New-York tribune., 1885-03-24
THE PURVEYIY3 or LIGHT.

The special Gas Committee, while it has not
finally presented its report, has III the draft made
public cited facts enough to warrant the con-
clusion that the purveying OF light In New
York IS a particularly profitable business. For
the past ten years. it is stated, proht oil Sl %
per thousand feet of gas has been made. About
two-thirds of the cost of gas To the consumer
has been clear gain to the makers That this Is
a reasonable profit cannot be pretended. That
if is unreasonable even in the estimation of the
colporations is shown in the fact that they
have vyato-od thai- s"pi''si u''""'"nnsly. tn"
,,otaripg of stock is almost in Invariably an excuse
for maintaining charges recognized as excessive.
I'm the case of the gas companies there seems no
way of avoiding the conclusion that monopoly
has been systematically abused. IL is such
greedy disregard of the general interest such
constituencies rapacity, that renfOrces and
seems to Justify demands for legislative regula-
ton. For while it is possible TO demonstrate
that corporate association Is one OF the most
potent and in the main beneiicent arrange
ments of modern commerce, there can he no
donbt that corporate monopoly when aided by
opportunity may and often does become op-
pressivc. 1t is not necessary, however, to abuse
the cas- companies. They have done what few
from doing under the circumstances. But they
certainly have forced upon the people the
necessity of considering some means OF restrlc-
tion or regulation since it is obvious that their
| own method has more resembled pIllage than
| the responsible transactions OF legitimate busi-
| ness
That the situation is intOlerable is, however
| far palmer than the way to amend ii. The
people of New-YOrk have had good reason TO
shrink from any suggestion of municipal control
! in such matters, and yet it is doubtful whether
the most corrupt and inefficient public admnis-
| tration could have taken as much out of the
| pockets of the taxpayers as these private cor
porations have done. In all between
$50, 900, 900 and $iO.O00,0O0 more than was
reasonable appears to have been extortod from
the consumers, and it is difficult to believe that
any public bureau could have squandered or
stolen as much as that, even with far more
laxity than is now possible. 1t appears prob
able shat the special committee will recommend
some scheme Of supervision, with full publicity
for all statistics of gas production and con-
sumption. Whether such plan viii meet the
demands of t.e occasion fuller consideration and
discussion must determine. There is probably
| no disposition among Tie puoilc I'D hiakc Talus
on corporations, but when these bodies are not
satisfied with handsome profits, but proceed to
evolve and apply thoroughly Egyptian system
of taxation, patience ceases to be virtue, and
sef-defence justifes restrictive legislation.
Had not the appetite of the gas companies
grown so rapidly they might have gone on for a
generation without interference, but their greed
has made it necessary to check them, and the
facts now brought to light concerning their
methods impose this duty upon the Legislature
in the planest terms.