The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-26
GAS COMPANIES REPLY.
TELL LEGIsLATORs THEY CAN'T
no BUSINESS At A 81 RATE.

bartlett Calls . Halt In the Raid on Capital
and vested Risht.-Other Protests Made,
ALBANY, Feb. 25.-The Senate Committee or
Miscellaneous Corporations, which has the Can
tor bill In charge for providing dollar gas In New
work. city, learned several things to-day about
The vas question which hadn't been called Ia
their attention by the experts" hired by the
senior and junior exponcnts OF the new Journal
ian. who have monopolizcd the time OF tho com
mittec heretofore. They learned. in the first
nlace. that the passage Of the Cantor bill would
preyent the various New York gas companies
nom doing business at any profit whatsoever.
They learned, also. that its passage would neces'
,itatc a reduction In wages to the workmen EN-.
Moved by the gas companies. who are among
Tho best paid and best treated laborers in the
community.
Thcy learned that the agitation started by the
new Journals and their rival professors" was
assisting the Lexow trust hunters In their work
Of intimidatins capital and paralyzing industry,
with the immediate prospect Of bringing distress
upon the laboring class. They learned that the
Gas companies, instead Of being In the hands OF
a few operators, numbered their stockholders by
thousands. They learned that instead Of being
parties to a combination. the various companies
are in active competition.
When the representatives Of tho gas COM
panies failed TO appear at the hearing last week.
through u misunderstanding as to tho date,
Senator Cantor and the members Of the commit
tee were for disciplining thom severely, even to
refusing them a hearing, unless they made sat
isiactory excuses. Chairman Brown. who is q
farmer and lives in oneonta. whore the
price OF gas Is $3.50. wrote letters to
them informing them OF the indignation
OF the committee and intimating that IL
they didn't apologize they wouldn't DO
heard. Apparently the committees offended
dignity had been restored since last week and tho
counsel FOR the gas companies were not made to
tremblc in their boots. The only one who referred
10 the matter at all was Congressman Franklin
Bartlett. who appeared for the East River Gas
Company. and who said he would have preferred
coming last week II he had not been informed
that the hearing had been postponed.
When the committee was called to order tho
two professors spread out their tables and
statistics regarding the price OF gas in Oshkosh
and Bavaria, and Senator Cantor proceeded to
offer some amendments to his bill. One OF these
was made necessary by the prospect OF the pas
sage OF the Greater New York charter. 1t speci-
fed the Mayor, Comptroller, and Corporation
Counsel as the commission to regulate the oper-
alton OF the gas companies. Another amend
ment provided for an investigation by these
officials into the quality and price OF gas.
The first speaker against the bill was F. +.
Thurbcr. He said he had no association with
any gas company, but appeared as a gas con-
umer and as one who had taken a leading part
h the movement by which the price OF gas was
reduced in 1885 from sl.75 to . 1925. Tho profit
q the companies, he said. was not now exces-
dve. Comparisons that had been made by the
experts" with prices in such places as Pitts
bur d and Wheeling were very unjust, owing TO
the difference in the price OF coal. In Pittsburgh
and Wheeling it cost from IS cents to $50. In
New York it cost from $3.50 to 1915. The value
Of real estate and the price paid for labor wero
also much greater in New York.
"A corporation" he said. rs simply an aggre-
cation OF small partners who rely on the sense Of
Justice OF the American people for freedom from
the confiscation OF their investments. 1t Is en-.
titled to profits at least as great as those derived
from q private business. The demand for cheap
sr gas Z not the result .Sds q a public need or based
vestmcnt Of capital in this State to the newt.
able detrimento Of labor, There is a spirit abroad
date capital, and It should be checked"
When Mr.. Thur6er had finished. the expert"
hired n, d, BY one "si Sf tss ne new journals n gathered gP
the air of prosecuting attorney. He began to
ask Mr.. Thurber questions about the affairs OF
aid that he was not cSncerned in any. OF
course. he wasn't able to answer the questions,
and. after two or three. Chairman Brown, who
was nominally in charge Of the hearing, inter-
at isn't practicable" he said, "for nrl these
Gentlemen to be cross-examined by the 'ex-
'"Oh, but it is very important that the commit.
Tee should hear the answers TO these questions"
Il would suggest, said +. r.. Coudert. who
was present as the representative OF the Equita-
as there iis% 10 b. be t Conducted By se nnni1ra rsn.
TOT, the father OF this bill. The trouble with the
experts Is that the more they know about tho
,oSseGt the more dangerous they are In respect
Chairman. Brown had evidently been i'm
RTsssed sy the alleged Importance q the aues-
Vow, then, said the expert. to Mr.. Thur
oer, can you tell me what was the consumption
Mr. Thurber confessed that he couldn't.
IN, po you know, pursued the .sfper, that
row a; they were when the price OF gas was
NJ. Thurber wasn't informed on that point,
s.ssso; d aSs an . st tEs p SS% sno" and Il esss psTi
SS. e.: bartlett wa. heard pe.t. II
saas extraordinary Proceedings by which these
NE public demand for this legislationi You are
Interests and public rights. Have you received
petitions from citizens and taxpayersi Relief Is
sked Tor only by two newspapers. / believe the
people OF New York would rather have the legit-
innate rights OF corporations safeguarded than
70 have any such legislation. Has any evidence
q excessive charges been adduced before
TOUT eommittecf Have any witnesses APP
poaiodl All you have are the statements
u THESE two experts regarding what has been
aone IN other cities and by other legislative In
.esugatlons. Now. what has been shown by
tnemI only certain facts in our favor. They
Sv.ve conceded that the quality OF gas In New
Aelk Is the best in the United States. II has
Lso been conceded that the business Is con.
yySc.ed as fairly and honestly as any business.
Soat comes the question OF value, which they
1tsuue TO base, not upon the worth OF gas to
ne consumer. but upon its cost to the manufac-
,hSier' These experts evidently want to repeal
,aeLAw which regulates capitalization according
".ne iair and reasonable value OF the property.
\ claim that the East River Gas Company
XII Il contract which would be violated by this
~; ~ Is bound under Its charter TO pay 3 per
en- 70 The sinking fund OF New York city. In
Tensueration OF that condition 1t would be UNI
mahi unjust TO reduce the price OF gas. We
inMIo ~ mat The desire OF those who are behind
~ ol Is municipal ownership. This they now
~ accomplish by making IL impos.
sIT' ,Inpf the companies to sell gas ut
toL mus in the end IL would amount
-opnhScdtlOn. The result would BIO that tho
ouu1liess would be thrown into politics. We
nt III iht experience OF Philadelphia with mu.
r%ipai ownership. We know the history OF her
~ ring, Under That avatem evcrVthin1