, 1876-01-17
REDUCTION or PRICES.
Mn. plLLISUs' PROCLAMATION.


70 ths Editor u Tia Chicago Tribune.
OH1cA0o. Jan. 16.-aforo thau two yeara ago.
I seut communication, Aa President Of tho
reoelc's Gas.Lieht and Coko Company to the
Common Council, proposing to enter into q Bats-
factory contract With tho city in relation to tho
cost of supplying gaa not only for tbs public
lamps and oflicos, but also to tie citizen. OF tho
West Division. Tint communication wes TOO
lengthy to be inserted here. but 1t Is on flle in
Tho records Of tho Common Council, to which
reference for Its dot1ilH may DO had. Tho eh-
Bcnttal point in that proposition was, that tho
city might regulate the pr!ce charged By this
Company for tho Eas furnished to c!izonn. so TINT
tho Company should not, fu any ovent, require
Of It's customers o aum per thousand feat over!
hnd above tho cost Of its manufacture and de-
livery 10 exceed profit Of IL per cont Oh tho
actual capital eui lo,o1. When tho Company
made this proposition, we tntt that Nc had put
ourselves on record Tint all partica Interested
could ut any tlmo avail themselves Of tho ample
pfovlsious named iu tint co,nmhuication, vllch
waa not only put on ths Official record Of the,
Council. hut WAS published In Tho 1i,ncs aud:
TRIBUNE at tho Ha.no time.
That otfor aud Invitation for m arrangement
aa to Tho prlco Of pas lave remained unacted on
to the present date: ttna Compuny charging for
itA Ras 80 per thousand feet wllon rald beforo
tho i0th Of the month, with margit, unon bills
not 10 paid. to provide fuE tho cost Of their col
lection. btlt not enough to meet that n1pGnao.
Wo have always believed, and still hcl,syo. %
per l. OuO feet in tho West Division oI Chicago IL
noL MI excessive pticc. 1u the first place, VIC
hayc aboMt 1l0 miles of mau ppo running over
= spArBaiy populated territory, aud about 90
milts Of tluse 1nasnH sup lying Attoet lanps
unIy. lilo rcvonuo derived in lheBo coul,lara-
t!yely manipulated distr!cts Is go small tlat
largo loss IL nlIavo.dab1y sustained. The CITY,
t,Iu. HE
cause Of Tho erection Of these lamp. pcs:s in
tlcso nnoceupied d.Btslc:s-tha property along
tho line Of thoho lighted atrctts being c'aeacd
aud asHcssed Us itnp1oreh property, anl ts hoon
improved property feel tlat the increased val
uRtlon Ia profit to then. aud tho CITY collecta
an incroaSed rsvcuue larger than tno cost OF tho
gnA fu ulaied.f
private individual, who Ia so doupy Interested In
tbn Broatl OF Tho trado. Mea. I'll. aud population
Of tho West Dylslha Of Chicago as 10 tllis Compa-
ly. All our interests. nrcsont and future. ate
centered ii. thin patt Of tho clty: We r1ss OF
lalI, grow or diminish. with the West Division.
MAnV OF our cllBtonrrd boiiovc, honestly, that
wo alo oxorb,tant III cur chaigos Tor gaH.
Rod think Wo taac sdvsutago OF their
uccess!taa. They forget Or overlook she
| miao.r1tfndcd area IN whch cur pipaa aro
LAID without supplying prtsalo consumers, aud
TINT an inintssas proportion OF tho household
GO never hsso been, aud never expoct to b..
| supplied wit, gaB. Tho Same objection which
| o, posed reform III the Building law. and III ad.
herorco to tho policy OF yago AaGltht.oua. ia
found 10 the use Of gra aud many tersone pro-
teFspg ID 10 me,ohauts, nud inviting trade ID
| such. havo hot got beyonl tho rural practice OF
lighting their sloros with candles, or With tile
far moro dangerous aud tntlammable oils that
aru haWkad aLout the atteetH. Jho cun6elueuce
~ lha. III Ir0porton 10 lhe population, and
1uiluinga uBcd ~ stores, tho nambor Of con.
/ aumniH Of Gas III tho W+st Division OF Chicago
| ID far ttlMn In 0tHR5 nj
this CITY, Or In any community supplied
!! with gRs. II the number OF consumers waa
I Escatel, aaa could be nlauufacturad and do1lv.
4 cred at less lnce. OUT manufacture. II not
usod. is hot the less expensive; our capital il
| invested In tho manufacture OF Eas, aud our i1l,
tutest Is to haYe ~ largo aala Of that caa u
puss'1le. We have therefore concluded 10 make
| Qua more effort. and by 4 direct appeal to tho
people of the Woat DIVISION to mauco tluu Ia
cooperate Will ls in briugiag up lLo Wast Dl.
vsiDn to The STANDARD Of the tgst OF t4a fuatrop-
ola ny gonefat usa Of aaa aud haso therefore
S25Q per t.0d0 feot, tho reduction to lake effect
tEou jan. !. l876. and 10 DO nppfet to All b4Il1
paid before tile lpsh day Of eaoL mouth.
lilo COMPANY can manufacture gas mud do,
liver u without cc!ta!n amount Of monthly
co.aunie1s. In New York, whore tho cnpyumti.
tlnn Of sas furnished by stngle company ID
from 7.ou0,0o0 10 l2.o0o.u0o Of CUBIC f4et pe,
night. tho lowest price received Ia sab0 10.
l,0a0 fcot. We, With consumption th,E il
comparatively insignificant, now oter tho people
Of tho West ulytblon BAs at the rama pttce. w
do tLss IN The expectation OF N Incroase In the
consumption, aill With \ knowledge that WI
NIL lose n,outy un!oen .hat tncroasa tskcs piacs
II, however, after reasonable tune, We find kAh
tusre ia no tnotcasa IN consumption, thep, III 1t,
Autut0 aeit-de1onse. We must return 10 old prices
Any Intelligent man mutt undeEasap1 Tint Ws
ckb, with I'll our wo,kR aud mslns laid, furntsE
gas cboaper tt,su 1t cau Le dona by tuy company
without .heso ,neAns, with tbs saule numtes ol
consumers any other stofy would be fase upon
lss faco. Let III ARya tho cuslontrs. aud W
cAn IL time make mura plott at oYen : reducot
ptics taan We can II pase rates with The llmitot
CONSUMPTION, 4. II. NILLtH6B,
trs4l4sat Peoples dat-Iight aud Coks Company.