New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-09
rp no THE MAYOR

Since the City Club took possession of its
new home its social development has been more
marked than have its public activities, but we
are glad to observe that the secretary of the
club, in behalf of the trustees. has now asked
Mayor Mcclellan to order thorough investi-
cation of the gas and electric light contracts
which have recently come to public knowledge
1t is certain that the community will not be-
come reconciled to the course pursued by Com
missioner Oakley, with the strange approval Of
Controller Grout, until q better explanation OF
it has been youchsafed. On the face of it the
transaction is improvident and neither the Com
missioner nor the Controller has thus far made
good defence. They support each other in
statements that they have kept the public wei
fare constantly in view, and are anxious to Sc
cure means for protecting the city's interests
hereafter but their protest and defence are not
convincing.
The secretary of the City Club writes to the
Mayor, after citing the bills for public lighting
elsewhere as follows:
That is to say. under the contract made by
your Commissioner, the city of New-York, in the
Borough of Manhattan, is paying $40 year
per lamp for service which costs on an aver
age in sixty-eight other American cities through
out the country but SSS 60, an excess of oS per
cent, and for 1.200-candle power lamps the
city of New-York In the Borough of Brooklyn
is paying S124 80 year; the average price in
twenty-three other cities is but SSl OS. an ex-
If there is any intrinsically good reason why
New-York should have to pay so much more
for its light than all these other cities pay, by
all means let 1t be published. We are aware
Of the contention that the enormous demand
for various services in this city inevitably en-
hances the cost of supplying them. That is
the favorite defence of the telephone company,
for example, when its comparatively high
charges are attacked But those who are not
incredulous remain mystified. Undoubtedly the
company which does the lighting possesses
great advantages of postion-skilfu!ly and not
too scrupulously acquired-but under the last
administration the city was not thought either
popularity or officially, to be utterly helpless.
There were Unadjusted claims TO the amount
OF millions Of dollars which were considered to
constitute potential argument in support of
the demand for reasonable treatment of the
municipality, and nobody held more stoutly to
that opinion than Controller Grout, who has
now consented to pay the claims. less COM
paratively trivial reckoning of interest thereon.
1t is with reference to this surrender that the
City Clubs communication TO the Mayor says:
The advantageous position which the city
secured under your predecessor by the refusal
of that administration TO accept such bids and
its firm determination not TO pay the price de-
nanded without contest in court cannot be re-
gained by any formal action in now asking the
legislature to pass bill empowering the city TO
install a municipal electric lighting plant.
We have no desire to PREJUDICE the case. but
the public has a right to ask for more light on
transactions which have been darkened rather
than Illuminated by the explanations OF Con-
troller Grout and Commissioner Oakley.