New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-02-19
WENTWORTH TRIBUNE.


..;o Streets at n speclueu raw 'o' ~
es"' aha close of their present Contract I"iOfo
.Y ,rO years hence,l after having been OH'o
n'A nv Mayor Woodhulrs Veto, has a5S'"
80 the Board Of Aldermen and Is no" V0'O-
y. Rosrd Of Assistants for concurrence N'."
49,. Bosrd will not regularly meet u" "eA. 10y
'""' ..hard that. rs measures are no" IN pro
10 ;mnair the unanimity and force O. PuO.'C
-. - on,o.it;op 10 the Contract oPeclal
Meeting is contemplated at "nlcn' inc uaeu
having been duly Oiled this Contract 10 " 20 'aAon
m and put tbrough when even snouiu oui No"
~ !, az we trust be would, its supporters
coun.iIs would be strong enough to carryH
- -. ho.d Of the Veto. We desire, therefore
-. go more before the Councils, the Mayor
"a the People, some Of the chief reasons winch
-. % our mind conclusive against the consumnS'
ZION of this Contract ...
We cherish no i'll will to Corporations abstract
ru generally; on the contrary we tnink sneli
j.cidedly beneRcent, and very naturai ana iea'f
Ala mode of accom- plishing results beyond tne
means Of any bot the weaithiest INDIVIDUALS OF
,rv,te firms. We hope yet to see them SO oil
hsed. diversified and multiplied that nearly or
mite every individual shall be stocknoider Ia
ono or more of them. Nor have we the least IL
viii Inward the New York Gas Light Company
nor i,s stockholders, whoever they may be- I'VE
nrobsblv are acquainted with some OF them, but
40 mot bsppen TO know any Of them as stockhold
ersO We consider their enterprise, when unoef-
taken. a spirited and laudable one, and are glad
,h,, il has generously rewarded them. We do
not esteem good dividend an evidence of extor-
ton or wrong doing, and take pleasure In our
neighbors prosperity, holding firmly to the maxim
of live and let live We do not even consider
the monopoly of the privilege of laying gas-plpes
in certain streets vicious measure at the time 1t
was granted many years since, in view OF all the
circumstances. We do not grumble at the price
for which they propose to light certain streets as
sxorbtant-on the contrary, we are inclined to
consider it reasonable. And we are quite aware
that the City is not debarred by the letter OF the
Contract from obtaining its Gas elsewhere when
ever it shall find itself able to do so at saving
What we do object to, and on account OF which
we most earnestly protest against the consumma'
ton Of the proposed Contract, is the v'rtual
monopoly Of Gasmaking 'chich hiS Contract
secures to the Company throughout the l0Ter and
NN~SA'N~
by specious appearances. We are quite aware
that no monopoly in terms is granted-that show
ia made of giving up that which now exists Tor
the two years and over of its unexPired term.
But we understand all that, and so does the Com
pany. 1t is the party in possession. It's pipes
are in all the business streets, its fixtures In the
gas.consuming houses. The Company may well
afford to say, Make and sell Gas in opposition to
me in welcome, whoever chooses! 1t well knows
that the streets cannot and will not be surren
dered to whoever chooses to render them ion
passable for months in order to lay down COM
peting gas pipes, and that such pipes would be In
the way of other necessary improvements, public
and private. The great majority of our citizens
who do use the streets and don't buy gas, would
object to being driven out of the great thorough
fares for weeks here and then weeks there, in
order to permit the laying down Of different lines
Of opposition gas pipes.
But suppose they would not-who would IN
dertake it2 Here is the old Gas Company, abun
dainty rich, with its pipes in every street where
Gas is in large request and its fixtures In almost
every gas consuming house. 1t has, we VIII say
Eve hundred extensive customers in Broadway
Row many could an opposition company count
uponl Suppose it were to lay down its pipes on
calculation that it could supply Gas Tor TWO
thirds of the present prices, what IS 10 insure
h,gainst reduction of fifty, sixty, or even sew
enty per cent by the old Company And when
hshsll have thus been broken, what is to secure
the public against an immediate return to the
present rates or even the imposition OF higher
To talk Of free competition in Gasmaking with
the old Company, while it shall retain its present
control Of the streets, is just like commencing
Free Competition between the ealthy and we'll
established Manufactures of Europe, and those
which we mean to build up as their rivals Ii is
sheer delusion.
True and fair competition is what we contend
for, and that is only attainable in quite another
way-namely, by soliciting proposals for supply
ing the City, including such citizens as desire it,
with Gas. and giving the contract to the lowest
responsible bidder Let the Common Council
give notice that sealed proposals viii be received
until q specified day for furnishing Gas at least
equal in quality to that now supplied by the old
Gas Company for term of ten or twenty years
from the expiration of the present Company's
charter, the contractors to enjoy the same privl'
eges as to the use of streets, &c, hitherto &C
corded to the New York Gas Light Company. or
course, the person or Company taking the contract
should be required to take the present Companys
pipes and fixtures at fair valuation; aud if the
old Company refused TO sell them at such valua-
ton, il must take them out Of the streets. Adver
tise such Gas Contract as this, throwing the field
open to unlimited competition, exacting the
amplest security for faithful performance by the
contractors, and we shall feel confident Of reduc-
ton in the cost Of Gas to our citizens of at LEASE
thirty, and probably of fifty per cent. Why is not
this the fair thing And why won't the Common
Cnnncn haln II fnrward Z