The Washington times., 1894-07-09
FAYORS DISTRICT CONTROL
Representative Cooper Favors MIMI
cipal Gas and Railways
BIG PROFITS ON NECESSITIES
No Reason Why the People Should Not PROFIT
By yit-Extending the Powers Of the Com
missioners- Congress Spends Its Time to
Legislate About Back Alleys.

81 do not know when Washington will
Cooper, of Indiana, a member Of the District
| Committee, and the framer Of the bill TO COM
pei the Washington Gaslight Company to re-
duce the price 25 cents per 1000 crbic feet
from its present price. Il have not heard
from the bill since it passed the House some
| time ago. OF course, the Senate has been
busy with the tariff bill, but consider the
prime importance to the people OF the Dis
| trict, and think it ought not to be delayed
but although have insisted that both the
| gas company and the consumer would be
benefited by making the price one dollar,
am not sure that it may not be Just as well to
let the old rate OF a dollar and a quarter stand
until the people see the necessity OF a munich
palization OF the gas plant OF the city and the
street railway and electric Illuminating plant
as well. Every one knows that it only costs
about one-half Of the present price to manu-
facture gas, and, of course as the population
increases and the consumption increases the
larger qantity can be manufactured at a still
lower rate per thousand. As matter Of fact,
/ am OF the opinion that every city ought to
own its own gas plant, and supply its citizens
with gas at cost plus the interest. just as it
would in the case Of water. There is no
possible reason why a profitable monopoly
should be built up for the benefit OF few
people in the one case than in the other.
am persuaded, therefore, that even if the
city does not get dollar gas at once, 1t may
nevertheless be the gamer in the end if the
people get their gas for what it really costs.
In city in my state, where the price for gas
was considered excessive, the municipality
repaired the plant not many years ago, and In
less than decade by charging the usual price
fnr md lox-i do th.av, MT rnfffe
plant was entirely paid for and the city now
owns it and sells gas at cost. Washington
could easily do the same thing. The idea of
allowing individuals or d corporation to spec
ulate in water or gas and take monopoly
toll from consumers is fundamentally wrong.
And for that matter added Mr.. Cooper.
Il should favor going step farther; should
apply the same principle to onr street rail
ways. think we have made great mistake
in the. treatment of this problem. The city
should decide for itself where street railroad
is necessary, put down the tracks, and then
rent them to such companies as would pay
the highest price for the privilege OF oper-
ating them. At present one railway gets
possession of one street to the exclusion Of
all others, and it is not the people who are
the gamers thereby. / think the admins
tration of these lire, would be Just as sue
cessful, just as satisfactory to the people
under a renting system as they would with
Elttual OWue1suip. fuftnerinOfe. tne neeu OF
laying down so many tracks and thus grid
ironing the city would in part be obviated.
II two intersecting lines were allowed for
that distance to pass over the same tracks
traffic wouli not necessarily be impeded, and
the city would avoid an unnecessary inya-
sion of all its streets.
''If the Commissioners Of the District had
more power, think matters would be much
improved. The Commissioners are directly
resi- onsible for the government of the Dis
trict. and are much more likely to govern it
intelligently than Congress, with all its other
duties. If thought necessary, their number
might be increased, but certainly their juris-
diction and powers should be extended. 1t is
absurd to require that every tipe an alley is
to be opened Congress should have to legis-
late about it. Does anyone suppose that the
people Of this city would be paying S1.25 for
gas, or that the horse cars would still be on
the Metropolitan railroad. or the sewers in
completed If the power to remedy these mat
tiers was granted to the Commissioners?
..They have already recommended unan-
imously all these reforms, but it seems to be
difficult to get Congress to take speedy ac-
tion in them"