New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-24
EXPENSE OF OIL
KEEPS GAS UP
Williams Fails to Consent
to S5-Cent Rate in
Brooklyn.
KINGS COUNTY CO.
HAS PASSED BUCK"
Signing of Contract and Sag in
Fuel Prices Put Up to p. S.
Commission.

Oil may calm some kind. Of troubled
waters, but the Public Service Com
mission has found it Of no avail when
the troubled waters are those which
surround the fixing OF rate on gas.
In this case there wouldn't have been
any trouble IL it had not been for the
oil. for just as soon as ii injected it.
self into the proceedings the trouble
began.
As result the patrons Of the Kings
County Lighting Company in Brooklyn
will still have TO guess whether or nor
the rate of 90 cents thousand cubic
feet is going to be reduced to IS cents.
For a time yesterday it looked good,
and the gas users of Brooklyn began
to congratulate themselves as they
read that Commissioner Williams had
changed his mind and had come to
the conclusion that the rate Of 50
cents which Commissioner Hayward
urged was the correct thing.
Previously Commissioner Williams
had written an opinion UNFOLDING the
rate Of % cents. one of the chief con-
tributions to it being the fact that
tho Kings County company had TO
paw an extraordinarily high price for
oil.
A couple Of days ago, however, Mr..
williams experienced a change OF
heart. He had been before the Thomp-
son committee, so he took counsel with
Commissioner Hayward and former
Commissioner Maltpie. Then he de-
cided that he was wrong in allowing
the Kings County company IN per
cent return. He concluded that per
cent would be sufficient, the sequence
beine that SIS cents would be a fair rate
Last night. however, II became appar-
ent that the users Of the product OF
the Kings County Lighting Company
had begun 20 chucEle too soon. Com-
missioner Williams had again got on
the fence. and all because OF oil.
He said il was true that he had re-
reiyed q letter form Oliver {. Semple'
assistant counsel TO the commission, IN
which his attention was called TO the
fat that the price Of gas oil was going
up. ,,t..,
Wednesday, letter was received IRON
the Kings County company in which
"the buck was passed" in the most
skilful manner 70 the commissioners.
II was signed by G. G. Mead, vice.
president of the company.
II says in part:
"Tt is the Judgment OF the of1cers
Of the company that the price OF gas
ell will continue to increase, and IN.
deed there is some probability that II
the war continues throughout the com
ing wear il may be almost, II not al
together. impossible 10 obtain supply
in the fall Of 1916. This would lndi-
cate the desirability Of making con-
tract az present '.
"The dilemma is quite apparent. II
the price of oil should continue 70 In
crease. or IL there should be short
npe approximating a failure Of supply
(which is possible), the company may
be censured for not having acted upon
a condition foreseen to be possible. II,
on the other hand. the contract should
be made at this time at price mate
rally higher than the present contract
price. and If after making the contract
the market should undergo a vital
change and the price should decline
before the company will need the oil,
there will then arise the Identical
basis Of criticism 10 which the COM
pany has already been publicly sub
jected."
The letter has put the Public Service
| Commission in dilemma, too. There
was talk last night, however. that the
commission might pass the buck
also by sending the communication to
the Thompson committee and letting
them do the worrying.