A GAS SWINDLE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1647, 27 August 1887, Page 3

A GAS SWINDLE

• * ■ The " New York Herald " is at present engaged In a crusade against the goo eompanles. la a recent issue that paper IaTB : — A shout of applause greeted the " Herald's " unanswerable attack upon the wholesale swindle through which the vwollen gas monopolists were able, by merely patting preeaare upon their mains, to ran the bilia of belplem ctmumera ap to any amsunt they pleaao. The enormoun array of figures and ecientific evidence .-with which the story was buttressed made the fraud standout so oleirly that all a citizen had to do was to examine hia %bb bill to understand how he had been cheated. It vru acknowledged everywhere that the gai companies had defeated the law which reduced the price of gas from 7a to 5a for a thousand cubio feet. By pressure m the pipei enough gas is forced through the metres to make up the difference In price, although the result of the pressure is to give less light than ever, . . . Thoae figures are the result of actual experiment by one of tbe beat gas engineers m Now York city. They are absolutely reliable, having been made by tho zr-OBt accurate instruments known to eclotico. It will be seen at a glance that through a sft burner under a half-inch preesuro s|'t of gaa give 25 46 candlo power, while under a throe Inoh pressure fourteen feat and three quarters give only 20 40. In other words, by the simple procees of increasing the press ore from half an Inoh to three lochee, the gas oompany oan make a man psy for about tlree times as much, gns, although be really gotß Ibbb light. If the {dspenard street importer had used 5000 ft of gas this year he would hare more light beyond a doubt, and would have ooly had to pay £1 Qs instead of £2 lls. " I'll tell 70a what it ii," said a noted gas expert to • "Herald" reporter. "The history of gas companies m this city, shows that every time the price cf gas has been reduced by law the pressure hea at once gone up, Now, a burner will only consume ■0 much gas m giving light. The rest pastes off Into the air In the form of a dangerous carbon monoxide, which is the , result of Imperfect combustion. You're noticed the blue patch m gas flames. Well, that blue patch shows where the gas Is not being consumed. I's all clear profit for the gas company. Nothing but extetftve andMishonest pressure rnakeß the blue patch large, The forked appearance of the flame is another sign of swindling. Whenever you see little wings sticking out from tbe flame you oan bet that you are paying a rousing old dividend to the gas ftafchoidtri,"