Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-04
NEW YORK'S GAS WAR
People Get Benefit of Fight Between
Financial Giants.
PRICE CUT TOFIFFY CENTS YESTERDAY
Mazet Committee Prepared Now to
Make Croker Answer.
OTHER GOTHAM GOSSIP
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

NEW YORK, May g. 1899.
The city is in the throes of gas war and
the people are reaping the benefit thereof.
True, the companies may cause their meters
to work overtime in order to equalize the
cuts, but there cannot be such a manipula-
ton as to prevent gas from deriving
some benefit from the war of rates. AL
ready the large fiat houses are shutting off
their electricity and using gas 1t is cheap
er, and many of the landlords shrewd
enough to make long time contracts at the
present low rates. At the beginning of the
fight gas was 81 10 per thousand. The first
cut was to 65 cents. Today it was reduced
to 30 cents, and the end is not yet
According to current report, as to the
origin of the trouble, the Consolidated Gas
Company and the Mutual Gas Company,
controlled, respectively, by the Standard
Oil Company and the Vanderbiits, tried to
induce Russell Sage to sell his stock in the
Standard Gas Company, a rival concern so
that trust could be formed. Russell Sage
demanded too much money for his stock
Then the Mutual and Consolidated com
panies declared war and cut gas rates. The
real purpose of this reduction, say those
who know its motive, is to force all the
gas companies into a trust which shall
troll the entire production and distribution
OF gas in Manhattan, as the Brooklyn
If the trust is formed-and some of the
ablest trust promoters and controllers in
the world are said to be back of that pur-
pose-then, it is said, prices will be fixed
according to the rapacity of the monopoly
The officials of the companies which started
this rate war deny that their motive is TO
bring their rivals into a combination for
mutual protection, but the officials of those
rival corporations substantially admit that
that is the object of the attack.
Mazet COmmittee's Plans
Robert Mazet, chairman of the assembly
investigating committee has settled down
in town for all-summer siege of il and
today he is dividing the work of prepara-
ton with Mr.. Moss and Mr.. Clarke, the
committees counsel. The appropriation
of $50 600 for our committee" says Mr.. Ma
yet, will make no change in our style of
conducting the investigation. We will not
add any large force to that already en-
ployed, and we hope to keep our expenses
inside OF the appropriation. Some of the
members of the legislature tried to keep
the appropriation down to SO 900 but they
failed. Governor Roosevelt is very deeply
interested in our work. and have had sew
eral talks with him about it. We all go
right on to a finish. The up-country mem
bers of the committee have been informed
that it will not be necessary for them TO be
here until about May IA. We will hold sew
eral preparatory meetings before our open
sessions begin on May 49,
1t Is stated today on what appears to be
excellent authority that Richard Croker,
when he returns from England in August,
will be compelled to answer the questions
which he refused to answer for the Mazet
investigation committee last month, or else
a determined effort will be made to send
him to Jail Prior to the adjournment of
the Legislature last week the powers of the
Mazet committee were extended especially
with a view to bringing Croker to time"
This resolution gives the committee full
power to inquire into the matters which
Mr. Croker and friends refused to answer
Clothed with this new authority the MaZet
committee not only will ask Mr.. Croker
what questions he refused to answer be-
fore, but, it is claimed. will bring contempt
proceedings and urge the next assembly to
put the Tammany leader and every other
recaicitrant witness in jail.
Prize Fighting Trust.
There are all sorts of trusts these days,
but the latest thing in that line is a prize
fight trust The Tammany leaders of Man
haitian and the Bronx are not In favor to-
day with their democratic colleagues across
the river in Brooklyn, and there is con-
siderable bad blood existing This has
come about because Tammany has organ
lied trust in prize fighting Certain Tam
many senators and the heads of two city
departments are the stockholders in the
Lenox Athletic Club and in the Broadway
A c. These clubs have a monopoly of the
Dig glove lights, and their promoters are
including two of the chief lieutenants OF
Boss Mclaughlin, concluded in February
last that the lucrative field ought to be
divided up, and after taking stock in the
Coney Island a. c. arranged that FitZ-
simmons and Jeffrfes should meet each
other next month. 1t was supposed there
was political influence sufficient to get a
license, but on Tuesday the police board,
by a tie vote, declined to license the club
as a rival of the two Tammany organIza-
lions. Commissioner Abel, republican,
voted with Sexton, Tammany democrat, not
to license the Brooklyn club and Commits
sloner Hess, republican, voted with York,
Brooklyn democrat, for the license This
is what has made the Brooklyn democrats
angry. Mr. Hess Joined with Abel and
Sexton in licensing the Tammany clubs
and York against IT. Leader Carroll Will
be appealed to by the Brooklyn machine
TO force Sexton to vote at the next meet
ing TOT license in favor of the Coney Is
land club
Peace Com missiOners Sau
There was a whole cargo of peace aboard
the American liner St. Louis TODAY when