New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1922-01-13
CITY Petitions
Directly for
Gas Rate Cut
Mayor Made Complainant,
in Actions Against 8 Com
panics Before p. :. c.:
IL More TO BE Filed
Return TO 80 Gents Asked
Move Is Result of 3-Year
Fight by tho Municipality
10 Intervene in Cases

The city became formal complain
mt yesterday against tho gas com
ranies operating in greater New York
when Mayor llylan. through Corpora
.ior Counsel O'Bricn, filed a petition
with the Public Service Commission.
smul,anc, 1sly in it's Albany and local
Offices, alleging excessive gas rates and
asking for hearings before the commits
SION. Heretofore the city has occu-
med the position Of AN iutcrlopcr in
The gas and electric light cases. aud
has been unable TO intervene in the
various actions by the decision of the
courts. 1t now becomes a bona Gde lit
igsnt, opposing the applications Of the
various companies for increased rates.
Papers were filed yesterday AGAINST
eight of the twenty companies oporat-
ng IN the city Papers against the rest
will be filed a. soon rs they car be oh
tanned from the printer. in each Of
these cases the Mayor is made com
plainant as chief executive of the city.
Baked for Three Years
the municipal authorities to gain a foot
hold IN these cases has pecn baflled The
Attorney General of the state ana the
district attorneys OF the several coun-
ties have been joined as parties defend
ant while the city has been denied
that right. This condition continued,
although the Corporation Counsel has
argued each of the cases. even up to
the recent concluding argument before
the United States Supreme Court. which
decided against the city's petition.
Before the old Public Service Com
mission and the present one. with
state wide jurisdiction in such matters
the gas companies have maintained
this advantage and have succeeded in
keeping the city out on the grounds
that it had no legal standing before
the commissions so far as the merits
of the cases have been concerned This
attitude was reatfrmed only yesterday
by William l.. Ransom. counsel for the
gas companies. in the hearing before
the commission on the application Of
the Bronx Gas and Electric Light Com
pany for an increase in rates. The city
now sets UP that under the amended
Public Service act, Section II. the duty
Is imposed upon the commission to in
vestigate the allegations made in the
Mayors complaint
Demands Old 8O-Cent Rate
The city demands Reinstatement Of
the statutory rate Of 50 cents for 900
cubic feet, and that the several COM
panies show afirmatively the need for
any increases. This puts the burden
Of proof on the companies. while here
tofore whoever attacked the proposed
new rates has been compelled to show
ahrmatively that they were unjust and
unreasonable
Corporation Counsel O'Brien issued
"a statement on the Mayors action, in
which he took occasion to criticize the
action, or lack of action, of the Public
Service Commission in the gas cases.
The city'S chief action is against the
Consolidated Gas Company. Others
against which the Mayor filed com
paints yesterday were the Brooklyn
Union Gas Company. the Bronx Gas
ana Electric Light Company, the East
River Gas Company, the Standard Gas
night Company. the New York and
Xuenes, the New York Mutual and the
New Ans rdam gas conlnanipe