New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-09-25
New York Consumes d.
O7S.4H.492 Cubic Feet
Annually for Light
ing and Cooking.

~~-NAN"o- AAoAA 4tNAl ~ Stlu SlIttlr Nic Noluuu
extending those forty blocks would represent
numerically the employees OF the Consolidated
Gas Company OF New York and its allied COM
panies.
There would be enough men In line TO make
ten regiments Of infantry, with a machine gun
section and troop Of cavalry for each regiment.
7he whole force would be as big as an army
division Of three fun brigades. and would in
eiude no less than ten thousand five hundred
men.
The callings OF peace in these days are prac-
tealS as strenuous those OF and the
tso-mIe column of gas company workers would
represent quite vigorous an array If its
units wore the blue or khaki and carried Spring
heads their shoulders
While soldiers would be accompanied by an
ammunition train 20 destroy life and property,
tho army OF the Consolidated Gas Company
would bear only the implements OF modern in
tUstry TO make life happier and TO Insure COM
fort
in place Of caissOns fun OF death dealing
shells. the gas army might escort the biggest
array In New York and if that dray were loaded
with gold 90 meet the yearly payroll OF the
company il would carry a burden Of over seven
teen tons Of the pure metal. for the annual re-
Enumeration OF the army Of light Is $S.J00.O00.
Statisticians say that each worker supports
In addition 10 himself four others as q general
average: thus the grand army that draws sus-
tenance from the Consolidated Gas Company OF
New York and its branches and allies IS over
fifty thousand strong.
The company that employs this army was in
coTporated November II. 1891 and has either
absorbed n totally controls BIZ stock owner
ship thirteen distinct corporations. Il controls
the entire gas and electric lighting interests OF
the Borough Of Manhattan as well as much OF
The adjacent terI-t.-- II has authorized
capita Of S100OOV.Ubp ,- which $50 81. 500 las
heeu 70
D 20 per cent
The income from gas business. together with
dividends and interest received from stocks and
bonds owned by the company IN 1907 was So
Oo03O4 and after d=ducting tie usual fixed
eharges Of Sl,S94, az and the dividend fund al
b Per cent. amounting 10 S32493 G3 the tidy
sum Of S.95.3lA was added 10 the surplus fund.
The legal pathway o. tie company has not
been smooth. IN 1905 q bin was enacted b. he
legislature 10 reduce the price Of gas from 81 to
50 cents thousand cubic feet. Tie measure
was duly signed bat tie company Immediately
sued out Injunction 70 prevent its enforce
nent Tending fnal decision in a test case,
brought 70 determine tie efficiency Of the new
law. The grounds taken by the company were
simply 10 the consttutionaIity Of the law and
this was sustained By the Supreme Court Of the
United states after much litigation in the lower
court. The decision was handed down in Jan
nary. 1909. but the company WAS granted the
right 70 bring another action 10 prevent the n
fOTceInent Of the new rate the ground that il
Is conhscatOry.
Following the decision % the Supreme Court
OF the United States. one Of the most remark
able events took place here that hapDned
Ga the history Of accounting and bookkeeping in
this or any other city.
when the test case was being prosecuted. the
company and its allies set aside millions OF dol
lars 70 reimburse and indemnify consumers who
were paying for gas al the old rate during the
pendency OF the court proceedings.
At the time Judgment was entered against the
nornpany last January this amounted 10 $lO,194,
COG a.. and the stupendous task Of returning this
money to those who paid 1t deyolFed upon the
nomDany. During the six months since March.
1909 100000 accounts have been audited and
settlements have been made involving more than
100000
II took the services OF a corps OF several hun
6rn5 clerks and bookkeepers and the expenditure
a. thousands of dollars for postage TO encompass
.be labor but the work was practically finished
fn sir months, although it had been confidently
nredicted that il would require at least year
10 finish.
,J7,ere is still small balance in the fund TO re-
fuaburse the consumers, but II is only about l
per cent OF the huge fortune represented IN the
original judgment
Anosber legal reef which poked its sharp
,,o,nfs az the Consolidated was the attempt IN
1907 by Attorney General jackson TO have the
charter Of the company annuled.
The Attorney General brought suit 70 gain
r,r,mission 20 void the charter of the company
=, the grounds that IL was a monopoly WITHIN
the meaning Of the statute Of New York state