Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-06-10
bad GAS DEAL.
The City win Have to
Pay Twice as Much
for Gas as Before.
The Trust 10 use WtEbath Lights
10 Decrease It's Output on
Street Lamps.

The Chicago Gas Trust II I'm institu-
ton Of grent Industry and Its affairs are
guided by men Of much fertility OF re-.
source.
II II prolific In schemes for the filling |
of It's own Golfers. and any old trick
that serves to wiring coin from the peck
cts OF the taxpayers, II welcomed. 1t
has always been the motto Of this In.
stitutlon to get the most money for the
least possible return to the public.
The latest enterprise OF the Chicago
Gas Trust. and which has Just come to
light. II being conducted along these
lines ana IL peculiarly Illustrative Of the
methods of the Trust.
Within the past six months the Chi
cagO Gas Trust hns inaug,irated II sys-
tenn which will simply result In obtain.
Ing from the city just twice the price
per thousand feet Of gas ordinarily paid
to that institution. This scheme IL
nothing less than the Introduction In
the street gas lamps Of the Welsbach
light. This apparatus Ii 80 constructed
that the Chicago Gas Trust II enabled
l ny w WV w rupIby
light per lamppOst, with II consumption
of exactly half the amount Of gas for.
merly used. No corresponding rcduc-
ton IL made In the price charged to the
city per lnmppOst. The City Council
In passing Its annual appropriation bill.
so far from looking out for the interests
Of tho taxpayers. actually went out OF
Its way to facilitate this piece OF out.
rageOus eXtortlon. When the appro.
priatiOn bill was passed Inst April, It
contained the following provision tack.
ell ON to the Item set apart FOR the street
lamp department:
ut IL the intention of the City Council
In making the appropriation for the
street lamp fund that the City Electrl.
clan be ana Is hereby empowered to
have the Welsbnch light placed ON ~
many gas lamp posts ~. In his judg.
meDt. ought to In thus equipped to bet
ter light the city. and all such lights
ana money expended shall be under the
direction and supervision Of the De-
pa'rtment of Electricity"
Now to the casual observer this IL u
harmless looking provision. hut II we
look closer into Il we Will perceive In
1t u very elegant and u very extensive
piece of jobbery.
Let us first ask the question, What
benefit does the city derive from hav.
Ing the Welsbach gas light introduced
on the street lamps! The Eagle de.
clarcs. Inlesitn tlngly, none whatever
To liz sure, the trainers of the fore.
; going provision OF the appropriation
state therein thai the street lamps are
to be thus equipped" In order Ito bet
ter light the city" That this claim is n
fraud can be seen from this fact:
The contract between the city and
the Gas Trust for lighting the streets
provides for the payment OF about SIS
per lamp post. each lamp to furnish
twenty-fOur candle light. Now then
' twenty-four candle power Is twenty
four candle power In the matter OF
!, light, and II makes no difference wheth
er 1t Is furnished through the medium
of tho Welsbach device or not. thu
amount of light supplied Is Just tn.
sane.
Therefore II Is patent that the ar
rangement for eqmipplng the stree
: lamp IL not for the purpose OF "bettel
lighting the city," but for the purpOs,
of creating u large and lucrative mar
ket for the Welsbach people at the OK
pense of the taxpayer. This Is jOl
No. /.
Now comes job No. 2, ana here Il
where the fine Italian hand of the Gar
. Trust Ii seen In the deal.
+ TO supply the twenty-four candle
: power under the old arrangement I
!. took II supply of exactly four feet PEI
/. hour for each street lamp. That Is thu
t amount of gas the Trust has had Il
+ supply for years to the city of Chicago
v for the amount of money mentioned
3 above, namely, $1S per lamp post. Will
I the Introduction of the Welsbach light
lit win require just two feet OF gas pc