The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-02
THE GAS ORDINANCE.

night, was full of interest, and certainly must
be profitable to the enlightenment. not only
of the committee, but of the entire Council
and of the whole people. From beginning to
end not one single valid reason was urged
against the amendments. It was not even
attempted to be shown how either the city or
the people could possibly be injured by them,
but the only claim was that if they were made
somebody might come into the city and ''gob-
BILE up the cream" before the Trust was ready
to get its share. That was all. We chal-
lenge any body to adduce single other reason
or argument offered by the representatives Of
the Trust Mr.. Fishback said the Trust was
organized for the benefit of the people, and
Judge Lamb said the Trust did not stand on
the same basis as other companies; other COM
panies are organized for private gain, while
the Trust exists only for the benefit of the
public, and does not have to earn a cent above
its actual expenses. Precisely so; and that is
the very strongest reason why the
private companies need and should
have protection that the Trust does
ASt IcQuucs we uOp6 tQo LlLu0 has uOL
come in indianapolis when it is to be regarded
a crime to invest private capital for the pur-
pose of earning profit. The investment of
capital for that purpose is praiseworthy; every
business man has invested his money with
that end in view. The fact that the Trust does
not have to earn profit on its capital is the
sure and certain guarantee of competition in
rates that will always keep gas down to any
price the Trust can afford to furnish it for.
The private capital in the gas business will be
exposed to a competition that no other capital
in the city is or will be; it is placed in compe-
tition with public capital, and it will be hard
to base an argument on this fact-unique in
business--that the private capital should be
subjected to other and unnecessary hardships
and burdens. On the contrary, the facts Mr..
Fishback and Judge Lamb state are the
strongest arguments why the city can afford
to deal even generously with the private cap
ital asking to employ itself in public work.
Again: Judge Lamb stated that if the
amendments were made, under the plans of
the companies it would take ten years to
pipe the city, and the manufacturers being
on the outside. would be still without gas.
This is queer bit of argument, and is liable
to arouse grave suspicious in the minds of
people as to the probabilities of the Trust.
We haye been told that the Trust had all the
gas the city could possibly use, and that it
was beginning to prepare to contract for pipe
according to most elaborate and comprehen-
sive system, that would include the whole city.
and that it expected to be able to supply ev-
erybody within year or two at the outside.
Does Judge Lamb mean to intimate that the
Trust is not going to do this, and that if the
amendments are made it will take ten years to
supply the city7 If the Trust is to carry out
its programme, of course it would be to its
advantage for the other companies to be re-
stricted to the lowest possible amount of ex-
tension. It is plain to everybody that the
Trust will not be hampered driven from
the field by the amendments; on the contrary
if the companies avail themselves of the pro-
visions asked for, it will leave so much more
territory for the Trust to cover and so much
more patronage for it to enjoy. The amend
ments asked are not to bind the hands Of the
companies; it is perfectly plain that they will
want to sell all the gas they can
furnish, and self-interst will suggest every
safeguards against extensions they cannot
prudently make, or the ordering of gas they
cannot supply. Daily experience and the
problematic character of the gas source sug-
gest the propriety and the necessity of some
precautionary protection. This argument of
Judge Lambs certainly cannot be taken as
serious; it is the merest clap-trap. The
amendments do not prevent the Trust from
laying 200 miles of pipe the first year. and
we hope it will do so. for we want the city to |
be as thoroughly and quickly supplied as |
may be.
But the most remarkable statement credited |
to Judge Lamb is as follows:
There was time, year ago. when gas |
should have been let into the city at any price, |
There was a boom, and if the city had then |
had gas the boom would have gone The |
boom has passed, and there is no need of |
being in hurry now"
This expression will attract attention. Is it |
trueF Is it to be officially proclaimed by so
prominent citizen as the president of the |
Gas Trust that the ''boom" has passed; that
is again beached; that the tide |
which, taken at its flood, might have led to
fortune. has ebbed, and the city is left bound
in shadows, so that it makes practical diff
ference whether gas is introduced this year or
next, or in ten yearsf If this be true then it
will not be a question with many people that
the exclusion Of the Octopus" under the
guise of philanthropic regard for the city,
has been more serious blow to indianapolis
than the many other knocks it has recei we'd