The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-18
COL. BOB MONROE UNDER QUIZ
M REALLY DIDN'T KNOW EVERY
THING amour LIGHTING.

with other cities We're COTrect-Does
Not AnOrd SIuch IAght OF ISIS own.
Col. Robert Grier Monroe. who was Com
missioner Of Water Supply, Gas and Elec-
tricity under Mayor Low, and who was
mainly responsible for holding up III , bills Of
the ligth ing combine for It's public service,
was witness yesterday before the Stevens
class In gas at the City Hall. Col. Monroe
las been a great contributor in ths past
two years 70 ths literature on the lighting
situation - It appeared In the public press
The statements manifestoes and reports
issued by him, II gathered together, would
form a small library. The size Of the out
put was taken In certain quarters TO ins
dictate that he was an expert on the cost Of
production and distribution Of Has and
electricity. He had held stoutly that tbs
charges for street lighting were excessive,
and the general belief, outside Of the prao-
ticaIncn Of the gas and electrical companies,
was hat he knew what he was talking
about.
This illusion was dispelled yesterday
0hsn the lawyers for the corporations
interested got a chance to croBs-e1amine
Col Monroe. Chief Inquisitor Hughes
finally went TO the rescue with a series Of
leading questions. Lawyer Dykman OBJ
jected
Il hold said hs TO Senator Stevens,
the only member Of the committee present,
that il ia immaterial what Mr.. Hughes
supposes that Col. Monroe supposed in
1909
objection sustained said the chair
man. and Mr. Hughes took another tack.
In answer to the questions Of the senior
counsel Of the committee Col. Monroe
related the history OF the lighting con-
tracts up 10 the time they were held up
two years ago, He said that his main rea-
sons for rejecting the bids were that the
price OF gas for open fame street lamps
was the same then as It had been for twenty
years. although in that time the price TO
private consume n had been reduced from
50 Is to 81 co. and the price asked for electro
lights seemed exorbitant when compared
with prices charged in other cities lie
said that il was evident from the bids that
there was no competition. The only low
bids received were from the New Am
sterdam and Standard companies, whose
charters compelled them 70 furnish open
flame lamps at So q year each. He had
considered this fair price and had recon-
mended that no higher charge be allowed
for this class Of lighting In Manhattan;
lids and the bills that were introduced
in the Legislature at Albany at the in
stance of the Low administration for a
municipal electric light plant because
as he had reported, the city was oohgSd
20 pay the interest and dividends on the
Inflated capital Of the corporations en-
gagged IN the business.
Questioned by Mr. Mathe wson, the wit
ness admitted that he knew that the pres-
sure on the gas mains was greater 70 lVOs
than it was twenty years ago ana mat
conse ouently the street lamps burned
more. but Just how much more be did not
know. He had not figured out how much
it cost a thousand feet 70 supply street
lamp or what actual returns the companies
got for this class Of business.
Why them did y39 EeoS 20 ,bs oab Ins b S
whose chsrsers compelled them TO furnish
lamps at Sl2 q year2' asked Mr. MatheWson.
you knew that this was a sort OF penalty
the companies paid to get their CHARTERS
didn't your a. =.
witness. Il think Mayor Low did. STILL the
price. Sl2, was in their charters, and ~ was
considered fair sum for the service,
Now, there IL a company IN queens
whose charter compels II to give one hght
free 10 the city for so many contracted for
You Wouldn't esta blish Nothing, which u
gets for the free lights, as falr pesis OF
charging, would your asked Mr. Mathew
son. ,,.a
z sThen how did you arrive at the 5iZ pass
I'VE thought II was a fair price.
did YOU ascertain the amount per thou-
sand cubic feet that the companies got LOT
NO, / had no figures on the subject.
RI I told YOU that we get only q 4 cents
o thousand for this gas you would tn si
it was a pretty low figure, Wouldn't your
-Er-I don't know what the manu-
sTben YOUR idea that $3.50 year lamp
Tor the open fame burner n too hgh q
general one?'
1T IT,"
Col Monroe's trump card In the lighting
business has always been the oompSfatiVely
low cost In other cities, Under MI Mathew,
sons cross-examinRtion he was compenoo
10 admit that the cost was lower mere LOT
blth kinds Of gas lamps than In a majority
a the oities in the oountTy-in fact, there was
only one municipality in Amer1oa, boWeu,
Mass where the Welsbach burners were
supplied any cheaper, and there the lamps
are shut OF at midnight. -,-,-.
Have you any particular Complaint 70
make on the gas lightning contracts a. they
stand noW7' eaked Mr.. hathgVson.
! have not
Mr.. Matbewson took up again the list
Of cities that Mr. Monroe had compared 70
New York and found that the aSerSSge pIloe
N-.-
than the price now being charged In New
York. He also found several big errors IN
the schedule. One OF them related 20 the
city Of Portland, Ne, which was put down
10y Col. Monroe as getting WelsbAohs at
Isn't Il a fact that Portland is paying
SIS 10 for thaSe hmpsi' asked the laWyer
1T Is answered Col. Monroe sadly. he
didn't know that the Welshach lamps are
coveredRJy patents or how much the Wells
bach people exact for the privilege Of using
their invention -
sDid YOU ever know bow much the gas
open fame lamps IN Brooklyn oonsuInedf-
sNo. I never found out definitely
Then all the statements you have made
here on the stand were made IN tgnoranoe
Of the enact amount Of gas consumed By
these amps7'
proIimately-'
sDo YOU remember that our return on
this branch Of our business was only about
50 cents a thousand feetI'
Il don't remember.
you don'tf' said Mr.. DylCman, with
apparent surprise. why, you have been
figuring h the press and with the committee
20 long a time that thought you had the
data al your fingers ends
sWrnaf r,rnulalnA have Won AGAINST the