New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-01-28
THE CONSOLIDATED GAS conPANE.

A bill has been introduced at Albany by AS
sembIyman Miller providing for the appoint
ment by the Mayor Of q commission to In
vestigate the quality Of the gas furnished in
this city, the methods employed in its manu-
facture and the facts relating to its distribution
and to recommend such legislative action as the
commission may deem desirable. Such IN
Quiries are sometimes used to promote I'M
proper personal or political objects. Sometimes
they are incompetently though honestly pros
ecuted and serve no good purpose. Occasionally
they are intelligent, thorough and productive
Of valuable results When sufficient reasons
for an inquiry into some matter affecting the
general welfare and legiumately subject TO
public scrutiny have been established. the risk
Of its being i'll conducted should not deter the
legislature from ordering it TO be made. What
are the facts in this case?
For many years-perhaps almost as long as
Illuminating gas has been in use-the COM
panies supplying it have been accused OF sys-
tematic deceit and extOrtion. 1t is not an eX-
aggeratlon to say that, in this city at least,
there is n widespread belief in the truth of the
accusation and that those who have not care
fully formed a deliberate opinion of their own
are very seldom inclined to dissent from the
opinion Of others. IN short, the proposition
that the public is defrauded has become a part
of the general mental furniture. That such a
belief is almost universally held OF acquiesced
in is an extraordinary thing, If there Is no
foundation for it. Gross and long enduring mis-
conceptions of that character are not natural or
numerous. Moreover, there are many facts
tending strongly TO sustain the popular indct-
ment Of the Consolidated Gas Company. which
directly indirectly controls the business Of
manufacturing and distributing gas In Manhat
tan. There is the fact of private expert
show that gas bills are much higher than
they were only a few years ago, though the
price per thousand feet has been consider
ably reduced by legislation 1.-The New-York
World" has printed hundreds, and we should
say thousands, OF letters with the full names
and addresses of the writers, and figures to
sustain their assertions. 1t is not sufficient to
say that memories are treacherous and a strict
regard for truth in respect to such matters Is
commonly wanting The careful man who pre-
serves his receipted bills, who has lived in the
same house for ten years whose family has
been reduced in number by death or marriage
and the number Of rooms in use consequently
diminished. and who, perhaps. has found him.
self compelled for one reason or another 10
exercise n strict economy in household ex-
penditures-such a man. when he has proved
by an actual comparison OF accounts that his
gas bill I'm Decembers 1903 for example was
30 30 or 100 per cent larger than II was in
December. 1893 does NOT hear with patience
from the company that he is a fool or n liar
or such cases we venture 10 say there are
tens OF thousands In this city
Private testimony IS not the only sort avail
able Under the last administration the COM
pany was gravely accused Of rapacity by the
Commission OF Water Supply. Gas and Elec-
tricity. The municipal inspectors whose duty
1t is to ascertain the quality Of the gas SUPPLIED
to consumers have repeatedly. and recently.
reported that they had found it below the legal
requirements, though the three successive tests
prescribed by the law render redress difficult
This week the State Inspector Of Gas Meters
In his report to the Governor. has charged the
company with supplying inferior gas and Writ
unily compelling more rapid consunntion bv
increasing the pressure. Tie reports moreover
that nne-hfth Of the meters inspected under bis
/ direction are "fast'-that IS make a false rec
ora In favor OF the company Now 81 this
! Official and private testimony is the truth 81
means that the company is guilty Of sHindling
the public with the express purpose Of in
creasing It's profits. For the conditions com