The San Francisco call., 1898-03-17
THE ELECT OF THE FLEECED.

THE situation of all the people who render trib-
 ute to corporations in San Francisco is exceed
 ngly cheerful, but none have more reason to be congratulated upon the hlarty of their corporate relations than the consumers of gas. These persons not only forced to pay a good round price tor an inferior article of carbon monoxide, but they compelled to deposit money guarantee of their integrity and discharge all bills promptly whether they have burned any gas People situated thus certainly have no occasion to feel that Providence i'll his inscrutabe wisdom has overlooked them, for they sleep the gas companies may be picking their pockets.
 Br.o as if this condition not sufficient to pro- duce in them the ntoxication of cheerfulness, the Almighty has provided the gas companies with an entirely distinct method of taking their money with out due process of law. According to ex-Supervsor Burng formerly secretary of the Central Gas Com pany and an expert i'll the manufacture of the illu- r,linant all the carbon monoxide corporations need do when shy dividend is to pump air into their pipes. MT. Buring says this makes the meters all over town jump up like cash registers and brings i'll
 crop of bills which at closes the dividend gap. Mr. Burling does not charge the gas companies with increasing their receipts in this way but he positively declares that the thing can be done without arousng the slightest suspicion.
 As we understand it air is used by the gas com panies to produce pressure That is say, that less the bon monoxide Is forced little it will through the meters at all, or weakly as to show small profit The corporations, therefore, have machine to make the gas lively" It is this machine to which we understand Mr. Burling refers. Without subjecting our imaginations to any undue strain we may place the following dialogue before our gas-consuning readers as within the possibili- ties:
 (Scene: Interior of gas house; men in the dis tance wheeling out smoke President light company writing at desk)
 President (rings bell and summons superntend- enD-Say, Smith, little short a dividend this month observe from the secretary's report that our deposits only to $Iooooo and re- ceipts from bills $2,25oooo. What is the matter?
 Superintendent-The air has been little weak this month, my lord
 President-What do you mean by that? Light?
 Superntendent-No, sir. It is heavy enough but was afraid to put too much Many families are out of town you know and 1t ain't good idea to make the meters jump too much during their ab- sence.
 President-Oh, never mind that You're too squeamish. We mustn't pass dividend. Put the air and raise all bills north of Market 10 per cent. We'll let the people south of Market off this month
 
 himself with the reflection that he is genuine phil anthropst who works unseen and asks public recognition of his generosity. Yet if Mr. Burlng is to be credited only is such dialogue this pos sble, but extremely probable.
 Hence say that of all people who pay tribute to corporations in San Francisco gas consumers have most reason to be cheerful True, they may be pay ing for air most of the time, but they say that they not the elect of the feeced Not only should they be cheerful they should be proud