The sun., 1909-02-03
PLAN TOPAY BACK GAS MONEY
500, ,0OO CLAIMANTS AND NOT
Az EASY JOB.
Unless Something Arises to Prevent II.
II IL Proposed 10 Begin Next Week
Customers VINO Have saved Their
Receipts VIII he Attended To First.

Customers Who Have saved Their
Receipts VIII he Attended To First.
The distribution Of the si2, 900. 900 be-
longing to gas consumers who have been
paying the dollar rate for gas will in
all probability begin the first Of next
week IL nothing turns up to prevent
| il. Judge Lacombe and Commits
sioner Shields the custodian Of the fund
are already at work on q plan, and the
Consolidated Gas Company 10 prepared
to carry out their suggestions without
further protest. The other companies
we're still undecided yesterday, but one
OF the lawyers said that In all probability
they would abide by the decision in the
test case. These companies are the New
Amsterdam. the Standard. the Mutual,
the Northern Union and the Central Union.
The plan for the distribution OF the
money will be embodied in the decree
which will be issued by Judge Laoombe
Of the Circuit Court. who directed that
such fund should be established. The
Supreme Courts mandate is expected
tomorrow. but this will simply be copy
OF the courts decision with the words
-and II is so directed Immediately
upon its receipt Judge Lacombe will
issue his formal decree directing the dis
tribution Of the fund
Under the plan which will be followed
the gas company and not Commissioner
Shields will do the actual paying OF,
doing so at its various Offices where con-
sinners are accustomed to pay their
bills. A few additional Offices may be
opened, however, just for the payment
Of rebates. The consumers will be paid
by check. Large consumers. such az
business corporations, will have the
option Of receiving credit for their share
on the books Of the company to be applied
to the payment Of current and future
bills.
. At each place OF payment maintained
by the gas company Commissioner Shields,
working under the Circuit Courts direc-
ton. Ia to have an auditor. who will check
OF the payments as they are made. The
records Of the company in the case OF
each consumer will he compared with
the records on file with the Commissioner.
At the close Of each day the Comms-
sioner will send a check to the company
for the total amount OF rebates paid to
consumers
Furthermore the plan provides that
in case Of any dispute there shall be
hearing forthwith before the Commis-
soner, sitting as special master. In
other wor DIS IL a consumer insists upon
more money than the company offers
him he must go down TO the Commits
sioner's office, where a hearing will be
given both sides and it will be up to the
. - -. - N@lr. n HrNa
900, 900 more or less OF receipted bills.
packages Of which are piled high in a
dusty c.oset Of the building now, and find
this particular consumers set
Nobody. not even the Commissioner
or the LAWYERS. has been able TO arrive
at any estimate whatsoever OF the time
this thing ia going TO take. There are
sp.OOD persons with legal claims TO a
shn-c of the money. Some have keot
their recei' Ia and some haven't. Many
thousands have beon ueinR slot machines.
and they rer resent the shifting crowd
of gas users. whose cases will be the most
trou b. .esome OF al. The gas company
has given them recelpts. but IN some
cases "A man used a meter month and
then moved away. vet he has claim
on part of the fund and will no doubt
turn up very probably on Monday, the
frs: dav
1, was stated Yesterday by one Of
that those who had kent their receirts
would undo,Ibtedy get their money ,
imnedi,fely, and for thi, class Others
VII have ~ stoo aside
Tro,rh' a is fea-ed because n lot OF CAIN
ants have tho imnression that tbey are
emit ed 10 interest AT the rate of q rcr /
cent as on deposi;s Tor meters The
ORIGINAL daorea Of the Circ,,it Court as
to rho fund nrovided tina. ,he interest
which now amounts TO near,y $50. .O0
shonid 90 IN dcfrav the EXPENSE of diq. /
trihntioS Tbis provision regarding in I
,orest onn,ias bnwever only 10 the Con /
solidatad cnmnanv,s fund The civ
bas i',st heo,n a feat case with The New /;
hmatardam m comnany in an effort To have
II de,ormined thai the companies shouId |
nav par cont interest comno,,nded
and a,an nav The eynense M the distribu. |
t;nn ord not,maL Consumers nav because
thaaa comns nias sonobt 10 test the law /
he consnn'srs had enacted The deci- /
s;nn in III. casa vii amply 20 all the other
on,,nan;a. W. NV "''r''
In addi,;on 10 tho class NJ neonle who
m Ia aon ,nao,;nc in ~" irtarest anntber Ia ss
", W." ,ors ons ~, no create trouh,e
III II - a 70 r.rsors xho ba va haen hnvino
~ oons',r,erss sacein,s Mt d;scount
w "a has roachaS Cnn,m;ss;oner Shields