New Britain herald., 1916-01-08
MAPLE HILL WINNER
 IN FIGHT FOR GAS
New Britain Gas Light Co. h. struCted to Lay Mains By May 15
 MAY MAKE MINIMUM CHARGE

Public Utilities Commission Takes
 Cognizance of Heavy Cost of Con-
 struction and Sys Property Owners
 Must Contribute at Least $15 Each.
 In a memorandum received by in terested parties today, it develops that the residents of Maple Hill Newing- ton, who petitioned the public utilities commission for an extension of gas mains from New Britain to their prop erty had won their fight the com mission ordering the mains laid and gas furnished by the New Britain Gas Light company on or before May 1 B. 1916.
 A petition requesting the commis- sion to instruct the New Britain Gas Light company to extend it's mains was presented to the commission on October 27, 1915. It was signed by G. -E. Root, William F. Sternberg, F. M. Holmes, Nina l.. Blair, R. Hull bert, Jr., J.. c. Moody, E. B. Proud man, O. N. Ferry and N. M Fieber, all of whom represented the Maple Hill Improvement society. A hearing on the petition was held at the office of the commission on November 17, 1915.
 In it's memorandum the commission says:
 Has Charter to Extend Mains.
 ''The New Britain Gas Light com- pany secured an amendment to it's charter in 1905 authorizing it to ex- tend it's mains and furnish service in the town of Newington. According to a statement of said company, filed at the hearing herein this amendment was sought because of the growth of the community which was expected to result from the establishment of a proposed station by the New York New Haven & Hartford Railroad com panv near the point where the tracks of said company cross NewingtOn road in the town of Newington. It was thought also that occupation of this territory by the gas company would be further warranted by the 1 development of Maple Hill, in said l town, as a residential district. The station was not built, however, and 1 the growth of Maple Hill did not meet 1 the expectations of the Gas Light company At the 1915 session of the | legislature the company attempted to have it's charter rights in Newington revoked, but without success. The present petition is the continuation of long continued efforts of the residents of Maple Hill to induce the company to furnish service in that district Sev- eral years ago the company offered to make the extension upon a yearly guarantee of $1,0OO gross income This offer was not accepted, however and according to the statement of the cOmpany's president, was later with drawn.
 ''The section in question lies just easterly of the New Britain town and city line, in the town of Newington the distance along the highway from the nearest main of the gas company, at the corner of East street and New ington road in New Britain, to Theo- dore street at the corner of Robbins avenue on Maple Hill in Newington, being 12,132 feet. This is the dis tance which, according to the com- pany's estimate, it would be necessary to lay an eight-inch maiIi. On the side streets four-inch mains would be laid. Closely adjacent to the divid- ing line between New Britain and Newington is the locality known as { Elm Hill, lying on and near Newing- ton road, through which highway the eight-inch main would necessarily pass to reach Maple Hill. The com pany estimates that 12,357 feet of four-inch main would be required on Maple Hill alone, no estimate being included for extensions o.. the side streets at Elm Hill where, the com- pany contends, the houses are so scattered and the use of oas would be so slight as to warrant but ittl. consideration.
 Extension Might Cost $2O,OOO.
 '"The basis ordinarily used by the New Britain Gas Light company for figuring the cost of laying new mains was stated to be $1 per foot for eight inch mains and sixty cents per foot for four-inch mains, which figures would, however, be materially in- creased in the opinion of the con.- panys representative, on account of the present and increasing high cost of labor and materials The estimate submitted for the entire rXpense of the proposed extension was apprOyi- mately S20,000. The petitioners pre- scented a statement signed by eighty three residents of Maple Hill and fourteen residents of Elm Hill read ing as follows: We, the undersigned, hereby state that it is our intention to use gas in the houses at Maple Hill Cor Elm HilD which we own or oc- cupy, if the extension of gas mains to Maple Hill is made After subscrib- ing to a statement of this tenor the commission feels justified in assum- ing that substantially all of such sub scribers will become patrons and be willing to enter into contract with the company to take its service as soon as the same is installed.
 This is a petition coming within the provisions of sectlon z4 Of Chap ter 128 of the Laws or 1911 as amend ed by Section l, Chaplef zZo, Laws of