National Republican., 1883-02-12

ington cannot be taken up and put down again
| to be or look the same as before. In proof OF
this 1t is only necessary TO look Mt the de-
facemcnt and ugly scars where the surface
has been disturbed by excavations or Caving
in of sewers, and where thepavement was put
down again. No skill eau, it is asserted, pre-
vent more or less settling of the disturbed
earth in trenches, and patching the surface is
an unsightly and unsatisfactory substitute
for the original uniform surface.
Tho late commissioner of streets in Phila-
dclphia in speaking of the cost of maintain
ing streets when the mains and gas and water
connections are permitted to be laid after the
streets are paved, said;
IL is this system which is really the bnno street
paving. During the present year 1900 breaks
were made in the streets TO permit the pcrior-
man, nance Of work which might as wen have Deen
done before the payemens were laid.
And, pointing to q street in view, he said :
That street has been repaired three times over
the ditch dug by the underground telegraph COM
pauy, and IL is sinking again.
No labor or skill" said he, can ever re-
pair over drain and preserve the level of the
street In my opinion it would be advisable
to compel the property owners to make water
and sewer connections before the streets arc
paved, and to grant no authority to tear up
the streets under any circumstances in which
1t could be prevented"
This is what the present gas company has
done, and if another gas company be permit
ted to tear up the streets, 10 will not be be-
cause they have any benevolent intention
toward the citizens of the district They
simply desire this grant for the purpose of
making money by issuing and selling bonds
and stocks to the public far beyond the value
of the work done. Contracting with their
own construction company to do the work,
they have an inside organization, called their
construction company, to whom they pay
10 txfa
issue of bonds and stocks can be covered up,
and the public who hold such security are
left to shift for themselves, as the projectors
manage to get rid of all the stock and bonds
they can. This is the course pursued by a
large majority of all tho opposition gas com
panies started in this country. And when
the holders of such stock and bonds find out
the real condition of affairs they readily listen
to ovcrtures from the old company, or seek
combination with them.
To avoid these evils we earnestly ask that
congress will carefully look into the aver
ments here made, and refuse to grant a char.
ter TO any more gas companies in this district
until they become satisfied that there is some
public necessity for such.
The bill asking for u charter of the United
States Light and Steel company for the Dis
trict of Columbia is defective in many particu-
lars. 1t places no restrictions on the company
in the issue of bonds, and provides no safe
guards against injury to the pipes and prop
erty of the existing company, as it should.
The company, under this BILL may run under
or over the present gas and water pipes in an
unscientfc and careless way, and, as in cases
heretofore when no remedy was provided
for in the chartering Of the new company,
lead to continual injury to one or the other
to conflict and litigation and we ask, before
this bill be considered, that these defects be
remeded.
Tho Washington Gaslight company has
no watercd stock and no bonds. Its stock
holders are scattered from Alabama to Maine
but nearly one-half of the stock is now held
in the city of Washington, and stock in this
company is held by 100 widows and orphans
estates, nearly all of whom reside in this dis
trict to many of whom the loss of oven one
years dividend would mean the deprivation
of comforts, and to some tho necessaries Of
life.
Congress ought to look well into this mat
ter before disturbing concern in which SC
many people of this district are interested
and especially so when congress has the laws
already enacted, and has exercised the right
to fix the price and quality of the gas sold in
the District of Columbia.