Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-11-04

The following is from the Chicago Dispatch
or Oct. "A, 1898.
In the present state of oar civill-
cation cheap gas is becoming as ina
portant and desirable commodity as
cheap water, fuel, food, or clothing
In 1887 the price of gas in Chicago
was 81 per thousand cubic feet, with
"a declining tendency. The Chicago,
Peoples, Equitable and Consumers
Gas Companies were in open and
sharp competition, each one hustling
for business and on the keen lookout
for improved chemical processes for
converting coal and oil into gas.
Had this stimulus of open compe-
tiOn continued gas to-day would have
been supplied at not over 10 cents
per 1000 cubic feet and the city
would have been several years nearer
the final suppression of the smoke
nuisance by the only means possible
i. e.. the substitution of gaseous
for solid fuel. The yillainous gas
trust was formed by greedy, avari-
cious and selfish men, public enemies
Billings, Cummings, Kent, Yerkes,
Gibbs and their co-workers. Put
their names forever in the pillory of
public contempt. Twenty-Five mill
ion dollars of stock was issued and a
$40, 000,0 900 mortgage was plastered
on the hitherto unbonded property of
the Chicago Gas Light and Coke
Company.
These so-called securities" repre-
sented practically nothing but the
power and disposition of the gang of
conspirators to combine all the gas
companies into one huge noncompet-
ing trust for the plumber of the pub
lie. The price of gas was advanced
% to 80 per cent. in order to extort
more money from Chicago to pay div
idends on worthless chromOs and give
them salable value. Such work is
not the legitimate use, but on the
contrary is the criminal abuse of
public franchises, and renders the
instigators of the scheme and also its
aiders and abettors liable to indict-
ment and punishment under the laws
of the State. The whole transaction
as it now stands is equivalent to the
fraudulent issue of s25, 000,0 900 of
Chicago city bonds by n corrupt ad
ADMINISTRATION Ga sum much larger than
the entire bonded debt of the city
for the water works and sewerage
system), the forced raising of the
taxes on all the property in the city
for the purpose of extorting money!
80 pay interest on such bonds and
the sale OF the bonds for the purpose
of suddenly enriching few I'M
scrupulous thieves without any
equivalent whatever being paid to
the city and nothing to show for it
but higher GaXes. A gang of munic-
ipal thieves who would put through
such criminal transaction would be
hung to the nearest lamp post by an
outraged population. The people
would then proceed to wipe out the
bonds and put taxation back where
1t belonged, even as now they pro-
pose to wipe out this $4,000 600 fic-
titious stock and all the fraudulent
bonds on the Chicago gas works. The
monstrous gas steal roundiy de
nounced at first by that portion Of
the Chicago newspapers which are
coming 60 lie known as "Thc Boad,e
Press or the Liars Trust, was uu-
doubtcdly condoned hq block of cash,
stock or other valuable cousdera.
tions, tor such paper. we're .ileneed
aud muuled
Are strsnaelf etisnf.
Prominent papers which have unit
lately tefcelY attacked the CTS Eale
waf ahout Che slime 4 division af Che
Allef / seeurItlea was going sH fat
collecting e eeHts extra a4 8Haf
mHlHIabt oa tha Cottage Grove Hae
sfg strangely tIlsat e tha saIE
saaan saiIaetIaa aH b 8asl a afs
esta afe faf aas bsHm malal4bt
4ftsf mhia'aHf aWgalas aa sa.I
alshf taa ateFF aaae IL tfa a. 81
Has .sHas.aa.=essz.# asH