The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-13
CITY INTELLIG NOE.
STILL HUNGRY.

thcr Advance from the City-The Plea
this Time.
The Philadelphia Gas Works Company has
never been suspected of having been run unpro-
htably; rather than this the current of public
opinion goes to the opposite extreme-that 1t is
one of the richest concerns extant. This is
partially based on the fact that gentlemen who
have an eve to the main chance move heaven
and earth almost to be invested with the privi-
leges, profits and immunities attaching to q
trusteeship, become within short period after
attaining 1t wealthy, and struggle with re-
markabe earnestness against being displaced;
and partially on the fact is this opinion fixed,
that although the city has tried often to get pos
session of these works, thus removing all op-
pressive cares from the rulers of the concern,
and in each case presenting the most favorable
terms, the stockholders were unanimous against
any such transfer. The earliest opportunity
when the city will be able to secure the control
of these works, and operate them-not to
enrich few, but pro bono publtco-
the year 1890. Until that period ar
rives our citizens must accept whatever terms
the Trustees choose to make, aud there is no
precedent to warrant the impression that these
will not be for the particular benefit of the
hackers of the concern, whether acceptable to
th G people or not
This afternoon it is quite likely that the Gas
Committee will recommend to Councils the
passage of ordinance creating loan of not
less than $500000, and perhaps $3.50, 900, the
former amount having been hastily applied for,
and the necessity for the $3.50, 900 extra being
discovered within the past week. The Gas Com
mittee were on Tuesday afternoon last i'm
pressed with the importance of the addition at
an expensive set-out given by the Trustees at
the Falls of Schuylkill, the latter having ascer-
lained some time since that the tender cord of
generosity was not strung in the hearts but in
the stomachs of some of the City Fathers. 1t
is one of the interesting facts in the history of
the famous Philadelphia Gas Trust that the i'm
provements always asked for are invariably to
hsf fln Eallr Gnlf
may be anxious to know why they, in common
with the rest of the community, are to be taxed
for this outlay.
The Trustees ordered some time ago the par
tial raZeeing of the Ninth ward works, at the
terminus of Market street, the Schuylkill,
and thereupon the retort-houses were demol-
ished, the works dismantled, and eight gasome-
ters destroyed. This waste of material was
authorized to make room for extensions
now in progress, and for which a heavy
advance is asked from the city treasury. They
consist of one-story brick building. 80 feet by
16, to be used as boiler-house; and a two story
brick building 80 by 81 feet, for an engine and
eXhauster house, in which has been placed new
IL horse double acting rotary engine, and in lieu
OF the old pump eXhausters large Mackenzie
rotary eXhauster capable of passing 150 600 cubic
feet of gas an hour. There has also been erected
at the southwest corner of Twenty-seoond and
Filbert street, building 35 by so feet, and two
stories high, for office purposes, and now large
force of men is employed in preparing the tank
IOr Jne new teleScOplc RaSOmeJer, Wnlcn Is TO be
140 feet in diameter, and capable of giving an
additional storage of one million cubic feet. All
the old retort and purifying houses, if not
l"velled by this time, are to be soon reduced TO
ruins.
One great objection to this renewal is the re-
establishment of the gas works in the heart of
the city. Their presence not only depreciates
to very great extent the value of property
well adapted for business purposes, but the sick
ening odors which arise from them spread over
q large and thickly populated district, and have
baleful effect upon the health of its denzens.
1t would have served the ends of the Gas Trust
as well, and been far more acceptable to a long
suffering community, if the works had been re-
moved to a suburban site convenient for the re-
ception of coal The present area, now covered
with dismantled works, would have brought
a sum almost large enough to have built respec-
table sized establishment elsewhere, and the
value of surrounding property would have re-
turned rich revenue into the city treasury.
The popular opinion is that the Gas Trust has
made money enough to renew its works without
calling upon the city to advance it moneys
Moreover it has been the custom to rebuild out
of the earnings of the concern, and not to bor-
row capital for that purpose. 1t is certainly
cool to ask the Taxpayers to aid in maintaining
such nuisance as the Ninth ward works have
always been. There is prospect of this pro-
posed loan meeting with strong opposition in
Councils.