The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-22
LET Us HAVE PEACE-AND GAS.

School Commissioners throws a strong side
light upon the beauties of any kind of a
monopoly no matter how benevolent it may
be in purpose or appearance. No man will
for moment question the sincerity and
integrity of Mr.. Greenstreet, and certainly
no one would harbor the shadow of a thought
against the uprightnes of President Conner.
For both men the Journal is perfectly willing
to indorse in blank, as will be every other
person who knows them. But here these
gentlemen are antagonistic to each other on
a business question, and because of the Pc
culiar complexion of one side of it-involving
to a &gree the policy of the Consumers Gas
Trust, to question the infallibilty of which
is held to be rank blasphemy-bad feeling is
engendered, and split threatened in a body
which should be far removed from every
possible partisan or selfish consid Grafton.
However, this is only sample of what may
be expected, unless it is to be permitted to
and to treat the Consumers Gas Trust upon
the same basis as any other like enterprise.
The Gas Trust was started with the best mo-
tives, and was pushed through to remarkable
success under the spirit of popular enthusi-
asm, which had been evoked and directed
toward one point. and one point alone It
has been said that 'the Gas Trust is the organ
lied expression of the people against any
change whatever in the existing ordinance"
AS a matter of fact, this is not so. The Gas
Trust is the organized expression of the people
who form it against the attempt to fasten
a monopoly upon the city and to exact prices
higher than the ordinance provided. This was
all the Trust proposed. The literature of tn
Trust, written and spoken, will be searched in
vain for any expression that the Trust was
organized to supply all the gas the city should
use, or to keep out other companies by blind
and unreasoning opposition to changes in the
ordinance that might possibly be found wise
and necessary. There was no proposition that
the existing ordinance should be regarded as a
fetch, totouch which would be cause of instant
death; and certainly there was no proposition
to drive other companies out of the city and
monopolize the entire business of supply.
and we again venture the asser-
ton that at least 4.500 of them
never subscribed their money with any other
intention than to secure effective and con-
tinued competition and to secure gas at the
ordinance rates or below If any other policy
had been proclaimed we very sure the
4, 200 subscribers would not have been OBJ
tanned, for there are not 4. 700 people in
indianapolis who are in favor of any sort of
monopoly in the gas business monopoly of
streets, of supply, of price of time. The
organs and advocates of monopoly may sneer
at the idea of time much as they please,
but nevertheless time is an essential element.
Why shall the city be kept out of gas for
three months, or three minutes, if it can be
had nowG There great many people
whose houses are already piped for the use of
natural gas. Why should they be kept wait
ing9 Whose interest is it that they shall be
prevented from using gas if they can get it
under satisfactory precautions and at the rates
the ordinance prescribesf There are not a
few people who might be saved hundreds and
possibly thousands of dollars by the immediate
introduction of gas; and these are not likely
to remain silent and amiable under a policy
thousands the vast majority of the
people-who want to see the flames of natural
gas inside the city, furnaces heated by it, |
factories using it, and homes supplied with it
because they know that the fact of having
and using the gas will be worth a hundred
times as much to the property of the city as
the constant and repeated assertions that we
are going to have it, even when accompanied |
with maps and diagrams.
1t is constantly repeated that nothing is in |
the way of any company coming into the city |
that wants to do So That is true; except that |
men of sound business judgment and sagacity |
think that one or two provisions Of the ordi- |
rance are questionable and possibly danger |
Gus, and they ask modification of them |
for the just protection of their capital. One |
company says they have not been able to |
interest capital in their enterprise because of |
the presence of one provision in the ordinance. |
Another company says that provision is a |
constant menace, threatening an expenditure |
the amount of which they can never even
approximate. They left to the whims or
the log-rolling of the Councils. which may
order any amount of extensions in order to
make themselves "solid" with their constitu-
ents. Everybody and every section will want
the gas; this is natural; and under the press
ure of this desire extensions may be ordered
that will be ruinous to any COM
pany. A company having gas to sell
will want to sell it, and self-interest will lead
to all reasonable and proper extensions. This
is the argument of the companies that think