The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-03-27
EIGHTY-CENT GAS MEASURE.
SUPPORTERS OF BILL GIVEN
 HEARING IN HARTFORD.

George M. Wallace, William Costello,
 Charles Gay and Richard Kenyon,
 of New Haven, and Others From va-
 rlous Sections of the State, Speak in
 Favor--Mr. Wallace Makes Usual
 Attack on the Local Company--Mr.
 Donovan Wants Books Presented.
 Hart3,rd, March 2e.-Eighty- gas in all cities in the state of 50,O00 inhab- itants or over found many supporters tEis afternoon at the hearing on Sen ator shanley's bill before the commit tee on cities and boroughs. Some of the speakers in favor of the bill were George M. Wallace, Former Alderman Henry Donovan, Charles Clay, William Costello, and Richard Kenyon, all of New Haven; Charles Donahue of the State Federation of Labor; Represen- tative Boucher of Bridgeport, and May or Fisher of Mlddletown.
 MT. Wallace made a long and inter- esting statement and quoted figures showing that in many cities in Eng land and the United States gas is sold to the consumers at profit to the com panies at rates all the way from 50 cents to 75 cents thousand feet.
 MT. Wallace attacked the policy of the New Haven Gas Light company in frequently increasing its stock and bor- rowing money at higher rates of inter est than were necessary only to get back at the consumer by keeping the rate of gas at an unnecessarily high price, He quoted figures which show ed the cost of production and furnish ing gas to people in and about New Haven and defied the company to at tempt to prove that it costs them more than 46 cents e thousand cubic feet to make and deliver That, he said, was the actual cost in New Haven and the people are made to pay nearly one dol lar as the result of high finance on the part of the gas company's officials for the benefit of the stockholders
 Mir. Wallace said that all gas com ponies suffered from over capitaliza- tion, the result being a cut into the peoples pocketbool5s. He said that every man. woman and child in the city of New Haven has to pay the com pany at the rate of 40 cents a year to support the stockholders of the com psny and that they cannot afford to do it. "The gas company enjoys a franchise valued at $4,OOO,0O0" he said, land doesn't pay the city or state one cent for the privilege of using the city s streets" Mir. Wallace covered prSctic- ally every phase of the gas situation in New Haven, going into details concern ing the cost and the finaneiering of the company which caused the officials and attorneys present to take considerable notice. He urged that the committee summon the company before 1t for the purpose of going over it's books, saying that it is within their power to do so. Alderman Donovan also suggested that the company produce its books, but added that he thought that it would be worth s10O,OOO to the commit tee if they didn't press that demand.
 Are you sure about tllat?' inquired Representative Malone of Bristol, the house chairman of the committee, amid an outburst of laughtetr.
 l The New Haven Gas Light company was represented by President Charles | H. Nettleton, Secretary J. A. Norcross, former Judge A. Heaton Robertson, and Lawyers George D. Watrous and Sam uel c. Morehouse.