New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-12
THE cas- COMPANIES STRIKES.

The nublic has bad occasion of late to know
that there are unjust strikes, both by workmen
and by corporations. When corporations know
ing that the public is at their mercy should
they combine, do combine as the gas companies
have lust DONE it is astrike based upon the gen.
eral necessity and counting upon the helpless
ness of the public for it's success. The strike
Of the gas companies is essentially an unjust
one. 1t may be that the companies were not
making money at the former prices, though IL
is difficult to understand why they should not
have done so. But it is none the less true that
the advance in price, so suddenly made, was
extravaganza, unreasonable and unjust.
The prevailing rate for small consumers is
now 81 so for ZOO cubic feet of gas. The new
rate of So 25 for 1000 feet isan advance of
exactly so per cent. strike for an increase
of 30 per cent is rather wild even in this day OF
Gbooms.r The rate for large establishments, if
we are not mistaken, is Is cents for LOCO cubic
feet. Some large establishments have certainly
had contracts at that figure. The advance to
Do 2j is an advance of just 200 per cent-which
is doing pretty well for a strike. 1t adds to the
indignity which the companies have put upon
the public that there should be cOmpulson as
well as extortion. A consumer who would like
to change his company is quietly Informed that
he is not at liberty to exercise any preference
that under the new agreement no other COM
pany will accept his custom that he must stay
where the monopoly chooses to keep him, and
pay the monopoly's price. That there Is txtOr-
ton no one can doubt. Five pounds of gas coal
will yield % cubic feet of gas 200 pounds wlIl
Weld 900 cubic feet of gas. At SIS ton which
Is an average price for gas coal at present quota
rions, /, 900 cubic feet of gas would cost %
cents. Surprising that the additional expenses
bring ND the cost to - cents the profit Mt " 70
is 200 per cent. Surprising, for sake OF further
illustration, that the total expense reaches
81 co. the profit will be 12j per cent. 1t will
I've difficult to convince the public that the gas
compauies could not have done themselves JUS
tice at lower figures.
The sudden turning Of the screw will have
one effect. It will set people thinking again
unon tho electric light. The inventors will be
stimulated to redOubled efforts. The largo con-
sumers. at least, will wonder whether an electric
light, even at the present stage of the invention,
NAV not be as economical az gas at 81 20. II
they can get better light for the same money,
they are quite human enough to take satisfac-
| ton at the same time III getting even with the
gas companies. In one city in this country they
manage these things better. In Cincinnati, II
we are not mistaken, the price of gas, both for
private consumers and the public, IS fixed by
the Common Council for term Of years, and
has lust been placed at about One-half the rate,
on the average, now to be charged here. The
right was reserved when the franchise was
granted. Is it impossible that we should claim
such Il right here, though we have not reserved
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