The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-21
THE QUESTION OF GAS.

with decent care. Tt is not all onesided, nor
will it be iudiciously settled by the methods
/ of the highwayrnan on either side. At pres
emit it seems impossible to obtain fair consid-
Grafton for it and for other questions, for the
reason that popular sentiment is infamed by
series of circumstances, the responsibility
| for which is pretty well fixed in the public
mind, and those circumstances have been
| taken advantage of by personal malice and
| personal self-seeking to degree that promises
not little future mischief to the best inter
| ests of the city, howsoever much appearances
may indicate present seeming good. The
steps of the natural gas controversy need not
be rehearsed; bat the fact that the same inter
est controls in the Indianapolis Naturalg gas
Company and the Gas-light and Coke Com
pany has transferred to the latter full share
| of the public discomfort growing out of the
| numberless b1unders and misteps made by
| the natural-gas organization. In addition to
this is the widespread feeling that the gas
| light company has made enormous profits out
Of past contracts at very high prices-the ex-
| listing one being $3.50 per thousand for pri-
vate consumption, and about So % for pub
lie lighting.
This is an era of wonderful changes
| in agents for heating and light
| ing. Coal and wood are about to
be exchanged for natural gas, and coal gas
seems likely to be superseded either by nat
ural gas or by some combination, or by cleo
tricity. Coupled with these changes in sub
stance. have come great advances in process of
manufacture lessening the cost of production,
so that the public are impressed with the belief
and we think just one that they should
presently, at once, participate in the profits
resulting from the discoveries and new meth
DDS. The natural-gas matter seems to be
settled for Indianapolis; but the heated dis
cussion over that is transferred to the question
Of illuminants. The Journal knows and said
that the best thing the natural-gas company
could have done would have been
to promptly accept the ordinance
reserving the right to ask for needful
changes, which would have unquestionably
been granted when their necessity was shown,
and then to have gone forward rapidly and
cheerfully to supply the city with the
cheap fuel. That another course was taken
was not the fault of the public, and because
of the identity of control, as we have said
there has been a transference of opposition
and prejudice from the one company to the
| other.
The Journal does not claim to know all
about the cost of manufacturing illuminating
gas, and would not attempt to set itself up as
| an oracle to determine the price at which gas
| and everyth thing else should be sold. There
| may be elements in the cost of producing and
| furnishing gas to the public that do not APP
| pear on the face of the published statements
and it must be conceded that the gas-light
company presented to the Council document
the spiri. of which cannot be fairly criticised,
and the facts of which are entitled to candid
consideration. However, the overwhelming
evidence of testimony seems to prove that gas
can be made and furnished at good profit at
one dollar, and it is incumbent upon the com
pany tc demonstrate by evidence that this
cannot be done. It is true that but two cities
in the country, that we know of, have dollar
gas, despite the wild assertion of people who
have zeal not according to knowledge; but it
is also true that the council of Chicago has
declared for dollar gas, and that
the trend of discussion in Louisville
and other cities has been in the
direction of that rate. The contracts under
which gas is furnished in Chicago, Louisville,
Cincinnati and other cities at ST. % and $3.50
were entered into before the recent important
discoveries and advances in methods of manu-
facture, and, therefore, they not conclu-
sive against the proposition that dollar gas
can now be proftably supplied
Indianapolis should have the cheapest pos
sible gas, and to that end both the Councils
and the company ought to come together in
an honest effort to reach just basis. IF dol
lar gas is not obtained, the public will be sat
isied only with a statement of the facts that
shall demonstrate that that rate is not remun-
erative; and if the company is sincere in its
position and proposition to the Council, it
viii not hesitate TO furnish the
committee with the proof. If gas
can be proftably supplied for one
dollar, then, possibly, some company can
be organized that will accept the offer of the
present one to sell its factory and plant. But
there is this to be remembered: there is yet
contract of $3.50 to run for some years, and
unless the Councils are prepared to give the
people substitute, it will not prove much of
a measure OF economy to reduce the public
lighting comparatively small amount, while
private consumers are left to pay higher
price. Not only justice, but good sense
would suggest agreement, if possible, that
should equitably tighten the burdens of the