The San Francisco call., 1909-03-21
STEADY RATE OF TAX


Mrs. Hartman has fat Of nine rooms
at 1904 Turk street.
STEADY RATE OF TAX
The company has raised the bill OF
Mrs. Anna Balczynski of 294I Harrison
street at the rate Of 20 cents a month.
This rate of increase has been so
steadily and accurately maintained
that the victims are inclined to sus-
pect an arbitrary assessment.
In the case of Mrs. Olive Street at
1852 McAllister street the company
added LOO per cent from January to
February.
Our gas bill for January was a trifie
over 81" says Mrs. Street, "and for
February a little over IS. and less gas
was used than in the previous month
We are a family of five persons. and
I think it g shame and a disgrace for
the supervisors Of San Francisco to
allow such high handed swindling on
the part OF the gas company. Rents
are high enough without having to
pay double rates for gas and no service
al that
Mrs Edith Mclaughlin of 2112 Union
street has had an unhappy experience
with the company. In October of last
year Mrs. Mclaughlin received a bill
for $40, about the average for the
two years up to that time In Novem-
ber the company presented a bill for
$40. There was nothing to account
for the sudden increase except the rs-
pacity Of the gas robber. A similar
bill was presented for the following
month Mrs. Mclaughlin then discarded
her gas heater. and the amount used
was Insignificant. Nevertheless the
bill amounted to $3.50
From one who DISCUSSES his identity
under the cloak Of the many, signing
himself. One who had to pay or get
shut off" comes the following:
ELECTRICITY, TOO
y would sign my name to this If
thought the consumer had any chance
TO win, but I fear not. and then the
company has Us on a list and we get
paid for our complaint. It is not for
gas alone that an overcharge is made.
but for electricity, also. Ny bill from
December Is to January IS was s242O
Now the days were shorter in Decem-
Der 10 January than January TO De
cemOer, but the increase was double
with one floor of four rooms cut off
thought my January bill so large
that ! cut the help floor off, and got
an increase in my bill Of $3.50. The
gas Is so poor that the guests all have
amps. 20 went 10 the company about
II. but could do nothing"
The bill of T f. TrusweII y, 4ooo
Mission street was doubled for the
month OF January with no apparent
increase in the use of gas
;. Hartman of 1115 Pierce street &c
ahother gas consumer whose gas bin
mas performed acrobatic capers. His
~, pllI november 10 to December 10 of
last year amounted to 81. which he de-
ciares was far above the anount of
gas consumed by his small family
Has bill for the period from December
10 10 January is was $3.50 Hartman
Went TO the gas company and regis
tered vigorous protest. and to his
great surprise the next months bin
dropped to $3.50. Hartman asserts
that even this amount is much more
than he is consuming.
Mrs. J. F. Mast of 1850 Twentv-tbir.J
street exhibits her bills to show that
she has been overcharged for gas that
is so thin it can not be lighted. The
service. she complains, has been very
poor. and often after the gas has been
burning a while 1t grows DINNER and
DINNER and finally goes out altogether.
A complaint backed by bills for The
last year comes from J. Realia OF l5
San Antonio place.
A protest, the name Of the author
being withheld by request has been
received, which sets forth the charges
month by month for the last year The
Nicum 1s apparently a dividend Gus
toner" one OF those on whom the com
pany counts for regular extortione.
The gas bills run from 81 to $40 and
the bills for electricity from $3.50 to
$I0.lO.
You win observe" reads the COM
plant that there is an increase of
over 5S5 per cent in the amount of
my gas bill for the month Of January
TO February, 1909, over that for the
same month of last year. The bills
for electric light also show a large
percentage of increase. My gas bin
for the month of October to November.
1909, was 622 per cent greater than for
the month of January TO February.
1908. and $40 per cent greater than for
the month from March TO April, 1908.
The bills which ] have been paving
for gas and electricity constitute quite
a large fractional part OF my total
monthly expenses and are ridiculously
high for three adults TO be paying in
an apartment of six rooms. have
to the gas company re-
peatedly. but have always received the
same answer. That there was nothing
the matter with my meter and that it
was registering correctly"