New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-12-14
TRUST TO STAND By GUNS.
Nan Want High Prices to Offset
Franchise Tares.

- tro r..sons assigned by the friends of the
Consolidated Gas Company for oeheVlhs 'hdt tne
lighting monopoly Will stick 10 It's guns anu
compel the city 10 pay the prevailing rates Tor
LIGHTS IS that the corporations have eathefeu lhe
impression that they Will have 10 pay their speclaI
franchise taxes. amounting 10 more thah s0'V'VN
year and that in view Of this fact the COM
panies feel that they are justified IN INSISTING on
the prices agreed upon by Commissioner Oakley'
r C Martin, Editor Of THE Electrical World and
Engineer Of this city aerecognzed expert on city
lighting, yesterday said; in a statement Turnisnea
by the friends OF the Consolidated Gas company
that attempts 10 compare New-York prices with
those Of other cities were misleading and unwar-
ranted He cited recently printed statements on
the subject follows:
PoEtls2a Ore With prize Of So e. was G9m :,
developed by water power and distributed oy an
overhead system.
Tnarkable water power development and an over
Los Angeles. at ss1 a lamp. develops its current
by water power and fuel oil at 50 Gents barrel
Lancaster Penn with a charge of SIS a lamp,
develops its power by water and distributes over;
distributes overhead.
TO compare these conditions" said Mr.. Martin,
with those prevailing in New-York City where
fuel labor land and taxes VIGOROUSLY higher
than at any other point in the country. seems not
only inequitabe. but confuses the issue"
Nj Martin drew a parallel between Berlin and
<ew-York City. In Berlin the Electric Light Com
pany charges sos for the current supplied to
each lamp The lamps are erected and maintained
bv TIE city In London the prices vary from $50
10 $50
The third big city with which he drew comparison
was Paris and there. he said. the cost lamp was
the equivalent Of s240 a year. At that price the
contract. unlike that given in NcW-fork, which Is
only for 2 twelvemonth. extends over a period or
years. The making OF long contracts is the
practice also in London and in Berlin.
The Electrical Equipment and inspecting Com
pany. 4 corporation at No 800 Broadway, which
makes business OF investigating and reporting 10
its clients the charges of the electric light COM
bination has made some cursory inspections Of the
bills rendered 70 certain Of the city departments.
One OF its officers yesterday said that his company
perfectly satisfied that thorough investga-
ton OF the matter would disclose annual payments
made by the city, which grossly exceeded any
legitimate charge that under ordinary clrcuHl-
stances would be made, and by which the city IS
robbed of very large sums annually one m
stance was specified where the electric light com
h!natfon was charging $1,000 year, when me
legitimate charge made to others for equal or
greater service was $500 -,
J0seph johnson. head OF the Order Of Acorns the
petition 10 the legislature asking for a munlcipa!
lighting plant said yesterday that the Acorns mao
a scheme to remedy troubles with the Ngntng COM
panfee Mr.. Johnson's scheme is 70 establish a
central complaint bureau. where every man with a
grievance can tell his wrongs to a lawyer. or a
corps OF lawyers. All these cases would be IN
vestsCated No fees would be eXacted. In ad-
passed authorizing the appointment Of a connnis-
Sion 10 pass on disputed gas bills. Pending de-
cision BIZ this commission. the companies would DC
prohibited from turning off the gas.