The sun., 1897-11-08
LO|1ERER'S Letter.
Success Of the Gas Works Steal
Almost Certain.
BIGGEST ROBBERY IN YEARS.
The Police and Firemen out on
Parade and the things the
Department Don't
Exhibit.

the present writing, as il the passage OF
the gas lease steal is a certainty. The
bill favorng the lease has passed one
branch of councils and it comes up be-
fore the other house on Monday. This
is one of the boldest attempts to rob the
people of Philadelphia tllat has ever been
made and it would appear as if nothing
would prevent its consummation. The
scheme to steal the gas works has been
under way for years, and men have
grown gray in waiting for a chance to get
away with the job. TIL Sc on the inside
interested in this job have neglected the
works, allowed things to 90 on from bad
to worse, so that the complaint Of bad
gas would give chance to start the ball
rolling. The citizens Of Philadelphia
have been supplied with the most miser-
abe kind Of gas at the highest possible
rates. No attempt has been made to
remedy matters, and they have been
going on from bad to worse. Thus the
proposition has been forced on the people
to either remedy this state Of affairs by
spending big lot of money repairing the
works or by leasing or selling the works
outright. The latter was almost too big
job for the gas works thieves to pull off,
as they were afraid the people would not
stand for giving up the works forever.
So the lease for long period Of years
was sprung, and it will be pulled off ac
cording to the program, if nothing inter-
feres with the we'll laid plans.
The worst Of this job is that it is being
engineered by men who pose as good
people. They stand high in society run
Sunday schools and Bible classes and in
off years manage reform campaigns.
They ride rough shod over everybody,
have their pull on the papers in a way
that all criticism of their work is Clicked
off. If the leasing Of the gas works was
open and fair and put up to the highest
and most responsible bidder, there could
be no objection to it; but the present job
has been engineered in the interest of one
company and no one else has been al
lowed to cash in as the horse men say.
If it passes the second branch of coun-
ellis it will then go to the mayor for sig
nature, but the assurance that things are
all right at Civy Hal! seen to indicate
that the jobbers feel sure Of their ground
and have that part OF the program already
attended to. 1t must not De imagined
tiat the steal NJ OF the gas works or the
putting of the job 10 steal them through
councils has been an easy joI. 1t has
been under way for several years and has
been thwared several times. The work
it will cost pretty penny more before
the job is completed. FROM common
been in one branch # the local Legislature
from 81 900 TO $1,000, and in the I.cr a.
high a~ iruln $1,000 to S2U,UUJ. The
money, oi coursc, has not been pad over
yet, but it il >;lid to be landed by II well
known lobbyist who used to round up
the boys lur Il passenger railroad coin.
pany. II the jon goes through aS Sticky
as it has been planned it vii! not surprise
any III. if the wives or lady friends OF
some wcIl-knOWn office hutlcrs in uii-
tcrrn wards are wearing seal skin sacks
and diamond earrings bciprr.thc weather
gets much colder LolrERER.
B0ston's Clerical Eomany.
Il huyc it on tie Authority of William
Dean I!UWelIs and other eminent BOs-