Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-05
All Day Struggle Over the New
York Lighting Bills Results
a Compromise
COSTS GAS COMPANY BIG SUM
Estimated That the Gas Companies
Spent Hall Million Dollars to De-
feat the Bill Fixing Lower Rate For
Gas in New York-Tho Financial
News.

ALBANY. May 5-Victory was divided
in the all-day struggle over the Stew
ems lighting bills in the senate yes
terday Six of the seven bills for the
relief of New York City were passed,
and one, the bill reducing the price OF
gas to private consumers from 81
thousand feet to so cents. was beaten.
1t cost the Consolidated Gas Company
not far from 100000 according to
the best obtainable estimates, to defeat
this measure.
Remarkable scenes attended the bat
tie 1t began at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing and ended at $3.50 o'clock in the af-
ternoon. Turnout the day the corri-
doris and the senate chamber itself
swarmed with lobbyists and high Off
Gals of gas and electrical compan-
les.
Walter S. Addicks vice president OF
the Consolidated Gas Company, sat in
one corner Of the chamber and person.
ally checked off the names of senator's
who voted to kill the rate bill. In the
opposite corner sat the president Of a
gas company which operates in an out
lying district of the city, telling his
friends that the company was ready
to spend million dollars" to defeat
the lighting legislation.
Counsel for the companies, after fur
nishing the opponents Of the bills on
the floor with typewriter briefs to
serve as basis for their speeches. sent
in notes of further instruction while
their representatives were speaking,
advising them how to meet arguments
advanced by the friends of the bills.
These scenes followed night that
had been devoted to a frantic effort on
the part of the agents OF the corpora
tions to win votes. 1t seemed Wednes-
day at midnight that all the bills would
be passed. The lighting companies
were panic stricken. They counted
twenty three republican votes against
them, and they knew that at least three
or four democratic votes would be adj
ded to the total yesterday to make up
the twenty-six necessary to put thru
the bills.
Confident Of victory the republican
managers went to bed. and when they
awoke yesterday morning, they found
that instead OF twenty-three votes they
had only twenty. How the change had
been wrought only the men who ac-
complished it and the men who shifted
can say, and they are silent.
Rarely have. there been bills before
the legislature in which SO many po-
litical considerations were involved.
There was the partisan issue between
the democrats and the republicans as
to which Of them could gain the adj
vantage attaching to the effect of the
bills on the city campaigns and there
was the desire Of the partisans Of B.
B. Odell. Jr, and his opponents to pre-
vent either faction from gaining any
political advantage as a result Of the
|<sislation.
These are the provisions of the seven
bills:
/. Reducing the price OF gas to prd-
vate consumers in Manhattan and the
Bronx except the annexed district and
Brooklyn, except Coney Island, to so
cents a thousand feet and the rest of
the city to 81 a thousand feet.
2. Reducing the price of electric
current to private consumers from Is
cents kilowatt hour to 10 cents.
3. Creating a state commission OF
three members to have general sup
ervision over gas and electric light and
power companies.
4. Allowing the city to use its sur
plus water supply for the generation of
electricity for public lighting.
s. Providing for daily tests by the
city Of the quality OF gas and the pres
sure in the mains and setting stand
ard of quality and limit Of pressure.
8. Providing that rs cents thou
sand feet shall be the maximum rate
for gas sold to the city for public
lighting.
T. Providing that 10 cents a kilowatt
hour for current, 500 year for arc
lamps and $65 a year for each twin
lamp shall be the limit Of charge for
public electric lighting.
The Vote on Price Cut.
The bill for reducing the price Of
gas for the public to so cents was de-
feated by a tie vote of "a to a. The
state commission bill carries ample
power to reduce prices. provide for in
spection and set standards of quail