New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-24
NEW FORKS BIG GAS COMPANIES
BILLIONS OF CUBIC FEET ANNUALLY con-
fyrMED- ENORMOUS GASOMETERS FOR
STORAGE-COMPETITIO AND con-
soLiDATION 80 THE PRICE
SITUATION.

III every large city the systems for lighting
NAV an important part. New-York, with its
thousands Of stores. houses and apartments It's
manufacturing plants warehouses and Office
buildings pays out annually millions and mill
ions of dollars To-. the gas ii consumes. There
are several companies engaged in manufacture
ing the product, and the patronage or the city
is divided among them. Ore Of the tendencies
OF the present time is consolidation. and In TINS
respect the gas companies are leaders. vi ''e
many companies started in the city, 1haJor'!
of them have been merged into the rev DIG
companies which now control Inc bus'hess
There has been considerable agitation among
local and state politicians at various tines look
ing toward regulation of gas rates on inc
basis of 81 thousand feet. The dollar gas
cry rang out for a short time only III soi'e
I'D xb4lr other II was smo.herel al Albany. The
present price is 81 - a thousand feet when Is
about as near the dollar limit mark as could be
asked for There are certain ind\ EQUALS VINO
look upcn any and al! gas companies as a
monopoly Of monopoles and If they could have
their way the companies would be required to
furnish their produc. 10 the consumer for Hoin-
inc Rut the stockholders OF the companies
rro,est that they are not in the business Tor
their health. and that the pr Gifts row mace are
on a fair basis for the amount Q! rapl'"l III.
emf fan there have been repeated runlors tndt
! one or two Of the big gas ccnI anieS hao begun
a gas war This meant tnat tnc cCns'"c
wac Ia he the gamer until one or Tue other ~
~ two comma 1ies. gave up the lshi. Soiioi-
tors OF the two companies it was related. niaos
n house TO house canvass. Offering ranges ann
gas radiators free OF charge, making an one,
OF rewards 70 the ianitor OF fats II he succeeded
in getting customers for the company. ana otnt
inducements more or less enticing. me electric
lighting companies also created niue muir!
early In the fall lN announcing that by reduc-
ing rates they would try 20 compete WIN some
OF the gas companies in specia lines OF business
Ike the lighting Of dwellings and small stores.
All I'm all the gas companies nav" ti''iI ne"us
fujI AT the present day. There seefis 10 ne no
~nestion regarding the profits or the gas CON
nIes II the Stock Exchange quotations counl
ANYTHING. A glance at the Trices OF tn'S
rnjng will show that gas stock IS among t"e
best In the market. -, 80
RE amourt of capital invested in these Sc
curities is estimated at about AfWr"VD
Only within the last year or so there Sas IN
cornorated al Aibarv new gas conf any WIZ"
canital of over $20002O00. The numerous
Easometers Of the dineIent pia AM, .anh There
.ns ,,"re Than twenty OF these in New
vork alone to say nothing Of those IN brookiyn
- ,ha other portions OF the city OF New-i ork
~. arsest one Of these is located al avenue ~
nd Twelfth-st II is built OF steel is ~ zee.
IN diameter and has storage caraci. VI
= - -n0 0rl cuhic feet In 1896 when the p'ice o'
90 was 81 - according To ieG'siauNe ma.
-. n was estimated that the alnua, cooi'
,,ort,on I'm Nev-York amounted 10 i"o9VuU,
011 cubic feet Since thar tihe .iie 49,, chr
-, criee and the active competition a'hohf wv
III p'I, have caused these figures 10 s"e'
.,s,x This has also been Sfoed ns t"'
~ ~ Gas ranges and gas RADIATORS: 'ne M, M,
~ Of which has been Pnsnen fN'eiS'n ;,o /,
lumber OF meters ia use at me pres'"' ""' ~