Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-12-08
GIG Eanfaster 1nteliisertfsY
LANCASTER. DECEMBER S, lsSa
phllalelpbIa Gas.

The Philadelphians are i'll the thToes of
great contest over the leasing of the gas
works belonging to the city. The ostensi-
BILE reason for the desire 10 lease is that the
gas management succors political COM
bination, and makes it rich and powerful,
without profit to the city. 1t is obvious,
from the high bids and the struggles of
different parties to get control of the
works, that there is a great big plum in it
to the successful. One syndicate has
sprung from the loins of Philadelphia and
another from those of New York, the lat
ter offering very far the best terms; never
theless the former has the Recommendation
of the finance committee of councils, and
for no better ostensible reason than that
the New Workers are from New York. and
consequently in Philadelphia opinion, bad.
1t is obvious to the outside world that
Philadelphia is not in position to throw
stones at New York and that the city has
been so long and cleanly plucked by her
own people, as to make it certain that
New York could not do it better.
1t may be Just as well to let the job out
to Philadelphians since the plucking must
be suffered; but then it is not clear why
the town should not take its fleeing as il
was. instead of seeking to vary the parties
to do it. We assume that the men who
have the wool now are somewhere around
in the woodpile while the negotiation is
going ON for the future tieeces, and that
everybody who is dickering with the town
is doing so with sharp eye to the main
chance for their own pockets
1t seems TO be the fate of the city 10 be
robbed whatever it does, and we are sure
that it is not going into haTbor of safety
in going into the hands of lessees. If we
were Philadelphian, with big gas works
on hand enjoying monopoly of gas supply,
we would know that We had good thing
and we would keep it. Philadelphia citizens
are t4eg consumers, and the profit of the
gas manufacture is paid by them. When il
Is paid to the city, it is paid to themselves
saving the part is stolen by their officials
When it is paid to outsiders, the citizens
certainly lose the profit the outsiders get
If that is less than the stealings OF their
officials would be, they would make
money by paying to outsiders; but they
would not have the control of their mo
nopOly, and during the term of the lease
would be in state of bondage that il
would not be advisable to enter, especially
in view of the fact that the consumption
OF gas and the cheapness of its manufac.
ture are each year largely increased.
Certainly it is the height of folly for the
people of Philadelphia to permit a charge
OF sl.5O per thousand to be made to them
Tor gas which cannot cost one-third of that
tss,.n to furnish them. Coal gas has for
many years been furnished by the govern
ment to the officers at West Point at IS
cents per thousand feet and the profit
OF the fund has sutIiced to pay for the gas
fixtures in the dwellings; and this,in a very
small community afar from a coal supply.
The people of Philadelphia should have
their gas at less cost than this.l
And why do they need to lease. if they
need to lease at all TO avoid political cor.
ruption, for more than the year WHY not
let the Pennsylvania, or the Baltimore &,
Ohio, or the Reading railroad, as coal SUD-
plyers, or syndicates in their interests, bid
againsreach other each year for the lease
or the gas works There is nothing to
prevent the city from holding an annual
auction of the privilege of supplying itwitb
gas from its works.