The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-14
NAY LIGHT OUR OWN STREETS
MAYOR rs GOING TO THE LEGIS-
LATURE FOR AUTHORITY.

would Like to Build Plant for That Pur.
pose. Just Like chicago and Detroit
Col. Monroe Says the Lighting Com,
bination Is Imposing ON the City.
The FIRST step toward the establishment
Of municipal lighting plant was taken
yesterday. THE Board Of Estimate. on
the motion Sf the Mayor, practically de-
cided to try to have the necessary bill
passed before the Legislature adjourns.
This was done after a report had been
made by Commissioner Robert Grier Monroe
OF the Department OF Water Supply. Gas
and Electricity, wherein It was charged that
the gas companies Of the different boroughs
were either controlled by one corporation.
or were working in collision, In order 70
make the city pay exorbitant rates.
Col. Monroe has for some weeks past
been In communication with the authorities
OF every city OF importance in the country
and he says he has found that New York
is paying far more In proportion for Ito
lighting than any other municipality.
Within the past five years. his report
says, -the lighting interests in this city
have all practically united, and even In thoss
boroughs where there has been no formal
consolidation the territory has bean sp.
portioned In the borough Of Manhattan
both illuminants have been absorbed by .
single corporation and there is no rivalry
even between producers OF gas and pros
THE Consolidated Gas Company Of New
York controls all the gas and electric light
facilities In the borough Of Manhattan.
as well as all the gas and electric light faoh-
ties In the more important sections Of ths
borough of Tho Bronx. As far as gaslisht
Ia concerned, not only does the price re-
main hxed, but all improvement In the
utilization Of gas Is retarded -
that the incandescent gas lamp manu-
facturers are in league with the gas COM
panies to impose on the city. II costs
Chicago $40 year additional for q lamp
with an incandescent mantle, while 10 costs
New York sli5o. and Brooklyn SIS year
Because Of this apparent oollusion, Col.
Monroe asserts that, despite the greatly
increased appropriation made this year for
public lighting. the sum will be inadequate
The Commissioner devotes many pages
Of his report to describing how the combi-
nation OF gas and electric companies was
formed and to the great imitation in the
capital stock Of the corporations He
says the enormous valuation placed upon
the profits permitted by the present monop-
oily system Those capitahzations, Col
Monroe contends, represent several times
the value Of the different plants. ~.
Col. Monroe, points out the great saving
which has been effected In Chicago and
Detroit, where municipal plants for electric
lighting have been established. In De-
troit the cost OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS lamp
is tes 80 year as against Si48 in New York.
He concludes by urging the Board OF
Estimate TO secure the necessary legisla-
ton for the building Of an electric plant for
street lighting. As an alternative TO thia
he recommends that Legislative pessnia-
sion be obtained for the making OF private
contract e.. ~,
Borough President Cantor wanted 10
know how the Commissioner could mako
better terms by private contract than BY
public bidding Col. Monroe replied that
he thought he could do better by private
negotiation.
The Commissioner was directed to en-
pioy experts to make report upon the
probable cost OF a lighting plant. When
this report in received bill will be framed
and sent to the Legislature.