Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-05-21
High Price and Bad Gas.

since We last referred to the question OF the
supply OF gas to this city the quality of the ras
has somewhat improved. We now desire to call
attention TO a fact or two. Our readers NAV not
all remember it as yiydly as we do; but we think
some OF theln Will. just as the long evenings ap-
preached last fall the gas in this ely was Of such
bad quality that general complaint was made
Ior several weeks. At the end Of that quarter the
gas bills returned were increased in some cases
80 per cent. above corresponding quarters OF the
past year. Almost the same thing took place in
The succeeding quarter, and the gas bills were
larger than The preceding ones. Now, We have
had several weeks Of bad gas again, and eur citi-
Zens Will no doubt bc made 10 pay bills largely
III excess OF the bills OF corresponding quarters Of
le'2. 1t tins is not the case it will be departure
from the recent system OF charges
There are we believe two charter, in existence
Aeid by citizens, under which gas companies may
20 into operation in this city. What these char
tets were obtained Tor We do not know. Those
Who obtained them from The Legislature must
have had an object in view. They have never
done anything with them, and it may lie, secured
lhen only 10 hold them in the Interest Of the
present gas works and scare other parties of who
might he DISPOSED To organize new company
upon some mutual principle such as that upon
winch the insurance company Is operated.
However, as the city Is IA gicat Consumer Of gas
and as gas 10 now by inany considered almost an
indispensable Article Tor lighting lLe streets and
puolc buildings, We are CONVINCED thai 1t should
Uuid Tolks OF Its own OF dispense with the use
oi gas in The streets altogether as the use OF a
III icla 8 oil
gas costs. At preseut the suburbs OF the city are
not lighted The gas company do not extend
their pipes where it will not immortality pay to
supply gas; there are also otncr sections Of the
chy that are not lighted, and very many persons
who would use gas cannot get H.
Now, what We object to is the tact thai the
people and the property in the suburbs Az taxed
10 furnish gas for the streets III all other sections
oil the city and receive none in thor own Section.
lhis Is unfair. 1t is hard on the poor who are
made to contribute 10 the lighting OF the proper
ty of the Itch.
Another great matter that The gas pipes
should be laid down with the water pioes-there
would then he but one digging And as the city
VIII soon have to extend the water pipes TO the
eouth Side INTO Vest Wilmington and 10 The Jlh
ward, 1t should be prepared TO lay gas pipes with
them. 1t has been demonstrated that rood gss
can he made tor 80 cents per thousand feet and
that gas works can bs erected and pipes laid in
city like ours, and gas supplied at ~ per thou
sand feet with an average profit oil about seventy
per cent, we, therefore, believe the interests of
the people would be greatly advanced by the
erection OF gas works by the city. Tie saving
to the laboring poor would be immense Indeed
We believe that the economy Of labor, induced by
the supply of good cheap gas to the holders
would itself more than repay the interest Of The
cost Of new gas works, while the expenditure Of
the whole necessary capital would be repaid near,
y every year IN the reduction OF the price and
the saving in the cost of lighting the streets