Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-02-11
The Gas Trust Plant Is Worth Four Millions,
but Is Capitalized for Thirty
Millions
The People Of Chicago Are Squeezed Out Of
the Surplus to Enrich
Europeans.


advanced to 50 per 1000 feet on July
I. 1S00." said a man close to the Gas
Trust the other day.
what Is the object of the raisc?'
was asked him.
What Is the object? Well, that's
good The object of the raise will he
to make money, of course. ana make
as much of II as possible.
"Thc people will have to stand 1t or
go without gas
You don't suppose the Gas Trust
spent S250,OO0 to buy the Legislature
for nothing. do YOU?
"rhe Gas Trust Is not charitable
organization.
1T paid out S25O,OOO In bribe money
10 induce the last Legislature to make
IL n present Of the consolidation and
frontage measure.
This measure gave the Gas Trust
legal authority to consolidate the va.
ri0us companies into big one, and to
form u monopoly that would last for.
ever.
"You don't suppose for moment
that the gas companies consolidated for
the purpose Of keeping down the price
Of gas, do you?
''YOu don't suppose for n moment
that the gas companies consolidated
for the purpose Of lowering the price
20 consumers!
III You do you must be pretty green.
''The Gas Trust procured the passage
Of the consolidation and frontage meas.
ures SO that It could make more money
and pay bigger dividends by raising the
price Of the commodity per 1000 feet.
"rhe company needs money.
Most OF It's mains and street pipes
throughout the city are either honey.
combed by electrolysis or are rotten
and worthless. These must be re-
placed.
"A million must be spent for other
needed improvements.
Had there been no consolidation and
frontage law these improvements
would have been paid for by the stock.
holders, because the certainty Of com.
petition would have prevented an In.
crease In the charge to consumers.
"The consolidation and frontage law.
however. gives the Trust n free and
open field. II will raise the price Of
gas to 50 per 1000 feet July !, 1880,
mark my words for 1t.
"Why wait until July 1: Well, any.
one ought TO know the reason for that
BY July l the present Legislature will
have adjourned, and we have no fenr
that the skates " this aggregation Of
doughhcads will interfere with the
frontage law. Waiting until they al
journ before raising the price of Gas
gives us cinch on that proposition.
If the price was raised now there would
he q howl, and the tattoOed men might
bother us. But we will wait until the
cheap boys get through and then we
will raise our limit to S3 per thousand
feet In Chicago
%6
The history Of the passage OF the gas
frontage iniquity is the history OF a
crime.
BY the lavish use of money this scan
dalous measure was rushed through
the General Assembly In 1880.
Peculiar a Governor as Altgeld was,
the actions OF the corruptionists who
were behind the Infamous gas law
were so bold and so open that the then
Governor vetoed 1t in the following
message:
State Of Illinois, Executive Office, June
10. ls9J.
TO the Honorable, the Gentlemen Of
the Senate:
herewith return, without my ap'
proval. Senate Bill No. 3G2, being "An
act 10 amend section ! of An act In
relation to the consolidation Of incor'
poratcd companies approved March
q, 1861"
This bill provides for the cOnsOllda-
tlon of any number of corporations or
gahiZcd for the same, or similar, gen
cral purposes. UNDER IT, ALL COR
PORATIONS ENGAGED IN THE
SAME GENERAL LINE OF BCSi-
NESS CAN CONSOLIDATE, AND
THUS LEGALLY FORM \ MONOP-
OILY.
II his bill or any existing law, made
provision for adequately protecting the
public IN all such cases, then ] would
not hesitate 10 sign IL, for II has been
my desire TO cooperate with the Gen
cral Assembly as far as possible; BUT
FOR THE STATE TO DELlBER-
ATELY LEGALIZE MONOPOLY,
AND MAKE ABSOLUTELY NO PRO
VISION FOR PROTECTING THE
PEOPLE OF ILLINOIS FROM EN-.