New-York tribune., 1886-07-06
Tile CONSUNPTLON OF GAS.

The reduction in the price of gas does not
appear to have worked much saving to the
average consumer. Complaint is made in some
quarters that the bills are as high as ever, the
reduction of the price per thousand feet being
offset by charging for larger quantity Com
plants of this kind have always been made,
and though the corporations invariably deny
the use of greater pressure, and cnergetcally
maintain that il the gas bills are as high as
before it is because the consumers burn more,
there ale many cases in which this explanation
cannot be accepted. Many consumers, per-
pleyed by the futiity Of all their attempts to
reduce their gas bills, long ago fell back upon
the theory of increased pressure on the mains.
Ii is true that a public official is supposed to
keen watch over this, and TO record the
pressure regularly But if, as has been
asserted, this official makes his inspection
during the slack hours, that is, in the day-timc,
il is quite possible that the statistics may con-
yey very misleading ideas as to the extent OF
the pressure employed at night
1t may seem that in Il matter of fact like this
there should be no difficulty in determining the
actual state of the But in truth nothing
is harder The gas meter, theoretically assumed
to be an automatic measuring machine, in
capable of chicane or prejudice or partiality
produces in majority of instances such
strange results that the average citizen is pre-
pared to believe the thing possessed of a
malisn intelligence, directed with nnscrupulous
persistence to the financial service of the cor
poration Every housekeeper, every business
nan. knows by sad experience how useless it is
to try to reduce the consumption Of gas after
the meter has once got the hang" of the
expenditure. Even the summary process OF
sealing up the burners and stopping the con-
sumptiOn altogether has been attempted in
vain. and after months experiment the usual
bill has been presented and perhaps even the
faithless meter has been referred to in justf-
cation of the claim. Meantime the staple cor
porate theory is that just as soon as the price of
gas is lowered everybody hastcns to burn inst
so much more gas .han before as will keep the
cost of it at the old level. 1t is true that this
theory does violence to the principle of thrift
which is an active motor in most human beings,
bnt so long as the companies refuse to admit
the possibility of an increase in the pressure
there is really no other available explanation of
the too obvious fact that the price of gas may be
reduced without making any apprcciable differ
Perhaps it will occur to some of our readers
that the question whether or not the pressure is
increased ought not to be left wholly to the
discretion of the corporation, and cannot be
settled by public functionary who confines his
inspection to the daytime. 1t must be
admitted that there is certain force in these
considerations. Indeed, it may be urged that
thus far no serious attempt has been made to
prevent the forcing of the gas through the
pipes at whatever rate may suit the companies,
and that until this point is attended to the
public can have no security whatever against
overcharging. Gas companies are no doubt
composed of average men, but like average
men they are apt to succumb to temptation
To permit them to regulate the pressure
directly or indirectly, with a single eye to the
production of dividends, is to expose them to a
seductive influence perhaps beyond their resist
ing capacity. 1t is unGucstionably possible so
to supervise the pressure that it cannot be un-
duly increased during the busy hours, ard it il
equally possible to prevent the use of an
inferior quality of gas. But until both these
things have been provided for it looks as
though he nominal reduction of the price of
gas was likely to be one of those deceptive
shams which
keep the word OF promise to the car
But break 1t 10 the hope"