Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-11
THE ALDERMEN ROAST TINE GAS
TRUST.

Inc Niuerlncn are AFTER the Gas
Trust now in good earnest.
The Judiciary Committee of the City
Council has adopted resolution to the
effect that all gas companies which
have violated the terms of the fran
chises granted to them by the city be
directed to vacatc the streets at once.
The resolution also directs the proper
authorities to confscatc such fran.
chises as have been openly violated and
rendered nugatory by the consolida
ton. The terms of these franchises
Will he found on the sixth page of The
Eagle.
The judiciary Committee also adopt.
ed the following red hot report. which
was presented by Aid. Tuite, Darcy
and Lyman:
To the Honorable the judiciary Com.
mittee of the Common Council of
Chicago:
The subcommittee to which was re-.
ferred the resolution introduced by
Alderman Neagle begs leave to report
us follows:
1t Is a matter of common knowledge
that the citizens of Chicago IRE Obliged
10 pay higher price than any other
large city In the civilized world for the
very porest kind of service by the gus
companies. and that the value of the
franchises of the gas companies of Chi.
cago Is little less than the value of the
street car franchises.
The city has been very much agitatc,l
by the attempt Of the street car com.
panies to extend their franchises for
the period Of fifty years. Civil organ.
izatiOns Of all kinds have denounced
this proposition. The city still rings
with the protests Of the people against
the Allen bill. Make.belive reformers,
as well as the unprinclpled newspapers
Of Chicago. have covered themselves
with a halo of cheap glory by their re.
peated and vOciferous Outbursts Of un.
suspected virtue.
Hut that the occasion may not be
lost. your subcommittee II of the Opin.
Ion that the attention of the public
should be directed toward m accom-.
plished ana successful conspiracy
against Its welfare even more injurious
In Its consequences than would be the
ffty-year extension Of the street chr
| franchises.
IL IL an open question among experts
whether the street car franchises will
he worth anything ten years from now
owing to the Introduction Of the auto.
mobile. Vehicles could he made to run
over the streets Of Chicago as rapidly
ns street cars. These could furnish Il
system Of transportation. which as
such could not be interrupted by accI.
dent. and which would be cheaper and
maintained at less cost than the street
ear system. These also could be owned
and operated by numerous private indi.
viduals. who could, by competing with
each other. reduce the price Of fares to
the cost Of service, so long us the equal
use OF the streets was, as now, thrown
open to the owners Of all such vehicles.
Hut the progress Of invention has
disclosed no way Of escape from the
monOpOlies supplying fuel. light and
power. Gas must be carried through
pipes. These pipes must he laid in the
streets, and only few of them can be
laid on the same street. IL IL mani.
testify impossible that dozen different
gas companies could be- permitted to
make use Of the same street and tear
up the pavement at their convenience.
Yet, until the city Of Chicago Is au.
thorlzed by the Legislature to estab.
lish u municipal gas ana electric plant,
rs we now have u municipal water
plant. It Is evident that the only means
within the power Of the Common COun-
ell by which II can protect the people
from monopoly prices for gas and cleo.
trlc supplies would be to grant fran.
chises to responsible parties who will
undertake. under proper guarantees, to
provide these utilities at u reasonable
charge. not to exceed an amount fixed
In its franchise.
The various companies now operat-
Ing In the city OF Chicago had, before
the Gas Consolidation ana Frontage
Act" formed a pool or association com.
monty known AS the "Gas Trust" by
which they firmly bound themselves
under penalties not to sell gas for n
price lower than an amount much
greater than IL customary In other
large cities. They also agreed under
penalties not to invade each others
territory, having thus mapped out the
town In provinces as conquered cOun-
try. While 1t was yet in the power of
the Common Council to exercise some
restraint upon these corporations, the
Appellate Court, by Judge Waterman,
rendered decision that such contracts
were not void as against public policy
and In restraint of trade, because It
was In the power of any citizen who
wished TO compete with them TO 60 be-
fore the Council and get a franchise;
that Is, at the time of this decision Of
the Appellate Court the field of COM
petition was open to outside capital.
But the Legislature in the act COM
monty known as the Gas COnsOlida-
ton and Frontage Act provided that
before City Council can grant priv
ilege TO lay gas pipes or 10 string wires
for conducting electricity, a petition
must be presented signed by the own
crs Of majority OF the land frontage
Of each block of any street or alley In
which it is proposed to lay such pipes
or string such wires, but that the old
companies already operating under
franchises IN no mot rannira1 N