The San Francisco call., 1909-03-13
ASK CONSUMERS
TO SHOW BILLS
Supervisors to Begin Investiga-
ton of Gas Company
Methods Tuesday
Committee Will Gather Eyi-
dence of Rapacity and
UnfairnesS

I'VE want all consumers who believe
that they have received unjust or ex-
orbitant gas or electric lighting bills to
appear before the artificial lights COM
mittee of the board of supervisors next
Tuesday afternoon at o'clock and pre-
sent what evidence they have to sup
port their contention of unfairness on
the part of the company. They should
bring current and past bills, so that a
comparison may be made. The COM
mittee will be ready Tuesday to begin
thorough and comprehensive investi-
cation into the charges made against
the gas company. We probably will
tent experts to assist us in this matter
Sta atement made last evening by DR..
A. A. dAncona, chairman of the arti-
fetal lights committee of the board of
supervisors.
The artificial lights committee of the
board of supervisors has called upon
the San Francisco gas and electric COM
pany to furnish us with copy of its
complaint book; we have asked the
newspapers to send us copies of COM
plants they have received, and have di
rected gas inspectors TO bring their
lists of complaints against the gas serv
ice corporation: we have requested Prof
c. L. Cory and A. NJ. Hunt to assist US
tuesday, and, furthermore, we have
called upon the coroner to furnish us
with list of gas asphyxiation cases, so
that we might study the manner of the
lighting system of the ecrty."--Statement
OF supervisor James A. Johnston of the
artificial lights committee of the board.
WILL INVESTIGATE METHODS
On more comprehensive scale and
with greater thoroughneSs than ever
before was attempted the artificial
lights committee of the board of super
visors will inaugurate next Tuesday
afternoon in the chambers of the
board in Eddy street near Market an
investigation into the wanton cam
paign of the San Francisco gas and
electric company to make the con-
sumers of San Francisco pay such ex-
orbitant rates for the inferior stuff
| they must use that the corporation can
not only repair its credit, but bolster
up its various funds. DIR. "A. A. dan
coma is chairman OF the committee and
Supervisors Johnston and Broderick
are his associates.
1t is generally anticipated that at
! the meeting Tuesday the board will
| engage Professor c. L. Cory. head Of
the college of mechanical engineering
| at the University of California. and
| A. nj. Hunt, competent gas expert, to
| investigate the methods of the gas
| company and to analyze the product or
/ air that flows through the pipes, and
! for which the rate payer is charged
at the rate of 81 per thousand cubic
i feet.
DR.. d'Ancona could not say posi-
/ lively last evening that either Cory or
Hunt would be engaged, but he said
4 it was probable that one or both would
/ be called upon by the city. Both will
at least take part in Tuesdays con-
! ference
WILL PRODUCE COMPLAINTS
81 had a talk with Professor Cory
/ today" said DIR. d'Ancona. He re-
| ferred me to an engineering journal
which throws lfgf4 on gas problems
/ and shows how they have been solved
/ in various cities. This article will. be
of great aid to the committee in It's in
vestigating work The committee yes
/ terday instructed Clerk Behan of the