New-York tribune., 1909-08-23

Consolidated - "a os3 OH
Mutual ..-..-................ SeS iO7
New Amsterdam 236 $50
Central Union " -'''''.'''''.''' Iii ~ 96a
Northern Union. ga 292
Total OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. SO OBS 62,
In addition 10 this fund the Consolidated Gas
Company had retained. by special permission from
the court, about s2Oo0OOO making the total amount
due consumers snGO.ODo The money in the hands
OF the special master bringing 2I5 per cent in
terest and il was said that at the time the court
decided against the gas companies this had
amounted to H23,2l9 week ago Ss.64a 972 6s had
been paid out which counting the money dis
hursed ny the Consolidated Gas Company. which
has made an accounting TO the special master Of
Its payments since the beginning of the disburse-
ment. March l last
The problem that confronted the court when ef-
forts lasting nearly months 10 DELAY the car
rying out of the decision of the highest court in the
land had come 10 naught. said to have been
tremendous The money deposited had TO be paid
back 10 the consumers II would he an expensive
operation, and early in the game Judge I.acombe
or the United States Circuit Court, who on Nav rs
1896, issued the temporary injunction which re-
suited I'm the accumulation of the fund decided
that the interest fund should be used to meet the
costs. There demur to this from the gas
companies
AS soon as the disbursement was begun the pros
pect OF making profit OF ignorant consumers
brought a swarm OF agents around the nine bu-
=.
competed, with low fees for the work OF attestine
claims This became so savage at some Of the
bureaus that the police had 10 be called in Sev-
eraI men went into the business Of buying claims
and one person has record Of having gathered I'm
about thirty thousand accounts. paying fifty cents
on the dollar. II estimated that he made more
than $1,000 ny his work Then there was the theft
OF checks sent out by the bureaus with the
vouchers.
Rober, a. Burbank who with force Of twenty
TNrc loQl~g 1aFf. 81,
record OF seven hundred letters stolen and the
checks distracted. Persons received the letters
without the checks. and il generally found that
the checks had been cashcd. on Friday OF last
week Mr. Burbank received reports OF sixteen let
iers opened and the checks stolen. His investga-
tion showed that OF these checks had already
passed through the banks
Many cases of forgery came 10 his attention
Early in his work he had a postal card with a re-
turn card attached. prepared containing an inquiry
Wh' ther assignm nts purporting have been made
were authentic. The wisdom OF this was shown b,
the r"turn Of many denials OF assignments The
postal authorities busy looking up the thofts
OF the checks from the mails, and Mr.. Burbank will
have his hands full prosecuting persons for forgery
as soon his present work is done ~ this special
work should be- referred 10 him
There We're several complications IN th,. distrl-
button OF the fund brought about by the numerous
assignments Of claims. but OF these were sim
plihed early. that they should be- treated as regu
ments 10 the committee the prevention Of tul,er
culosiS which asked for these a contribution 9,
is work About $4,000 realized Its assigned
claims went through without a hitch. did those
~ the Hebrew Charities Aid which also received
claims contributions To- its work
The Italian Protective Aid Society took care az
claims for Italians who applied help and the /
Society for the Propagation - :he Faith got claims /
rs contributions 10 its work. The delays in
assignments 10 individuals They viii b. the last 4
10 De considered There was no delay I'm taking
-are ~ the rebates to consumers Of record other 4
than that they had 10 take their turn one man /
who had been out of the city for over a wear and /
had saved n" receipts found a record All ready for
he settlement Of his account and that without the
east quibbling.
The dsbursing Of the rebate fund proved wind
ali 10 many persons who were out OF work but II
VAS upon these that many OF the sharks who were
lttracted 20 the bureaus preyed. The accountants
lad employees In the areas outside Of the rangs to
explain the system Of disbursement to all inquir-
rs. but despite this the specious pleas of claim |
gents carried much weight
With the nearing Of the end of the work legal |
implications have begun to crop out Judge a
ombe decided last month that the remainder Of
he money deposited by the Northern Union Gas
'ompany should be returned to H. subject to re-
trictions. Corporation Counsel Pendleton's office
made objection and the courts decision will I.e
ought Not until this appeal is decided will the
uestion Of the return of what left of the biy
lnd-about $3.50 0oo-be completely settled Should
ne money go back to the companies the court Will
rtain jurisdiction over II
When the repayment Of the money deposited first
anne up a fact it predicted that this would
IKE about five months. Just bout six months viii
ave been consumed in the work The great stack |
vouchers which Commissioner Shields had on |
and has disappeared. He was photographed | ;
landing near the bundles, and the stack tonned
i'm by nearly two feet
The 0-cent gas law went into effect IN Nav !
I5 but was Immediately fought by the gas com, | (
anies. ON MAY Is Judge Lacombe granted n tom
orary Injunction and appointed Arthur Nastep
take evidence. Mr.. Masten reported against the J
", and soon the appeal ;aken 10 IN. United ! ]
iates supreme Court. His fee was s25SjO Tho !
nited states Circuit Court clerk received q II, for
gnng the transcript of the record whu. tho I
-intlng of the appeal cost $1,000 II was said tbo,
e fight for sl-cent had the city IN 10 rho
me Of the favorable decision si527s2 Tha c,,,r,s
I'll still have to adjust the payment Of costs =
There was considerable complaint be.o,,so -.
rdge l.acOmbes decision that the costs ., ,b z
sbursement should be paid out Of the lnteres, 80, a
e fund II did not get into the courts however $
was said that no consumer had TO nav the :, no, II
- cubic feet charged by the companies whom \
appealed 10 test the constitutionslit, or H. II
". but citizens who refused to paw were throat a
led with deprivation Of gas and paid f. u whit a
y, who had been retained by the PuhIic sar,,, .,
Dmmission 10 argue It's AT WashInoto, ,rhr q
e appeal came up there. refused 10 p.,, ~, a. T
te and received the threat but didnt boaI :, p
is gas not shut off. " -