The sun., 1908-05-15
SAYING IN ELECTRIC LIGHT
COMPANIES REPORT THAT THEY
WILL USE 4 NEW LAMP.

The Tungsten and fantalum InCandescent
win Cut Consumers Hills 2S 10 so Per
Cent, They Say-InyestlgatlOn OF the
Traction Companies Soon 10 End
At the resumption yeaterday Of the in
vestgetion Of the electric lighting com
panies representatives Of the New Yord
Edison, the United Electric and Power and
the Brooklyn Edison companies announced
that they were preparing to put into opera
tion Immediately scheme which would
reduce the cost Of electric lighting to the
consumers by 25 to 50 per cent. The com
panies propose to cut down the bills by
introducing new incandescent lamp,
known as the tungsten aud tantalum lamp.
II has a metallic flament instead OF the
carbon faments Of the incandescent lamps
now in general use. It was said at yester-
days hearing that the economy in the new
lamps was in the reduced amount OF cur
rent.
While It ia not the intention Of the COM
panies TO reduce tao price of their cleo
tricity the commission was informed yes
terday that II was the purpose Of the COM
panes to supply the new typo OF lamp to
their customers and that the result would
he a cut of from 25 TO 81 per cent in the
bills. It was testified by representatives
of the companies that the economy elected
hy the new lamps was shown by the fact
that while the new lamp Of % candle-power
required only ~ watts Of electric current
the old carbon film 80 candle-power lamps
required 100 watts,
Chairman Wilcox Of the Public Service
Commission said yesterday that the gen
eral investigation oi the traction com
panies Of this city. which was started last
summer. would be brought 10 a close in a
few days. Since October last the COM
mission has not held any public sessions.
but William NJ Wins, the special couns
TO tho commission, and stat Of expert
accountants have been at work on the books
Of the various railroad companies OF the
city. The result will be made public
next week or the week after, Mr., WINS
will read into the minutes OF the investlga-
tion a report which will comprise more than
a thousand typewriter pages, 4 public
session Of the commission will be held Tor
the purpose,
When that has been done the probability
is that nothing further will be heard OF
the Investigation and that the whole thing
will end there Mr.. Wilcox said yester-
dav that il was doubtful il the commission
would make any report 10 the Governor
or 10 the Legislature. He took the ground
that the real purpose Of the inquiry was
10 Obtain facts which would be helpful to
the board when holding hearings on detail
matters concerning the companies.
The commission held a public hearing
Yesterday on the complaints which have
been made regarding the inadequacy OF
service on the line running from Barlow
station to Belden Point, City Island. This
is a horse car line little more than
three miles long Because the line was
built by two companies ten cent tare Is
charged The line, however, Is now con-
trolled by the lnterborough company.
At the hearing held yesterday Alfred A.
Gardiner, one OF counsel Tor the inter-
borough COMPANY asked the company TO
postpone action for a few weeks for the
reason that the company was considering
the advisability OF equpping tho. road
with monoral cars Of the type used with
success at the jamestown exposition.
The cost OF such equipment would be about
$4,000 mile On the promise OF Mr.,
Gardiner that the company would report
10 the commission in two or three weeks
the board laid the matter over
The commission reported yesterday that
the number Of passengers killed on the
railroad lines OF this city in the month OF
April was thirty. as compared with lorty-
four fatal accidents for the month Of March.
The number OF serious accidents in April
was 10 and in March lt3.