The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1860-01-14

ground that the people, a. a people, had
rights as we'll as any organized body of the
community; and that it was the duty of the
ted then, it is right and proper that the
fisherman who puts up our behring's, null
lets, spots, &c, should have an Inspector
over him, whose duty it is to stand between
buyer and seller, then is it right and proper
that there should be an officer appointed by
the Executive, whose duty it should be to
stand between the Gas Company and the
people. This officer should be man of
judgment, much trmness, and of unsweryine
integrity, who after being sworn into office,
should be required to give at least SIS 900
security for the faithful performance of his
duty. He should have in his office-which
should be in the City Hall-a register of
every metre in the city, which he should
Keep and attend to himself. This register
OF the state of the metres should be kept
separate and apart from the Gas Company;
and all bills before they could be collected,
should be subject to his endorsation, nor
should a bill be collected before he had GER
titled to its correctness, which he could do
only by personal inspection of the metres.
This, the present Gas Company, have no OBJ
lection to, which displays Il most common.
dable spirit OF fairness on their part; and,
provided the Inspector would make himself
thoroughly conversant with the operations
OF the metre, would prevent all future insin-
uations of unfair dealing on the part of the
present Company. 1t is said-and we are not
prepared to say how truly-that all metres
now IN use are constructed to register from
twenty to thirty per cent. more gas than is
actually consumed. II this is so, the Inspec
tor should be we'll informed on the subject,
and fully competent to arrange them so as to
overcome the objection. He, by virtue of his
office, should be an Umpire whose decisions
shou be final, and whose knowledge of the
business should be such that he could tell
the quality Of the gas, and see that it was
kept up to certain standard. This would
be an important consideration, since it is
quality, it passes more readily through the
metres, and larger quantity is registered
with less brillight light. In other words,
good quality OF gas registers less than an
inferior quality; and when he gets an infe-
rior light, the consumer has to pay more for
1t than when he gets superior light.
We can see no good substantial reason
why there should be new Gas Company
formed ii these provisions are taken, unless
it be Tor the purpose OF obtaining the gas at
cheaper rates; but admitting the necessity of
new company, and We think it will strike
all thinking minds that our position as re-
CARDS the Inspector, is .tenable, there is no
doubt on our Kind but there is necessity tor
the lnspectorship in either case; and we
think that the sooner the proper steps are
taken for the appointment of such an officer
the better.
Another item of charge which is contin-
gent in all establishments where gas is con-
sumed, is twelve and a half cents per month
for the metre. When the merchant sells
bill Of goods on time, and raises an account
against his debtor, it is presumed that he
charges profit enough on the goods thus dis
posed of to pay all expenses, and afflrd a
living profit. In his expenses, he estimates
rents, clerks salaries, cost of transportation,
interest, cost of books, &C., &C., and when
he makes out his bill, he never thinks of
making an extra charge for the Ledger, on
which he keeps his accounts; such an item
would, in the mercantile world, be consider
ed monstrous; aud no Court in the country
would award to the merchant the amount
thus charged; but in the case of the Gas
Company they provide themselves with
metre, which is, as it were, blotter on
business transactions pending between the
company and the buyer of gas, and at the
end of the quarter make separate charge
of thirty-seven and half cents for the u.s.
of this blotter, or register, and thus make
the consumer pay, as it were, for the very
books on which they keep their accounts.
1t is said, that custom makes law, but it
.sFa
would be well to remember that all laws,
however enacted, are not just, and it strikes
US that this is no exception to that rule
The metre is furnished for the benefit o t
the Gas Company; the consumer does not
care how hissgss is measured, so long as it is
measured properly; and we all know that
when one purchases yard of tape, the dry
/ goods dealer has to measure it, and who
would care whether it was three lengths of
foot rule, or one length of a three foot
rule, 50 long as he got three feet ?
The dry goods man uses three foot rule
because it is more convenient than loot
rule, and from the same cause we pre-
sumo the..Gas Company make use OF the pecu-
liar kind of measure. they have now in use;