The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-18
THE GAS WE HAVE.

sis. The Indianapolis Natural-gas Company,
with fine supply of gas ready for consump-
fully enlisted in polis-the equals of any
to be found in other companies, even the
Gas Trust We cannot see that anything is to
be gained by charging these men with desire
ton, in an open and busness-like manner
asks the Council for conference with its
| committees relative to proposed changes in
| the existing ordinance, of which will
affect the price of gas the safety and Sc
curity of city citizens. In this petition
the Capital City Company unites This is a
straightforward movement, and it should be
met by the committee and the Council in
straig htforward manner, we have no doubt
it will be. 1t is time to have done with past
mistakes and continuing recrimination. Ger
tainly there have been grave blunders COM
rnitted, but they committed more from
ignorance and an infiamed desire to protect an
enterprise surrounded with so many features
of uncertainty as this natural gas business
confessedly was, at first, than from a willful
and cold blooded desire to fleece the city and
to rob its citizens. The Journal has respect
fully declined to 90 into the business,
seemingly congenial to others, of de-
nouncing as ''sneaks," and ''scoundrels," and
robbers" the business men who compose
the Indianapolis Natural-gas Company. Who
they was shown by the roster of the stock
holders published yesterday Certainly many
of the names in that list are of reputable men
men devoted to the best interests of Indian
apolis; men with their capital and enterprise
to plumber or to expose their own and other
peoples lives and property to danger by the
criminal use of unsafe and INFESTED material
1t is conceded that the Indianapolis company
has invested fully 5000, 600 in their enterprise
thus far. That is an immense sum of money.
Whether it has been wisely invested or not is
another question. We informed that the
Trust expects to lay its main and pipe the
streets of the city for less than $500, 0OO
If they can do that it shows how
much more is known about the
gas business now than when the other COM
pany made its contracts, for it is hardly
supposable that even octopus" would
willingly pay double or treble the price neces-
sary for its plant. The six hundred thousand
dollars is indianapolis money. 1t has been
invested with the single purpose of doing
business with the people of Indianapolis.
That an effort was made to do that business
on basis which would return to the capital
the largest possible profit, advantage possibly
being taken of existing ignorance or of pre-
sumed necessity, is not to be denied, nor is it
anomalous in the history of business. The
popular movement of the Trust stepped in,
and, by concentrating its plans, saved the
city enormously in the price at which gas is
to be enjoyed. The Journal gives the Trust
the most unstinted praise for this, and we
hope to see it go forward to success in all
respects, that it may speedily be in posi-
ton to supply the city with the gas it has
and will have in such large quantities. The
Journal was the first to announce the "com-
ing in" of the Granger well, and to character
ize it as probably the largest and best we'll
yet developed in the State. We want
the perfect completion OF all its
plans; and in the meantime desire to have all
the other companies treated fairly by the city
and the people, so that shall have gas at
once, plenty of it, and with the pledge and
certainty of perfect supply and active and
honorable competition for the future. AS
the Journal has said time and again, it will
require large capital and large amount of
gas to supply this city. There is room and
patronage here not only for all the companies
equal capital and equal resources. Let them
all come under proper terms and the most
absolute restrictions necessary to protect the
city and the consumers.
The time has been reached for a plain,
business-like, dispassionate consideration of
the ordinance between the councils and those
interested and if it can be shown that certain
amendments are necessary, and can be made
without imperiling or compromising the rights
of the city or the privileges of its citizens,
no sensible fair-minded man will say they
should not be made. One of the leading
spirits in the Trust, gentleman of unusual
intelligence and judicial fairness, who has
made a study of the gas question in all its
phases, said to the Journal yesterday, that
one change in the ordinance should be made |
in the interest of the Trust, as we'll as of |
other companies; that, it might be disastrous
TO any company to retain the existing |
provision and to attempt to work under it. |
With this spirit of fairness, with the petition |
of interested companies before the Council,
with a conference between them and the au-
thorized committees, there ought to be
and just basis. Any improper or questionable
alteration in the ordinance should be resisted |