The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-05
The 70 CENT GAS BILL LOST.
ALL THE OTHER STEVENS con-
MITTEE BILLS PASSED.

the other Six Biils-Cheap Gas May
Come In . Few Months, but Oniy ~
the Grace OF the state Commission.
ALBANY, May Tho New York city
gas consumers In a few months viii get The
benefit Of a reduction In the price Of gas'
but not through q special bill such - was
recommended by Mayor MoClsllan and the
Stevens Lighting Investigating COMMITTEES.
The reduction viii come through 40 order
OF the State Commission Of Gas and Eleo-
tTicity, which Ia to be appointed By Gov.
Higgins in a short time under the provisions
Of bill introduced by the Stevens COM
mittes establishing such commission
which passed the Senate to-day. The bill
recommended by the Stevens COMMITTEES.
which passed the Assembly yesterday and
fixed the price Of gas for private consumers
In New York city at rs cents, was defeated
in the Senate to-day by a vote Of q 10 -.
It requiring 20 votes TO pass bill IN We
Senate. The Assembly bill vas cmendod
by raising the price Of gas from rs cents TO
so cents. to hold tho Republican Senators
to their caucus pledge.
After thi, bill was defeated a reeeis Of
an hour and half was taken. during which
AAANNAh NJ WV AAAkEAla oAAA Wv OhNA w"
umvirs worked hard upon the fourteen
independent Republican Senators who Rad
refused to support the Consumers' Gas
Rate bill, which wGs the FIRST Of the series
Of seven Stevens bills TO come before toe
Senate, Their efforts we're 90 successful
that the ranks Of the independent SonatOn
we're broken and the other six bills were
passed by varying votes. These bills
provide:
For the establishment Of a State Com
mission cf Gas and Electric
For a reduction In the price Of gas FUR
nished to the city Of New York for municipal
purposes 10 rs cents per thousand cubic feet.
For fixing the price Of electricity 10 New
York city, other than for street lighting.
at 10 cents pr kilowatt hour. and for electric
street lamps 500 per lamp per year. Of
where two lamps are attached TO single
pole to5 Rer lamp per year. except that for
Kings county the bill was amended 90 - to
permit a charge Of u cents per hloVatt
hour for other than street lighting end
800 year for street lamps.
For fixing the price Of electricity 10 private
consumers In New York city, except N the
fifth ward Of Queens borough, At 10 cents
per kilowatt hour, and the bill was amsAds4
to permit q charge Of - cents In King
county.
Giving the Commissions Of Rlsotrl0itH
Gas and Water Supply In New York city
authority to appoint Inspectors 70 49, TIE
quality-of gAS with reference 10 1luHntnAt-
'ng power, pressure and purity 1t least on0p
each day. This bin was amended By pro-
viding that the reports Of the inEpastors
should not be presumptive evidences Of The
facts.
Enabling New York city 10 utilise the
water supplies 1t needs for lie domestic
purposes In generating electric current -
be used In operating a municipal plant.
That Gov. Higgins and the Oden legis-
lative triumvlrs are perfectly satisdsd
with the gas legislation which has base
enacted, notwithstanding the fact that the
consumers special gas rate reductions bill
was killed in the Senate, was evidenced
tonight when the Governor issued a state
ment saying that he would not call an extra
session to consider gas legislation In this
statement Gov. Higgins said:
4IpRsmuch as all the gas bills Neoom-
mended by the committee on Investigation
have been passed excepting the rate bin
for privats consumers in New York city,
and owing to the fact that the commission
bill gives power 10 regulats the prio3 Of
gas TO private consumers in the city Of
New York | do not feel that the situation
is such as 10 make Il necessary 10 call ths
Legislature in extraordinary session Tor
this purpose.
All the six bills passed to-day arr 10
be sent to Mayor Mcclellan for his APP
p roval except the State Commission bin.
The session in the Senate to-day was ons
Of the most interesting and exciting that
have been witnessed In the onyx chamber
for years
There had beaa reports for the las. two
DAYS that a combination Of Republican
and Democratic Senators had been formed
I nder the leadership Of Senator Brackets
to defeat all seven Of the Stevens bills.
But there were apparently well founded
reports that there would be a break IN
the lines Of the independent Republican
Senators and that enough Tammany
Senators would support the bills 10 make
their passage possible, When the Senate
met at 10 o'clock this morning neither side
seemed a be confident. The oppoaition
TO the bills were fearful Of break in their
lines because strenuous efforts had beoa
made overnight bv Gov Higgins and
Senators Raines and Malby and Speaker
Nixon, the odeu tTiunvirs, 10 bring
10 the support Of the bills q sum
cient number Of Republican SENATOR
to make their passage possible without
the aid Of Democratic votes.
Shortly after the Senate session opened
the first Of the series Of Stevens bilb
the price Of gas TO private con.
sumers in New York city came up on final
passage and long debate followed. Whib
the roll was being called the leaders OF
the two sides carefully watched the vote,
the opposition especially being keen 70
scent any change Of front on the part Of
he men who had agreed TO vote against
The bills. But each side got the vote Il
expected.
When the clerk announced that the bin
had received a ayes and ~ hoes, and Lieut.
Gov Bruce announced that the bill had
been lost, a sigh Of relief was apparent IN
he ranks Of the opposition. They had
made a hard fight and won, and expected
hat the session would 60 right on and the
other six bills would be defeated by similar
votes. But at this jltnoture Senator Raines,
he majority leader on the floor Of tbs
senate, wishing 20 gain time, moved