New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-04
LIVELY DISPUTE AT CITY HALL
AIR CUSHION COMPANY CHARGED WITH
TRYING TO FORCE MONOPOLY
ORDINANCE.

w E d. Stokes and j. l. Straus yesterday. at the
City Hall charged the ElIitEorpe Air Cushion
Company with attempting secure the adoption
OF an ordinance that would give the Otis Elevator
Company a monopoly of elevator building in this
city and AT the time subject elevator owners
10 an aggregated unnecessary expense OF millions
of dollars. John l. Baker. of the Elithorpe COM
panv who was put in unfaVorable light by the
cbsrses of aIessrs Stokes and Strauss indignantly
denied that he had said done anything that
could be interpreted by either ct the men as coer
cion or as savoring of collision with corrupt iil
ences in aid of the ordinance
The ordinance one introduced oy AIcerniah
Tebbetts of Brooklyn. requiring all elevators TO De
equipped with air cushion not less than ten feet
in height to be tested By dropping the car Inc
hearing on thu proposed ordinance vas before the
Committee on Buildings. OF when FTihAin ~
Ware is chairman
Mr.. EIHthorpe explained the need Of air CUSHIONS
urder elevators. and showed small model tnat
fIIus1rated the workings of his device which ne
said was not patented. To show that a runaway
elevator would land softly the bottom OF the
shaft he placed an egg the tiny car and dropped
il distance OF six feet. The egg q raw one) was
not broken by the fall neither was a turnoier OF
water spilled when dropped in the same manner
John Boyne representing Superintendent stewart
OF the Buildings Department opposed the ordi-
whole. saying that il was unnecessary
w F.. ID. Stokes. owner of the Ansania apart
ment house. with sixteen elevators. said the ordi-
nance would entail a cost OF $4,000 On him. as ne
had what is known : the pIunser system OF ele,
vators regarded by builders entirely safe, and
he said il would cost r ". Macy & Co.. VINO ex-
pect to put in the plunger elevators. S'9o"e with
giving any additional safety
That gentleman over there. said Mr. stokes.
pointing TO Mr.. Baker. went to Mr. StraCs here
~. T. Straus. of Nathan Strausj. and told him.
said Mr. Stokes You'd better get in This ordi-
nance requiring air cushions on every elevator Is
going to be put through. and you'll have 70 adopt
them. 1t is going to b. forced through the board.
THAT So,' exclaimed MIR Baker. sprlnsing
his feet
And as soon as the Otis people my elevators
they work and paid 100000 COR the COM
pany's right continued Mr.. Stokes.
J. l. Stratus then got tine floor. and said. MI.
Baker technically right in denying that he told
me the ordinance gong 10 be forced
through the Board of Aldermen. Mr.. Stokes is cor
rect. however. in the idea that he conveys MI
Baker, after being told by me that we We're not
going TO put in the air cushions. said, Well you'll
nut them in before through with the work
MIR Baker explained just what he had said
to Mr. Straus. H. l.. Brann opposed the ordinance
So did Reginald Pelham Bolton. who does nothing
else professionally. but inspect elevators He was
followed by Sheliabarger. who opposed the
ordinance. They followed by Mr.. BedeI. ia
vOring the ordinance, and y. B. See MIR Moore.
Mr. Johnson Alderman William B. Martin. of New
ark; Mr.. Allen and j. E. Wilson, opposing, and
John Gronich, favoring-