Year: 1876

contracts 70 the companies Subsequently.
however, they advertised Tor proposals for
lighting certain streets with oil or other
illumnative material according 20 Specifications
file IN the Board Of City Works Proposals are now
being received in accordance with that proposition, and
the indications that many connections with street
lamps in Brooklyn and the gas company mains will,
ere long, be cut oil 1t is contemplated that the
amount apart for this item will not be more than
twothirds expended with the close of the fiscal year
great Will be the saving elected. But the Common
Council has gone further II has OF all connection
between the mains aud the thousand and odd lamps
which stood in front OF church doors The conse-
quencc is that henceorth the pously inclined must
lamps


to a new company-the Mutual Gas Light Company
TO lay mains IN Brooklyn 10 compete with the existing
companies. The now company proposes 10 commence
TO lay pipes May next and agrees to furnish gas al
less than 81 per ], 900 feet


II IS regarded as highly probable that sl further
reduction in the price OF gas will be made 10 private
consumers by the companies now IN existence


THE REDUCTION or PRICE IN THIS CITY.


The three principal gas companies OF this city have
announced that and after the LIST Of March the cost
per 1000 cubic feet OF gas will reduced from SO
to 81 90. These companies are tho New York Gm
Light Company, whose district lies south OF Grand
street; the Manhattan Gas Light Company which sup.
lies the and side upto The south side Of Thirty
fourth street; and the Mutual Gas Company which
has pipes laid the from about Sixty-nfth
street down 10 Fulton ferry, and is the west sids
rapidly extending its line TO similar dimensions The
Metropolitan Company, whose district lies north
OF Thirty fourth street. has yet resolved upon re-
ducng It's charges will probably be driven TO t By
the action OF the Mutual Company which is running in
opposition It in large portion Of the upper part Of
the city.


1t is said by the gas companies who have reduced
their prices that that action is owing to number Of
a,Hf To-
reason that other articles in trade have down Ia
value The companies not, however. willing TO adj
init the reduction has been occasoncd by any fall
ing off in the demand for tho commodity, and very
chary of speaking of the movement which necessity
has nauguratcd Of using kerosene oil instead OF gas
They to be anxious to take TO themselves all the
credit of the reduction in prices but do not anticipate
that they will be called upon, undcr circumstances,
to bring down tho rates to a still lower figure A
HERALD reporter yesterday visited the Offices of the four
companies named above and made inquiries TO what
is termed "the Kerosene oil movement" and caused
which led to the reduction in prices. Tho oiicall
who were conversed with did not attach any impor-
'the few instances in which the meters had
been returned and oil introduced instead OF gas. They
said that the number Of returns of meters verJ
small small, indeed, not to be worth taking
consideration They denied that "the oil moyeme entn
had thing to do with the reduction In answer ia
questions to whether II difficult collect
bills at the present time was admitted that money
was very and that business complained con.
stanty OF the bad times; but no estimate could be
made by the companies as to how much they
business. They all agreed that there greater
scarcity of cash this winter than there last


At the New York Gaslght Company's Office in Hes
ter the reporter told that some reduction,
either In the wages the hours OF the employees
should be made very soon in order 10 keep with
the general business depression. This company en-
ploys about 300 hands at us works and about loo
as clerks and at other labor In its district there ara
a number of small customers who find IL difficult
pay their bills, but 1t affirmed that those whose
meters had been removed did not number very many.


Al the Offices of the Manhattan Gas Company No
Irving place, II ascertained that that
company had reduced its rates simply
an ordinary business transaction, done in keeping
with the return of business prices to their old
standard "For instance, said the official TO whom the
reporter was speaking n 1868 the price OF gas pei
cubic SO 25 and in June of that year 10
reduced to So; In August OF 1872 It again
duced from So to So 75 at which ngure It has since
remained. Now, there is general depression OF bust
this year, continued the Official, ''no doubt
owing to the many causes which are conspirng e
bring US back again TO old values, and the gas com.
panes, in regard TO their commodity, must share IN the
general falling of in prices Coal and labor OF course,
the principal elements oil expense IN the manuacture
OF gas and coal has come down IN price during recent
years some twenty per cent Labor has come down
probably about fifteen per cent follows, therefore,"
said the oihca that the gas companies ought TO be
able 10 reduce their prices In accordance with the
ductons in the producing materials )" In regard to
"the Kerosene movement" the gentleman referred 10
said that although in several instances Kerosene oil
had been resorted to by persons who had
been using gas, he OF opinion that II
done as a matter OF economy when there wal
really pinch for money, but for there being any
chance that kerosene to be notceably substituted
for gas, these hard times, he did think
all likely. In TACT he wondered that Kerosene oil had
not been brought more into during the past
IL very noticeable he said ali through the Manhat
tan Company's district, that desire TO economze In
the of gas manifested alike In stores well
In dwellings.


At the Mutual Company's of1ces 1t stated that
considerable economy now being used by gas
sumers but there not any special delay In the pay
ment OF bills The company however, was not de-
sirous press customers when there any chance
OF obging them, and none were 'cut orr but those
who we're evidently intending not to pay This com.
pany being at the present time engaged In extending
IT'S lines Of pipes, II difficult TO 1nd out whether
any considerable number OF meters had been returned
but the official that the returns of meters were
not particularly noticeable.


Notwithstanding the fact that the gas companies de-
cnod admitting that the return OF meters had been
large and that the collection OF bills toeraby good
still certain that every district in the city
n considerable number OF persons have been obliged
this 10 take TO using Kerosene oil II Is also
true that the people had the greatest difficulty
ing their gas bills and that not few obliged
allow the meters TO go because business 50
bad, and that they freely stated TO the gas
worthy OF note however that reduction the price OF
gas has already taken place In Boston and elsewhere
and that in of the large cities similar action 10
spoken OF The Mutual Company, as is well known, Ia
fighting the older companies In their own field, and
hence perhaps the well known 'cut OF the gas" cry
is not uttered by the rivals themselves often
10 used TO be-


THE STRANDED CITY OF CALVES.