The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-08-04
A nirYA AnAME.


ils matter Of a 90 frgfet u all good
Oh ssns that SONS satisfactory arrangement
has no. been arrived nj between ,be city
council and tho water works and gas wofk
O mpsnies. Tho present state Of things ia
90 N alous and totally unworthy Of city OF
the siz, and pretensions Of Dallas. To DO
without. water In the very mlds. Of tho sums
msr season, TO DO without lighted streets and
In utter dsrkne. Of nights, Is simply
outrageous. The HERALD, at the outset
stated that in the absence OF street lighting
all manner of burglary, robbery, knock
downs, etc, would ensue, and sure enough,
to the inex cusable shame of our fair name,
these villanies have been perpetrnted night
after night, as our columns have daily re.
corded; and they will continue to be
prsc.iced upon citizens who are paying taxes
for protection to life, limb and property,
and upon strangers who will return hence
WITH accounts of the abominable condition OF
things in Dallas that will deter many good
man and many thousands of dollars from
coming TO place as this now goes. We
know OF no city in this union of our popu-
laton, size, prospects and fmall municipal
in iebtedness where exists such conditions.
w 4ter we need, gas we need and yet neither
W, have. Of course we can possibly get
along without these. d alas got along with
oui them quarter of a century ago, aud to
tn ,se who like the good old timss of sp ERIN
and tsllow candles and torch lights in front
of the log cabin, the ox-cars and the cop
p.ras breaches, the drift backward may
be delicious of contemplation. But there be
some people, who, if this is to be the state Of
affairs in the city of d alias, prefer emigra'ing
TO SONS liver and more modsrnzsd city
There be those who are casting about from
other states for the selection of homes for
themselves and their families; one visit here
viii settle their conviction agsns. this city
of deplorsble darkness and this city of dis
tre.siog drouth. The difference Of price
loon which the council is standing does in :
d,sd seem to us absurd and triairg, consder :
in /, the mulensity Of importance of wa er and
hts TO these tax paying people, who are
now deprived of both. If the water works
com sany or the gas company were charging
exorbitaut figures for their commodities,
there would be show of reason 10 this per-
sisten. resistance to keep these citi
zens dry and in the dark but
the truth is that both corpora
tions disclose and demonstrate the uncon-
trovsrted and incontrovertbie fact thai
neither of them are paying heavy dividends,
nor small dividends, nor any div
dends at all. Further, that they
ar. not laying up any surplus
earnings whatevsr and further still, that they
are paying insignificant salaries, and that
their expense accounts are reduced to the
minimum consistent wit b anything like unto
efficient service. Hence reduction of rates
would beget inability to conduct them in the
general interest. Besides this both corpora
tons contend that the city Of Dallas has been
offered gas and water a. lower figures than
are to-day pal by any other municipality
within the state Of Texas. 10
view of these facte, we utterl.
fail to com prehend the policy that thus
persists 10 crriug estorhon, and thus de-
priving US of benefits that are had by every
other respectable community 10 the U .ited
States, especially in these flush and prosper
Gus timss. If all this is djns with the view
to forcin 2 ths gas aud water companies to
sell on. cheap to the city, we heartily COM
denim the policy. Let dealings be on a
more LIBERAL fairer and mora gen.
erous principle, and let 1t be
said to those corporations frankly, "the
city wants your works, what will you
take for them?" If the prices arc too high.
then let preparations b. inaugurated to
secure new works; bu.in the name ofcommon
prudence aud justice to suffering com
muni.y, let the best possible arrangement
for the time being be msie TO furnish to
the people suffic.ency Of water during
bis heated term, aud when at any moment
disastrous conelgration may occur, and
sufIicisncy of street light to protect them on
their way home. from the garroter, and from
the burglar during their absence, and
to enable the policemen to see Whist
rasc4liis are being perpetraied upon the
cheek of night. As We previously remarked,
that man who, because he objects to the high
rental Of hi. landlord, quits the house, and
since be has none of his own, lives out Of
doors with his family, forcing upon them
because of his obstinscy, all sorts of depri-
vs.ions, is hardly 10 the condition TO be called
q good esther" Water works nor gas
works can be bull. and put in operation here
inside Of year or more, and are these tax
payers 70 do without light and water 10 all