Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-27
New York Offices Room 90, Tribun. Building
The litigation between the sas cornnanx an.

The litigation between the gas company and
the ineandescent light company to determine
which shall furnish illumination TO the north
west section Of the city is Of great local in
serest The main contentious Of the gas COM
pany are that the authority given by the appro-
priation act to the Commissioners to substitute
other Illuminating material for gas at the same
or less price cannot now be exercised, since, IL
Is claimed, a binding contract for gas for the
current year has already been made, and can
not be exercised in favor Of the incsndescent
light, because, as il ID claimed, this form
Of illumination Is not furnished ''at the same
or less price," as required; also that the
authority to substitute other illuminating ma
terial does not include the right to select as
substitute the electric light, since specific pro-
vision for electric lighting is made elsewhere
In the act, and since, to make this substitution,
the Commissioners must authorize the tearing
up Of the streets for the laying Of electric wires
underground, which, il is claimed, they may
not legally do, except in cases where the wires
TO be buried are already strung overhead.
The incandescent light company and the Com
missioners claim that the power to substitute
other Illuminating material for gas gives all the
authority that is needed in the matter; that the
light is cheaper and better than gas and that the
substitution is Of material at "a less price,"
that the limitation suggested by the limited
authority given them to permit the burial Of
existing overhead wires applies only to private
corporations serving individuals, and that the
right given TO the municipality to substitute
other material in place Of gas for its own use
carries with it the power to break the surface
of the public streets so far as is necessary to
effect such substitution. The discussion whether
the incandescent light is or is not cheaper
and better than gas, with the evidence sub
mitted on this point, cannot fail to
be instructive to the public. II superior sys-
tenn of lighting at less expense is proposed, Of
which the Commissioner are evidently con-
WINGED, then the people will be DESTROYS Of Sc
curing its benefits, either now, or in the future
under further legislation, if that is necessary.
AS to the legal question Of the right of the
Commissioners under the existing law to break
the city's streets for the purpose of accom-
plishing an authorized change in the system of
public lighting the public will await the decis-
ion of the court, hoping that the question may
be settled at an early date. The public is in
terested on the one hand in the prevention Of
any act by the Commissioners which ia consid-
cred by the court to amount to a surrender OF
the public streets to a private corporation
without the direct authority Of Congress-; and
on the other hand it is anxious to avail itself "a
soon as possible of improvements in methods
Of street lighting, and of any legal method Of
escape from poor and expensive gas.
The cities in South Dakota on the edge of
the Sioux reservation are still contending
vigorously that the reservation can be opened
this summer by proclamation Of the
President without q ratification of the agree
ment by Congress. There seems to be no very
good reason in the abstract why Congress
should be called upon to approve an agree
ment which it has authorized the commission
to make; bat the law under which the COM
mission is appointed by the President ex-
plicitly requires such ratification. II the COM
mission had been appointed by the Secretary
of the Interior under the implied authority of
the law authorizing him to make this agree
ment with the Indians, it would be possible to
consider that the other law giving the Presi-
dent authority to appoint a commission for
this purpose, whose action must be ratified by
Congress, had been waived. But the Presi-
dent. not the Secretary, appointed the COM
mission; and the rush for the new country can
not legally begin until Congress has acted The
border cities will have their ''boom" next
spring, instead of this fall.
The big strike in London is not fully appre-
ciated il this country. When the SinpIa ada