Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-25
P1TTsBURG. SATURDAY. oCr. Is. 1890
A DISTURBING DEPARTURE.

The action of the Philadelphia Company,
yesterday, in notifying half dozen of the
mills who are its largest consumers that the
supply of gas for their pudding furnaces
will be shut off next week, introduces a new
and by no means satisfactory phase of the
fuel supply of the city. As this notice is
accompanied BY the announcement that, as
rapidly as the domestic demand for the gas
increases, the company will withdraw its
supply from the mills, the public is con-
fronted with the fact that so far as the cor
poration is concerned, which has been per-
lnitted to absorb the natural gas business OF
the city, the manufacturers of Pittsburg
must 60 back to coal and SCOT
The statement in behalf of the company
of its reasons for this action are clear
enough. They do it because the business of
supplying houses with gas pays them better.
If there was decrease in the supply of gas
that rendered it impossible to supply
both houses and mills, this would
be recognized as a good reason for
disseminating the latter business; but we
are informed by the officers of the Philadel-
phia Company that the contrary is the case
and that they have more gas than ever. If
il was proposed to extend the domestic busi-
ness by reducing the price, the public might
find it satisfactory. But when there is no
indication of that policy, it is likely to be
questioned whether this abrupt cutting off
from the manufacturing establishments of
their fuel supply, carries out in good faith
the purposes for which the company was
endowed with the many public favors tha.
have enabled it to reach its present position.
1t is certain that the interest of Pittsburg
IS a community is more deeply involved in
keeping up the supply Of natural gas to its
manufacturing establishments. so long as
that supply exists, than in any other public
object. Indeed the universal interest to
that effect should have some influence
on the Philadelphia Company; which,
if the policy continues of making it to
the advantage of manufacturing establish
ments to locate outside of Pittsburg, NAV
find that its domestic fuel business is more
likely to diminish than to increase. These
considerations with score more that could
DC oAA PAAACAs A4ohS ~ q puDAAS A1ostSA budh
so long as our mills and factories can be
supplied with gas they shall be; and if no
remedy for the present situation is dis
covered, there can hardly be a more severe
lesson on the policy of leaving a business of
such vital importance subject to the control
of single corporation.
Plainly, if this policy is carried out it is
time for the manufacturers of Pittsburg to
look out for themselves, and it will be an
Endorsement of the wisdom Of those who
have already provided their own gas supply.
Probably new gas companies will be able
to take up the business which the Philadel-
phia is discarding. Possibly the manu-
facturers may be able to supply themselves
with artificial gas at cost not much above
that of the natural fuel. In all efforts to
prevent the return of the mills to coal, the
community will join. If the work OF build
ing up new agencies to retain our manu-
facturers in their present position has to be
taken in hand, Pittsburg should profit by
past experience, and take care that her
manufacturing industries are not again SUBJ
jected to the disadvantage of being left
without fuel, by the action of single cor
poration.