New-York tribune., 1906-10-26
CLIP HEARSTVS WINGS.
Whitney and Page Tell Who RealIv
Got Cheap Gas.

so-cent gas was riddled YESTERDAY fror, tyvo Ivr
sources. ~ wv
me evasive fashion in which Hearst took up the
ISSUE "iHch CHARLES E. Hughes thrust on hin-an
explanation Of why he left E. r Whitney off his
1udlciary ticket after the fight Mr. Whitney had
mace LOT cheaper sas-brought a reply from Mr.
"'Ii'ey' IN which he told what part he had played
III giving So-cent gas to the city.
senator Alfred r. Page, one of the most inf1u-
eiii'i members OF the Legislature, who is vice
president of the Republican County Committee
,So leiSted his individual part in the gas fight and
IoIo ABOUT the Republican work in the Legislature
and In the gas investigation
Inc statement was made yesterday that it was
no 10 "'thont a Well formed plan that Mr.. Hughes
-" oo"n the whitney gage to Hearst. His in
tehton' several men declared, was to lure Hearst
to make exactly the kind of statement he did mako
at his Brooklyn meetings on Wednesday night
1hese statements. Mr.. Hughes knew well would
prove ooomerangs OF the most approved compaign
type because the facts so easily obtainable
ana so diametrically opposed to all the Hearst
claims Of 'I did it ALL"
Indeed, record Of the fight for cheap gas from
the beginning shows that credit for the reduction
IN price belongs to Seth Low Robert Cirer Monroe
ana MI Whitney. who took up the fight in the first
place; TO Charles f. Hughes, who handled the gas
investigation; to Governor Higgins and Senator
rage who urged the passage of an So-cent gas bill
and TO Assemblyman Agnew who finally obtaine5
the Massage of that bill
Mr. Whitney took a leading part in the earlv gas
nsht as special counsel for Corporation Counsel
Ives una worked with Commissioner Monroe OF
the Department OF Water Supply. Gas and Eec
tricity. He opposed the Remsen Gas bill. obtaining
veto OF it by Mayor Low and when Il came IN
again ne opposed it before legislative committees
ana at hearings before the Mayor and the Cow
eInor. lie was prominently identified with the
Aslts against various railroad grab bills and
transfers
When he read Mr.. Hearst's statement that he
oought 1880 worth of patriotism from him yes
teEuay Mr. Whitney prepared a statement setting
iorth the real condition of affairs. The patriotism
enumeration also drew reply from Henry De For
est BALDWIN Of Lord. Day & Lord who were re-
tanned by Mr. Hearst in some of his election cases
30 MI Hearst bought $3.50 worth of our patriot
@ -Sin' old he?" Queried Mr.. Baldwin. We'll, the
Price he demands for his patriotism appears to be
the Governors chair"
MY Whitney's statement was as follows:
81 i was retained by Mr.. shearn in December 1904
aeaTsf 1de5 agt Mcclellan and Grout which had al
obtained ex 0aTI & ana temporary Injunction
Of the record brief and also in iS the oral arg1
the the being ell continued also took part in
mated NV ii me S RTeI 10 on appeal Ihg termi-
order was subsequently reversed G02 App. Div
had been attained The main cre6 for o whas e Was Sa
acc9InPIis4ed by this suit is due to the able
The history of the controversy between the city
found stated in NJ es adaRiS IL a9 on o5nf file vim in
ss o5eT suit Io Inc c9ntr9Tersy began when Gommis-
ministration refused to renew the citySs Contract
preVang WHEN Tsaned IN s snt raves %as men m
formed that my assistance asked on account
beginning The material w Which suppfed to Mr.
vesfgation before the SteWes oom,ttee ana to
WHICH he referred in his Eimre sDeecb' was col
appointment Of c6Fporation Counsel Rives for II.
lighting COMPANIES In na and their 81 rsa
tions with the electric subways; and afterward IN
Gas y ta' q ,sS esaPs
eqgn9s without put gf tS for the Peoples I
been led to understand IN the past that Mr. Hearst
MT Hearst s0 whatever @ bis motives, has
pliahed a Substantial fraction Of the total work
people. although he claims credit also for vest
who received compensation neither cent from
a client nor fraction Of cent from q newsboy:
His two individual contributions to the history Of
the recent lighting controversy. namely the OAK.
collection of the dollar rate gas, things
for which he is entitled 10 great credit. l voted
port him. until became Convinced last winter
and spring that he not seeking effective action
In view of his persistent agitation for an invest
gaGon OF tnat merger wnef an IN my my p 9p04 a IN IN
knowledge of Mr.: Hughess character and opinions
public service corporations, came to the con-
pected from Mr.. Hughes than from Mr.. Hearst
Senator Page author of the resolution calling for
the legislative investigation of the Gas Trust and
introducer of the So-Cent Gas bill, said:
I introduced in the State Senate the first resoIu-
G3 iE 0 nhs TRat az on a S y
of the session of 1905. When that resolution
Senate passed it, but before the Senate passed it a
motion was made to amend It so as TO affect all the
cities in the state The purpose OF that motion was
to KIN the resolution and It was was SO understood % by
every ReupllGan Itlelto OF tI1e 1ssoaon IN tne
that all the Democratic Senators voted for that
tors killed the amendment, thus saving the resolu
ton and insuring the gas investigation The day
after the Senate passed the resolution the Assem-
that was the beginning of the fight for sO-cent
e LEGISLATURE, but actually credit for
starting the agitation belongs to Mayor Low and
scnST G0StI F: os WaeT supply Gas and RIectrcy
who refused to sign contracts with the lighting
The work of the legislative gas investigating
committee is well remembered AS a result of that
Investigation bills were reported esta ablishing a
state Gas Commission, reducing the price of cleo
@ shhs 9 to S6 0 6e ex 6f N y6r 5R
and also Teduoing the price of gas to 50 cents a
cept the one calling for 80cent That bill failed
O pass in the Senate Dy only one vote
price of gas ana as the commission
appointed ! filed separate complaints against each
55 -, s,y3eTs ~ About week after had filed NV
to the matter Mr. Hearst filed similar complaints.
Eventually the commission made order fixing
ne urice Of gas at 50 cents tr Manhattan.
While the commission was stil investigating the
complaints the Legislature of 1906 convened. on
lis annual message recommended the passage Of a
Senate a bill for S9-cent gas for the city OF New
York, and AssemblyInan Agnew} the Repunhcah
representative Of the 9th Assembly District pre-
sented the same bill in the Assembly. -
My bill was hed up IN the the senai T6e Ge ag3ew
bin passed the Assembly by vote that / believe
came over the Senate moved TO refer it to the
Committee OF the Whoe-a InoLlCn mo tnAt u nag h nor
tta gt serate sha order otherwise We had sharp
Sol my