New-York tribune., 1902-03-11
PROTEST TO LOW ABOUT sTURGIs.
ALARM CoN1PANY's LICENSE COM
Planned OF

Mayor Low yesterday heard a protest from Of
fcers of the Manhattan Fire Alarm Company
against the action of Fire Commissioner Sturgis in
revoking the company's license TO connect its
wires with the citys fire alarm boxes Mayor
Strong in 1885, issued the license in which it was
stipulated that the permit should hold good during
the pleasure Of the Fire Department. No ex-
elusive franchise given the company. The
Manhattan company furnishes electric system
by which the pressing Of button In the interior Of
building in alarm from the nearest fire
box. Commissioner Sturgis revoked this license on
February q. Colonel Joel b. Erhardt represented
the company at the hearing yesterday, which was
adjourned until Friday morning 1890 o'clock.
Joseph w. Stover, president of the Gamewell
Fire Alarm Company and treasurer of the Manhat-
company. said yesterday:
We have tried best find what objec-
tions the Fire Commissioner has against our con-
Germ, but he has declined TO talk on that point I
have no idea why he has revoked our license. Our
system thoroughly tested by the Fire Commits
sioner in 1S95 and was adopted the most efficient
signal service then known. 1t is the best in the
th II "s h y i IeSTL 10 dae4 d % our NM WarGS $40 TO
dred buildings in the city, and twenty-five hundred
boxes are in operation. Eighty-two alarms were
turned in last year through the system In every
case several minutes were saved The company is
composed of New-York business men. We court
thorough Investigation hut the opportunity TO
demonstrate that the system has no defects has
not not bel ben a, AFFORDED us The company has REDUCED
We have several competitors. and therefore we
When Commissioner Sturgis by Trib-
une reporter last night ne said that the exclusive
privilege TO connect its fire alarm lines with the
I boxes of the city granted to the Manhattan
Fire Alarm Company in 1895 by the Board of Com
/ misSioners under Mayor Strong. This license had
! enabled the company to form monopoly and par
/ TALLY to drive out of business three older com
panes-namely, the Special Building Signal Com
pany, the Automatic Company dthc Pneumatic
Company These older companies, he said. had
gone 10 the expense of building their under
ground lines to the department while the Manhat-
tan company by special arrangement was ena-
bled TO use, without cost the entire alarm system
of the Fire Department. The Manhattan company.
said Commissioner Sturgts, had further used this
privilege for purposes of oppression against many
owners OF buildings, having succeeded in forcing the
owners Of buildings 10 adopt the use of their de-
vice, for which they charged the eXorbitant rate
Of $50 a box year The actual cost of box is 81,
The commissioner said that many protests from
the companies thus deprived of a fair. competitive
opportunity and from many bodies of citizens poth
in the lower part of the city, representing large
office buildings, and the east ard
/ representing apartment buildings had been re-
ceVed These owners had been sued by the Fire
Department under ScanneH at the instance OF. the
Manhattan Company TO force the introduction OF
its so-caled private alarm boxes. Scores of such
suits, said the commissioner. in the hands
| of the Corporation Counsel, who called the COM
missioners attention TO the fact and recommended
their dscontinuance as being needless oppressive
sxaction and requirement. These facts were plainly