The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1881-01-23
orR RrRpEN Ls"LIGHr. "

We are glad to see that the Capital, which
runs down the enterprise Of 'TuE SUNDAY
HERALD in furnishing illustrative sketches
of our civil service, nevertheless follows the
lead of Tue SUNDAY HERALD in attacking the
Washington Gas Light monopoly. The only
ground for surprise is that sll the papers OF
the city do not join in the movement. They
are among the chief sufferers, or ought to be,
by the high prices of the commodity OF which
they necessarily consume large quantities
and whatever inducements the monopoly |
may hold out, they will find greatly over
balanced by the popular support TO he gained |
in this crusade. But the CopitoI a Jealous |
convert, absurdly proceeds TO pile upcu mula
tive testimony to prove-what' Why, that
the bills rendered by the monopoly to its
victims are swindling and extortionete. This
is worse than the palpable envy betrayed
by the Capital of our civil service articles.
The editor, that ia, the editor of tho outside
page, who does one of the three reviews Of
the week perpetra,cd by the intellectual de-
partment, sapiently remarks in explanation,
Eve have great faith IN a systematic way
"of doing things" II that's so, why not be-
gin at the very beginning by proving:
!. There is Washington Gas Light Com
pany.
2. II is monopoly.
From that he might proceed IN order to
show
g. Its bills are excessive.
Bless your dear heart, the people of
Washington have known that but too we'll
for years and years. 1t needs no ghost
come from the dead to tell them, nor eke an
editor living in a ten-room house, "No. 1902
, so street." burning four refsohs and three
servants-no, we beg pardon six burners
, four hours each, equivalent to one burner
constantly! You don't need TO shove it on
their minds with such wealth of iteration,
nor to prove it TO the gas company, which
stuffs " the bills, nor even to 60 further
and argue that the monopoly will not cure
/ itself, ner will the vague and nebulous func
I tionary known as +" Inspector of Gas and
1 "Metres " ever afford any reliei. Neither
do we see any use in the people solemnly
getting together as it were to compare griev
ances, by sending their bills to the Capita
!. Office for analysis of figures. This is as /
A some crowd had been individually and col
h lectively mauled by bully, and instead o
4 turning in promptly to thrash him, shoul,
4 assemble to investigate wounds and bruises
and solemnly resolve tina, they had been YER
u ill-treated. If the citizens of Washington
n have not spirit enough to throw off thi
" CALLING tyranny, which can levy more tribut
d upon them in one month than the taxes c
;. most of them amount to in a year, they vii
Of never find courage, as Bob Acrcs did his valol
9 by deliberating over their wrongs. The
t. should feel that the gas monopoly exist
and levies its impositions only by virtue
its impudence and their suiferance. 1t ha
10 no "vested right " to occupy the streets
al this city with its pipes and nains and tea
il them up at its pleasure, but only such pc
Is mission as Congress has given and ma
in withdraw at any time. Already, by NEAR
in of this mere privilege, 1t has wrung enoug
,r profits from this impoverished people to pa
or for all its works several times over, and
n now regularly declaring dividends on watere
>, stock which sells a. more than double i
face value.
q. The Capital. moreover, remarks, eve {
ID "not know that there is any remedy for til
al "evil." Aye, by st. Patrick, but there
.w Horatio! The remedy is always at han,
ma and is one well tried and tested. In Phil
oh delphia the gas-works are consolidated al
va run by Board of Trustees, for the bene
We of the city and the people. There a
ay charges of mismanagement by this boar
rs the remedy for which is sought in compile
ms merging of the gas-works in the city Cover
of ment, but with all that, the bills ther
int rendered only every three months, Tin itself
". great alleviation of the burden,) are less,
IN well ascertained average, than the bill
he rendered ecery month by our grasping al
al, soulless aggregation. To have gas-ligl
cle now such universal want, supplied by
,n- private Spectator, is as great an anachro
nat ism as it would be to intrust the wat
supply to the same hands. Gas and wat
are the circulating fluids that vitalze I
(as modern civilized home, to say nothing of I
on immense supplies of both used by the &c
in, ernment, and which form the strong,
lar reason for what We propose. The bold,
er- measures are often the easiest. Let t
on, Government use its undoubted right
is, buying out, or confscating, if the expr,
on, sion is preferred, the plant of the prese
md corporation at its actual value, repeal t
ing charter, and conduct the business, throu
ing the District officers, for its own benefit a
nee the convenience of citizens. The stree
lily could be better lighted, tending to the p
int venton of crime, a fruitful source of scant
hat and corruption would be done away vii
ted and Government and people delivered fror
rom frightful taxation which bleeds the struggli
uld District for the benefit of Northern mon.
wise kings.
by
the TIE Star, which generally hits the bul
IDS eye on local questions, has effectually d
| ,ncad nf tha mr. al ON ciops IN ,anrarant n