the new rate plus the service charge than if a flat reduction had been made in the twelve cent rate to eleven cents per kw. hour. The Queens Borough Gas & Electric Company, serving the Fifth Ward, Queens, had a maximum rate of thirteen cents per kw. hour at the beginning of the year. During the pendency of an investigation by the Commission into its rates, the company voluntarily agreed to a reduction of one cent per kw. hour, to which the Commission agreed. This reduction was put into effect on March 10, 1917. The several reductions amounted to a saving of considerably more than a million dollars annually to the consumers of these four companies, and are to be regarded as a very considerable achievement at a time when the tendency has been very generally upward in the cost of materials, production and distribution. The proceedings in which these savings were effected are detailed in Chapter VI. The number of gas companies doing business during the year 1916 in the First District was 16; of gas-electric companies, 3; of electric light and power companies, 10; of electric conduit companies, 2, and of steam companies, 1, making a total of 32 companies engaged in furnishing light, heat and power. The total is the same as that for 1915. The Richmond Light & Railroad Company, operating in Richmond Borough and engaged in the manufacture of electric current for commercial purposes as well as in the operation of a street railroad, is treated as a street railway company in this classification and is excluded from the electrical companies. The outstanding stocks and bonds representing the capitalization of these companies amounted at the end of the year to $436,023,354. If duplications in holdings are excluded, the capitalization amounts to $291,551,093. When the Commission was organized in 1907 the total number of such companies was 26 and their combined capitalization was $347,751,784. The relative capitalization of the various classes of light, heat, and power companies for the years 1907-1916 is shown in the following table: The total increase in capitalization figures for the year was $464,225, divided among the several classes of companies and represented principally by an increase in the capitalization of conduit companies. Owing to the fact that the fiscal year for gas and electric companies coincides with the calendar year, the latest figures available are for the twelvemonth ended December 31, 1916. The Annual Reports for 1917 have not yet been filed. During the year 1916 the gas companies under the jurisdiction of this Commission sold 44,565,753,000 cubic feet of gas and received therefor $36,372,618. The electric companies sold 946,201,369 kilowatt hours of electric current and received therefor $38,687,806. There was an increase in sales of both gas and electricity for the year, the increase in gas sales amounting to 2,026,085 cubic feet, while the sales of electric current increased 119,196,485 kilowatt hours. Gross amounts received for the sale of both services by the manufacturing companies also exceeded similar sums for 1915. The following table gives a comparative summary of gas and electric companies for the years 1908-16 inclusive: COMPARATIVE SUMMARY OF GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANIES FOR THE YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1908-1916 [Intercompany sales for redistribution eliminated. Data applicable to a single date refer to the close of the year. For further explanations see Statistics of Light, Heat & Power Companies constituting Vol. III of the Annual Report.] Gas distributed (M cu. ft.). Revenue from gas sales to public. Operating costs- net2 41,904,066 43,293,986 99,756 107,988 34,290,407 36,698,148 39,168,401 45,397,728 45,671,856 47,051,661 45,668,377 4,197 260,150 48,233,555 114,806 118,614 40,368,354 3.15 124,038 125,128 23,158,355 19,269,314 20,492,154 21,432,094 7.02 42,138,516 4.39 42,731,869 128,909 43,726,927 24,326,847 25,498,695 24,239,967 $19,905,769 26,083,747 4,824,144 10,564,285 11,371,601 11,412,561 11,036,116 10,608,364 10,186,750 10,528,111 6,678 7,320 8,320 9,074 9.653 9,285 10,144 $5,235,405 $5,856,837 $6,877,846 $7,757,291 Gross income applicable to corporate and leased properties $19,855,954 $26,393,405 $28,764,340 $33,530,281 $34,138,732 $34,898,884 $35,922,895 $36,089,564 12,842,680 • $38,712,153 Net corporate income. Dividends. Accumulated surplus. 23,246,884 14,197,809 67,790,494 $8,376,708 $8,905,006 $9,039,717 $9,828,105 157 096 610,386 246,442 59,950 190,580 695,630 292,662 67,940 80,494 310,376,762 323,451,801 360,341,589 406,931,943 495,057,370 651,235,101 687,582,209 4.21 11.41 12.93 21.66 31.55 $21,397,525 $23,058,606 $25,382,824 $27,737,104 $29,990,908 $32,897,660 $34,878,022 $34,936,019 13,025,657 13,819,705 15,074,944 12,927,858 14,650,578 16,365,026 17,655,338 19,300,896 8,371,868 9,238,901 10,307,879 14,809,245 15,340,330 16,532,634 17,222,681 15,635, 123 223,981 816,167 346,242 956,476 435,112 493,462 452,235,409 472,559,920 525,165,353 595,153,865 707,058,865 877,539,888 917,977,516 989,359,588 1,146,310,504 51,484 238,873 265,254 863,272 306,217 1,047,518 360,669 388,612 1,347,632 485,712 1 Excluding data for the Bowery Bay and Long Acre Companies previously included. Beginning with 1912 includes the railway load, the principal item of which is the load of the Third Avenue system amounting to 28,000 kws. in 1912 and 1913 • Beginning with 1912 includes the capacity of the Kingsbridge station (rated as 28,000 kws. in 1912 and 1913 and as 32,000 kws. thereafter), leased by the Third " Operating expenses, uncollectible bills and taxes, less all revenue not contributed by consumers. • In the form of report adopted by the Commission in 1916, rents paid for property used in gas or electric operations are deducted from operating income before stating gross income; but in order to preserve comparison with previous years these payments (amounting to $5,132,845) are here shown as deductions from gross income. The following table shows the capitalization, output and receipts of gas and electric companies for the year ended December 31, 1916: CAPITALIZATION, OUTPUT AND RECEIPTS OF GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANIES, YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 1916 NOTE. The total securities outstanding amount to $427,927,898, of which $144,472,261 are held by the companies and $283,455,637 by the public. 1 Includes business conducted under the name of the East River Gas Company of Long Island City, the capital stock of which ($1,000,000) is held by the New Amsterdam. 2 Exclusive of the Flatbush Gas, which is here listed with gas-electrical companies. 3 Represents the capitalization of both the railway and lighting departments. These small companies are not included in the comparative summaries and general tables of vol. III. 5 Received for rent of underground conduits, etc. INFORMAL COMPLAINTS Many informal complaints are received by the Commission each year in reference to gas and electric matters. These complaints are handled in the same manner as the informal com plaints against transportation companies. A letter is sent to the company enclosing a copy of the complaint, with a request for an answer. Oftentimes complaints may be satisfied through correspondence, but in cases where such a result is not attained a formal case is instituted and hearings are held. Classified under the informal complaints are applications from consumers of gas and electricity for tests of meters. A Bureau of Gas and Electricity is maintained in the Secretary's office in which these complaints are handled. Under the direction of this bureau hundreds of thousands of meter tests are made each year. During 1917, 5,909 complaints were received from consumers of gas and electricity, a considerable increase over the previous year, when 4,327 such complaints were recorded. The complaints embraced 4,409 applications for tests of gas meters, 557 applications for tests of electric meters and 943 informal complaints in relation to service conditions not involving tests of meters. As a result of the applications for gas meter tests, the Commission tested 3,787; of the 557 applications for tests of electric meters the Commission tested 268; of the 943 informal complaints handled during the year approximately all were closed at the end of 1917. A summary of the informal complaints will be found in Appendix B of this volume. The informal complaints against gas and electric companies cover a wide range of subjects. A classification shows that there were 197 cases of interruption of service; 146 of bills rendered for gas service; 88 of bills rendered for electricity; 89 of failure to supply electric current; 57 of failure to supply gas service; 88 of overindexing; 37 of gas leakage; 38 of incorrect billing for gas service; 30 in reference to deposits for gas and electricity; 47 concerning discontinuance of gas service; 53 as to gas service conditions; 11 of grounds in house wiring; 16 of shortage in prepayment meters; 14 as to gas ranges; 8 as to rebates and 18 as to discontinuance of electric service. In those cases where consumers make complaint of high bills but state that they do not desire tests to be made of their meters, the Commission's inspectors verify the indexes of the meters and make comparison with the bills submitted by the companies to the consumers. As a result of these investigations many |