The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-06
1. the Governors Head Clear?

Is the Governors Head Clear"
After the defeat in the Senate Of that
one Of the seven gas bills which benefited
the private consumer in Manhattan TO
the extent Of a 20 per cent. reduction IN
the cost Of the article Governor HIGGINS
issued this statement:
Inasmueh as all OF the gas bills recommended
by the committee OF Investigation have been
passed excepting the rate bill for private con
tumers In New York city and owing 10 the fact
that the commission blu gives power 10 regulate
the price Of gas to private consumers In the cry
Of New york. do not feel that The situation is
,ueh IS 10 make Il necessary 10 can the Leglsla'
turt In extraordinary session for THIS purpose"
The bill which the Governor regards
as enabling the newly created Commits
sion Of Gas and Electricity to do what
the Legislature has failed 0 do-that is,
10 reduce the cost Of gas to the private
consumer in this city from one dollar
a thousand cubic feet 20 eighty cents
or seventy-five cents thousand-pro-
vides for hearing and investigation
Of quality, pressure or price OF gas
upon complaint Of the Mayor Of a city,
or trustees Of a village, or board Of u
town, or Of not less than one hundred
citizens and customers, and further
provides as follows:
After such hearing and upon such investigation
a. may have been made by the commission or i's
ohhoers, agents or inspectors. the commission
U6hin ne hHlR5 prescribed by lac may az the maxi
mum price Of gas or electricity which shall be
CHARGED BY such corporation or person In such
municipality. or may order such improvement In
the manufacture or supply OF such gas or In the
manufacture transmission or supply OF such cleo
trieity or 10 the methods employed by such penon
or corporation, as VIII IN It's iudgmen; Improve
the service The price so hNed by the commission
shau be the ma 1mum price 10 be charged b. such
pesoh or corporation for gas or electricity In such
municipality for q term OF three years and until
sner the expiration Of such term such commission
shall upon complaint as provided IN this section
sgtln fl the price Of such gas or electricity"
The Nev York Herald, dwelling on the
phrase italicized above, denies that the
bill empowers the new commission to
reduce the prices Of gas in this city. The
commission can fix maximum price
for gas within the limits prescribed by
law As the existing law, remarks
our contemporary, permits the gas
companies TO charge one dollar-and
more in the outlying boroughs-it is
difficult TO see on what the Governor
bases his confident statement.
This point would be good and highly
important for the gas monopoly if the
Herdld's statement of existing law were
accurate. The existing law regarding
Manhattan is contained in Chapter 1856
Of the General Laws Of 1897, as follows:
4 corporation, association, company, ooTartner-
ship or person shall not charge receive for num-
mating gas IN a city Is now constituted, which bass
population OF 10000. sums toe1cecd pr thousand
cubic feet, during the year 1910 one dol
lar and hve cents, sad during each year thereafter
one dollar"
The prescribed limit in Manhattan is
now one dollar. The existing law does
not expressly permit gas companies
to charge one dollar, but simply provides
that they shall not charge more than that.
Within this limit Of ono dollar pre-
scribed by law the new measure en-
powers the commission 20 fXa maximum,
but the commission clearly could not
maximum Of more than one dollar.
We believe, therefore, that Governor
H1Go1Ns is warranted in laying that the
commission bill gives power to regulate,
in the way of reduction, the price NJ gas
10 private consumers in New York city;
that his head is clear and not muddled
on that point, and that the Herald is
wrong in its view of the significance Of
the restrictive clause.
We wish the Governors head were
equally clear As 10 whether partizan
commission. created for the advantage
Of the Odel machine and established
in a position where il can deal directly
with the same powerful and sinister
Influences that have been manifest re-
Gently al Albany, ia morally as likely as il
is legally able 10 do the thing demanded
by both the Democratic Mayor MCCLEL-
Ian and the Republican Stevens In
vestigating Committee in the interest
Of the New York gas consumers.
Likewise, whether this cumbersome
and perhaps 'constitutionally doubtful
agency Of relief, with all its obvious op-
portunities for postponement litigation,
prostitution 10 partizan ends, venal
traffic and betrayal Of the interests with
which 1t Ia charged, affords better set
Element Of the question than that which
Governor HIGGINS could have accom-
plshed IL he had possessed the courage
20 hold the Legislature 10 its duty in
the plain sight of the awakened and in
dignant people Of this town,
simply a Question for Philosophical