, 1875-02-14
THE LAST NEW COMPANY.

TALKING THE NATTER OVER
the other day with local philosopher and gas
phiIauthropist, who has. be says, the good OF the
community a. heart. TRIBUNE reporter cleaned
ths following remarks:
Reporter-VhAt do you think Of the new COM
pany whose ordinance ia now peuding before the
Common Council?
Philanthropi.t-I think that the passage OF
the ordinance, under necessary restrictions,
would materially benefit the city and help to
break down the monopoly OF tho existing CON-
panies.
R.-You ara familiar with the main provisions
Of the proposed ordinance
P.-Ies; it proposes, At the outset, to supply
this city and citizens With
BETTER AND CHEAPER GAS,
and to fairly enter into competition with the
corporations now monopollz1ug the business.
Tue new Company IL willing to submit to proper
restrictions and expect fair play from the city.
R.-What do you mean by fair play9"
P.-All it asks from the city is the right to lay
pipes in the atreete That j. al tne eity y es e.
pany il willing to submit to proper restrictions.
R.-What would You call
PROPER RESTRICTIONS 2"
PIN tho first place, the Company 1s ready
to consent to restriction that will render the
ordinance iuoperative until 100000 shall have
been expended upon tho new works,-the same
to be- cxpeuIed within twelve mouths from tho
passage OF said ordinance; otherwise the latter
Is to Be conaldered void. Until then, tho Com
pary would have no right whatever to open any
street. ~ the next place, after $lou'ooo has
been spent, and before any streets are opened the
Company should flo bond OF 4200.0 900, in two
or more good sureties, to complete the work.
Failing to do this, tho city would receive IN en-
tire forfeiture Of $500. GOO, and the Company
would lose *,l00, 900 additional. The next re-
.x1-.& 1~xa $fNT fh
any one street shall be opened Ut any one time.
Also, snch streets must be finished, restored to
their previous condition, immediately; ana,
while open, the Company shall provide portable
bridges, with watch1aen to attend to them, 80 "a
to bridge the bitches to allow wagons and foot
passengers to cross over, and, IN this way, trafno
and travel Mould remain pnobstructed.
R.-A1e there any more restrictions
LIMITED CHARGE.
P,-Yes; there is one providing that the COM
pany shall not charge more than S2oo per L,ooo
cubic feet 10 consumers. They can charge ~
much less a. thev choose, but that is to he the
limit The standard ia to be 14-candle gaE- It
shall not charge the city more than 81 for each
1000 cubic feet Of the same gas; and Il shall
have works capable OF supplying from ], 600 600
to 1,500 900 cubic feet Of gas per day within t"o
yea1s from the passage Of the ordinanos now
pending. This gives both the city and the gen-
eral consumers great advantage in comparison
with the present system.
R.-In what way =? ...
P.-Because now the aggregate Chicago con-
sumption Der day is 4Oc00b0 cubic feet OF gas-
the minimum prsce being 1t the rate OF 85 per
1000 feet to consumers, and 1t the rate OF 82.5o
FER 600 feot to the city, and that, too, for gas
far below the standard agreed upon BY the Con-
sumezs Gas i Coke Company. This would be
4 NET SAVING
Of so cents per 600 feet per day to Chicago, Or
81, 600 per cay, which would aggregate $7oO0o0
saved for the year-suf1icieDt to pay an entlra
police for that period. Private consumers would
aaYe in the 1amq proportion.
R.-What is the standard OF gas now used IN
this city?
Pit averages all the Hy from 9 to II
candida, generally the smaller figure. Now,
is tbe1s any good reason why the Companies
should charge as much for gas at candles a.
for the same at Il candles ! th1nk not
think il
PERFECT FRAUD ON THE CONSUMERS.
R.-Well, what would the Copsamers' Cnmpa-
ny do in case its pas standard should, at any
time, fall short Of Il candies {?
P.-Wen, 80 far as am aware, it proposes to
make rebate in this proportion: Suppose the
candle gas, and that the next mouth, for any
reason the standard should fail to candles, the
price would he reduced one-half, OF At the rate
of 9l.25 per 1,000 cubic feet. The propotton
could, OF courae, be adopted according to the test
ed standard OF the gas, The apparatus at the
don't know that anytnng could be falrer. Cer-
tunly the old Companies have no right TO charge
aB high for 9 candles Is they do for "a, and
yet they do it Ill the time. u there, to come to
another point, any reason why the existing CON-
panies should be privileged to sell al the gas ~
the city, any more than particular firm should
be privileged to sell III tho dzygoods, or a4 the
groceries, or I'll the provisions necessary 1of tne
Chicago market2
R.-No. but the circumstances msy be regard
cd a. ittla different?
P.:-I don't see why they should. Gas Is,
surely, a commercial commodity and
NECESSARY or CIVILIZED LIFE
y there any reason Why, apart from the nn!en:
able theory of absolute monopoly, the Common
Council should refuse to pass an ordinance when
would insure tho spending OF 81, SUI, wy among
the people OF Chicago7 And now, while ~
upon this ject, let me remind you that: within
the last five years, labor has declined at least oo
per cent, and coal has come down tFom 90 70
$3.50 per ton. Therefore, tho cost OF manuf3c-
turing gas hy.the Chicago Gas Companies naa De:
clined fully one-haf, and Jet they have made no
reduction ia their prices. On the contrary, they
charge at the old rates, making more than zoo
per cent proht-a rate far beyond what any
manufacturing company could honestly clalm 70
be protected in. Nov. gay, "hen gss. as
commodity, has actually shrunk at least 5o per
cent in the cost OF producing, why should the
thing and 70 imperiQusly dictate e1tortionate
prices to the people Of Chicago2
R.-You think that the competition of the
proposed new Company would epmpe! tae
monopolists to lover their ratek5
P.-Undoubtedly. They would haVe to come
down III spite OF themselves. They cinm. !
know, that they arc 3 permanent h1tuFe nefe
III that. Bit everybody Knows that they started
on cAnitai Of A10D O0G that they have built It