The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-24
ELECTRIC LIGHT MANDAMUS
THREATENED UNLESS ALDER
MEN ACT or FRANCHISE
Sought by New Company Consolidated
Gas Reports surplus of 81 100000
for the lear-(tty WIN Make No New
Contract Next March for Lighting.

President Fornes OF the Aldermen and
several members Of the board were notified
yesterday by John G. Carlisle, attorney fol-
Gum, Richards 4 Co., that mandamus
will be applied for unless in COM
pliance with the charter. they send 10
The Board of Estimate the application OF
the Manhattan and Bronx Electric Light
and Power Company for frauchise to
lay wires under the streets II it is unable
to obtain accommodations ia existing pipe
ducts and conduits
The application was made TO the board
n month ago and was referred to oom-
mittee. Alderman Ware (Rep.) has twice
tried 10 have the application sent TO the
Board of Estimate TO have the compensation
for the grant fixed, but he failed.
At tho last meeting President Fornes.
because of an opinion sent 10 him by the
Corporation Counsel. ruled that accord
ing to the Charter the application should
have been forwarded to the Board Of Esti
mate as soon as 10 had been read and
he ordered that that course be taken
Alderman Mccall the majority leader
appealed from the decision Of the Chair.
and his appeal was sustained. Mr.. Mccall
argued that ns only the title of the applica-
ton had been read, it had not been read
in the parliamentary sense.
Willis Is. Richards OF the engineering
and accounting firm Of Gum. Richards 4
Co. Of IL Wall street. refused TO tell yester-
day who duc back of the Manhattan and
Bronx company. but denied that theirs was
anything in a rumor that the company's
hacker was Thomas W. Lawson.
When tho contracts now existing for
supplying tho city with electric and gas
Lighting expire, on March 10 ncAt the adj
ministTa1ion will not advertise for bids for
new contracts. The companies will, how
ever, go on supplying the city with light
until some definite arrangement - reached
between them and the municipality
At the annual meeting Of the CONSOLE
dated Gas Company yesterday, Vice-Presi-
dent ". Il. Addcks told the stockholders
that after all dividends and charges the
books showed a surplus OF s. coo 600 for
the year The company used .054, $50 tons
of coke and coal to make gas for the 1873 043
houses supplied through its 1907 miles of
pipe.
Vice-President Addcks reported that
the Astoria plant was coming on salts
factoriy. The sixty inch main connecting
the works with the Ravonswood tunnel
new Waterside station of i2s.0O0 horse
power will be completed early in 1909. The
stockholders elected George II. Church a
trustee Of the company, to succeed the
late hlllnm 1. W MtIley, ana Otner trustees
were reelected.
Many OF the stockholders took occasion
to examine an exhibit OF n by-product Of
the coal distillation, arranged in one of the
rooms Of tho company's Office. 1t is i'm
ported in large quantities for use by dyers
in making cyanide Of potassium, and the
market price Is about cents a pound.
The company will produce this hereafter.
getting about three pounds from each ton
of coal.
The Astoria gas plant is designed to
take the place of plants now existing on
Manhattan Island. The gas manufactured
10 Astoria will be conveyed through five
foot main to Ravenswood, East River,
and thence through the tunnel 70 Man
haitian Island. Under permission given
by a mandamus from the court. the main
has been laid, with the exception Of loo
feet, over which litigation exists. II the
suit Is decided in favor Of the company
IL will take about two months 10 complete
the main.