The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-09
Municipal Lighting.

There IA probably no one subject
upon. which there has been current
here such utterly erroneous impressions
as that Of the proper charges for mu-
nicipal lighting and the advisability Of
establishing q municipal gas plant.
This il simply because the matter is
technical one and the truth about it ia
q question Of expert knowledge which
comparatively few people obtain.
During the last twenty-five years the
plan Of q gas plant entirely conducted
BY the municipal authorities has been
advocated by Sensational newspapers
and, occasionally. by some ignorant
public officer. Most politicians using
the word In its best sense. who have
looked into the matter, are convinced
that It would Be most unwise thing for
our city to do TO 60 into the gas lighting
business, but, nevertheless, there have
been city officials willing to lend them
selves to q sporadic agitation for this
purpose, because Of the supposed tenn
porary political advantage that would
accrue to them. We commend to all
who desire to form their opinions on
this subject by means OF facts rather
than by the distorted and unfounded
assertions 90 frequently made, the lucid
and convincing exposition OF the matter
made by Mr.. JOHN M. BOWERS at Albany
on Tuesday before the legislative COM
mittee having the subject in charge.
Mr.. BowEns's address was printed
Yesterday in The Sun and the other
Leading newspapers Of the city. He
. proved conclusively that the figures
submitted to the Legislature by Mr..
RonxRT G.. MONROE, our present Com
miasioner OF Water Supply, Gas and
Elsqtgicity. who Is now advocating q
radical change in our methods Of mu-
,nicipal gas lighting, were substantially
incorrect.
Taking the prices now paid for public
lighting in the boroughs of Manhattan
and The Bronx, and comparing these
with the prices paid in other cities Sc
lected by Mr.. MONROE for purposes of
comparison, 1t is discovered that the
greater portion Of this public lighting
il. paid for at low rates. In addition to
furnishing gas on reasonable terms the
aas companies extend their mains when
ever requested by the city authorities
to do 20 and very often extend these into
territories where there Is no private
consumption of gas and where the ex-
tAnaion Il made at decided loss to the
company. The so-called lower charges
icbtained in the city OF Chicago, Of which
no much has been made, are due to the
fact that In Chicago the Welsbach burn
ers are not used and that Chicago people
are forced to get along with a crude
adaptation Of the old hat-famed burner
lanterns. The Consolidated Gas Com
pany hero announces it's willingness to
,rse TIE Chicago system upon the city's
paying the cost Of the change and ASSUME
Ing The responsibility Of any claim that
may he pade for the violation Of patents.
Moreover, making . general summary
Of the facts furnished by Mr. BowERs,
II IL shown that Wekbach lamps and
idcandescent mantles are now furnished
to ths city OF New York for less than the
price paid by all other cities for the same
service, save only in the cities Of Dayton,
New Bedford and San Francisco.
einilarly. the electric light service in
May Of the interior cities which 10 fur
niAhed to those cities at . lower cost
than obtains here Ia due to the fact that
many Of these plants are operated by
wstsr power. others still are run under
limited light schedules and supply less
current than Il required in our ~n town.
The service In those cities, moreover,
Hh few cases underground. So far a.
~ qusstios. of municipal ownenhip Il
concerned. Mr.. BOWERS recun briefly,