Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-01
A LYING GAS COMPANY.
" Some Plain Facts for
the Citizens of Los An
geles to Consider"

nications as the Los Angeles Gas Com
pany has seen fit to publish, but without
some reply the public might be misled.
The whole communication printed in
yesterdays papers is tissue OF false
hoods from beginning to end, and was
evidently intended as such. 1t starts out
with falsehood number one by saying
that you are paying twice as much for
gas as we charge you," which is false, as
will be seen by reference to their dicta-
torial and insolent notice to the public,
which reads as follows:
"Until further notice, the Los Angeles
Gas Company will furnish gas to consum-
ers on the line of any competitive COM
pany's lines at 81 per thou
sand feet, and will furnish gas to all con-
sumers elsewhere in the city on the line
of its osun pipes at So. 80 per 1000 feet"
which shows that the larger portion Of
the city is still to pay 1880 per 1000,
thus using their patrons off tho line OF
our mains together with such people as
continue to buy their gas at the reduced
rate, to break down competition.
Falsehood number two is slur at the
press of Los Angeles, which doubtless is
fully able to take care of itself.
dlScllOOu uuuuUtI tuicc 10 " lcdQ
people to believe that our present busi-
ness is represented by $S 500, 900 stocks
and bonds. The fact is we'll known to
the old gas monopoly that the above
capitalization is in the treasury of the
company and when issued will be for
money and property at its full value rep
resenting home industries, which any
citizen Of Los Angeles may be proud to
be connected with.
Falsehood number four is that the Los
Angeles Gas Company is selling 23-candle
gas to its patrons. While not even 20.
candle power, we will admit their gas
has lately been improved, but how long
has it been since the candle-power was
not IA, and what was the cause of this
wonderful improvement? There is nc
child in the city SO small or so ignorant
tn t it cannot answer this conundrum.
Falsehood number five, is a windy
statement about the Massachusetts, gas
law ochich an fact only applies to the gas
now being sent out by the Los angeles Gas
Company, in addition to which their gas
also contains sulphur, ammonia and car
bonic acid, none of which impurities
exist in Lowe Gas, as manufactured with
the pure oils of California, and which
also contain less carbonic oxide than any
other gas made in this State.
Falsehood number six is the statement
that the old gas monopoly owns the Lowe
Patents. 1t never could own more than
restrictive license under an unimport-
ant patent which is OF no use on this
coast, besides they in no way apply to
the present various inventions owned
and operated by this company.
Falsehood number seven would lead
people to believe that the old Gas Com.
pany had paid in $690,000 for its works,
when the facts are that the present con-
trollers of its plant only paid $50 900, and
the gas consumers of the city have paid
the balance by excessive charges for gas
while their stock has been issued fol
little or no value.
Falsehood number eight states that the
nature of the gas business is such that it
Is impossible for more than one company
to exist in the same district, and that
opposing companies end in the stronger
absorbing the weaker. This lie is dis
proved by two great companies existing
in San Francisco and many other cities,
and the same is true to-day of Los Ange-
les, and we cannot see why two gas com
panies cannot exist as well as two gro.
Gerry stores.
In concluding their article with unso.
licited and ungrammatical advice to gas
consumers, they say "patrOnize the compa-
ny who name the Lowest price per thousand
feet" (regardless of quality 'and thus
Wfile the aCar IS on sdye yourself the most
money you can" (for if we capture the
field look out for So gas OF fourteen candle
power.)
"Don't touch a bond or share OF
stock of either company, if you do and
are among the minority in the end," (you
will fare as poorly as has the minority in
the Los Angeles Gas Company
In conclusion we will say that q
greater insult was never offered to a COM
munity than that offered when the old
company reduced the price of gas to
admittedly less than cost in one section
of the city, in order to throttle honest
competition and in the balance OF the
city at twice and one-half that rate, in
order to compel good citizens to pave the
way for return to high prices and poor
gas all over the city. IL is gratifying to
be able to say that the merchants and
others on our line of mains have manfully
stood by us and have refused to aid the
old company by demanding rates
bel below a living ing profit, except
ing one, single, lonely sol-
tary and we trust, conscience
stricken individual. We will add
that all who decline to patronize us at
fair rates, simply because momentarily
they can get gas below cost, are lending
their might to aid the old gas monopoly,
and are thus stultifying themselves.
This company, ever since it commenced
supplying Illuminating gas has been
ready and willing to enter into fair COM
petition, provided the old gas monopoly
will make its price uniform over the en-
tire city, no matter what that price NAV
be, leaving the public to choose their
goods in gas as in other merchandise.
The reduction in price of the old mo.
nopoly from So 90 to $3.50, admitted by
them to be below the cost of production
was desperate effort to retain their COZ
sumers. Finding this did not work, they
have bid against themselves but in con-
sequence OF the fair and business.like
way with which we started to supply an
article of double value at fair price,
consumers continue to come to us, to the
old monopoly's intense and ill-disguised
chagrin.
We are here to do our share of the gas
business of Los Angeles, and will always
be found ready to meet all fair and hon
orable competition.
LOWE GAS AND ELECTRIC COMPANY.
A Good Chance.
Tho co1a oe loko ck