUT THE COMBINATION.

ABOUT THE COMBINATION.
Albany y. Y. June 2s-Attorney General Han
cock has set hearing a: noon, July 20, on the
application OF John c. Lester that ne begin
action 10 annu the Charters OF the seven Brooklyn
gas companies under the name Of the brooklyn
Union Gas Company. Paul :. Defare and Charles
w. Hyde. of Brooklyn. representing the petitioner.
appeared before the Attorney General to-day under
the impression that hearing would be had at
once. The Attorney General. however conferred
with Bergen & Dykman, OF Brooklyn attorneys
for the company who asked for delay. which WAS
granted.
Mr. Hyde in referring to the application, said:
The seven gas companies in Brooklyn were con-
solda,ed time into single company
under the name Of the Brooklyn Union Gas Com
pany Previous thereto the individual companies
had charged an average rate OF 20 cents Tor INV
cubic feet for gas in Brooklyn After the COM
bination the consolidated company took adVah-
tage Of the law which allows charge OF 81 % per
Loo feet in Brooklyn. Tie Brooklyn Union Gas
Company had a capital Of N5,Oo0oo0. and Issued
bonds to a like amount. all but $4,000 OF which
was exchanged for the stocks and bonds OF the N,
comnaues into one corporation forms most
fragrant abuse of the anti-nonopoy Jaws oi ~ ~.
tho nurn,se Of Increasing the profits Of Individual
companies through cooperation ana the absence "a
Mr. Lester is citizen OF Brooklyn and this
application requests the Acknowledgment 10 pe5.1
e
companies and to restrain the consohdateu cor,
loration from continuing business on me gronni
hat they are violating the law to prevent restraint
Of trade and increase or price
The lawyers who going to attempt 10 make
things unpleasant for the Brooklyn-C Mon Company
have been a; work for four or five months gath'i-
ing evidence presentation TO the Atiorrey-'ien
sral and for his use This evidence not only shows
that these seven companies were combined on NO
vember 4 but that since then they have exhlhtei
many Of the symptoms OF a trust. For instance
there is evidence to the effect that WHERE two or
more of these companies have parallel lines in
given street. and consumer has requested 10 he
supplied by one Of the companies. he was told that
gas was provided along that street by ano'h'9
company only. and that they Were all one no."
The evidence Will show that when tn" companies
were competing gas furnished to the c.tiz"nS
of Brooklyn as low figure as % cents a tnou-
sand fe-t and the city at 90 cents or less. ah'
that since the combination the price has risen %
81 % Evidence has been gathered which SHOWS
that the quality Of gas Il inferior since lbs com
bnatiOn went into effect strong point mas been
made Of the fact that since the combination went
into effect the advertising for bids FOR city lighting
has become mere farce The of nee when IS
charged against the organizers Of tn, Brooklyn
imprisonment Chapter e67. OF the laws OF lse"
permits the Attorney General to bring an Injunction
suit in cases Of this kind. and sections lbs AMI
l.799 Of tic civil code give him power "a proc
for the annulneNt Of the charters OF corporations
combining Illegally