Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-05
The Price of Gas.
To the Editor of The Star:


In your issue Of Saturday last was re-
ported a meeting of tho Northwestern In
| terurban Association in Tenleytown, which
meeting adopted resolution of protest
!, against the high price now charged by our
gas monopoly for its commodity, and de-
manded q reduction to 75 cents per thou
sand cubic feet. The resolution promised,
IN somewhat indefinite way. that IL this
reduction should not be promptly conceded
that Is, If the gas company should not,
like Crocketts coon, come down at tho
pointing of the N. w. A. gun-said associ-
the price or else to acquire the gas COM
pany'S plant by condemnation, the same to
be run by the municipality.
This resolution is a brave. II somewhat
belated. utterance in favor OF 75-cent gas.
Apparently these suburbanites have i'm
bibed a little of the revolutionary spirit of
the people OF Philadelphia, whose rebellion
was chiefly induced by the attempt of the
gang to saddle 81 gas on them for the
next half century. Had It not been for
that GROWING outrage It Is doubtful IL the
Weaver rebellion would have gotten start
And yet the gang" promised payment o:
s250Oo.0O0 and free gas for the streets.
parks and public buildings in return for
the privilege of charging 81 for gas
Here there is no possibility of free gas
for public uses. and only this small subur-
ban meeting to indicate that there Is any
popular objection to 81 gas on the east OF
Rock creek, and 81 on the west The
SldT has permitted the writer former
occasions to say in its columns that Just
so soon as there is manifested anything
like a general demand for 75-cent gas we
VIII get It. and not before. He now re-
tterates this assertion. The only obstacle
is our lack of public spirit. of civic patriot
ism. Why Is 1t that our business men,
who are the largest consumers of gas and
electric light, are silent In regard to the
exorbitant price charged for these coin
moditfes? 1t is because they do not wish
to interfere with the vested interests of
the owners of monopolies. who are no
doubt feilow-members of the Board OF
Trade, and fellow directors of financial
corporations of various sorts
Vested tnterests!' This is the shib-
boleth. AS though a corporation which
does all its business on yours and my land
rights that are worthy of our respect
The question as to the equity and justice
OF reduction in the price of gas TO 70
cents per thousand, of the candle power
now furnished, has passed beyond the ne
cessity of argument. It has been proven
by such methods as the legislative inquiry
IN New York, where 1t was shown that
the cost OF producing gas in New York
city Is S21a cents per thousand. 1t is
proven by the actual results OF the taking
over by several score of municipalities of
their gas and electric Night plants. It is
proven by the circumstantial evidence az
forded by the frequent 100 per cent extra
dividends of the Washington Gas Company
of the profits from 81 gas.
90 cents per thousand Is sufficient price
we were ofrered gas years ago at this
price by group of citizens at the head of
whom was Anthony Pollock. then the
wealthiest man in town. And the pro-
ponents offered to put up $500 600 In cash.
to be forfeited II they failed to carry out
their undertaking.
This offer Congress scorned. or rather the
Senate and House District committees did
SO. They were evidently Of opinion that
cheap gas would not be conducive to the
welfare OF the District consumer And
we, poor political eunuchs that we are
meekly submitted, without SO much as a
whimper, and have been paying at least
70 per cent more than a fair price for
gas ever since, and probably fifty per cent
more for electric light.
If we had had a 1.-THE OF the sptrit
manifested by the people Of Philadelphia
the prospective chairman of the House
District committee would not say, as he
Is recently quoted in your columns that
there would probably be no important Dis
trtct legislation at this session.
That is no doubt his feeling In the mat tier.
we are not likely to get 75-cent gas with
his consent. In the last Congress his most
strenuous efforts were given to the support
of the biu permitting the gas companies to
water their stock from less than four to
nearly fourteen million dollars. And this
in the face of President Rooseyelt's mes
sage, in which the capitalization OF
public utility corporations was character
lied as one OF the greatest evils OF the day.
had succeeded any hope of 76-cent gas
would have gone glimmering To our
shame be II said, there were no public
manifestations of disapproval while this
bill was being discussed In Congress And
our board of Commissioners. when the bill
was referred to them for report, returned
1t, ignoring entirely the stock watering fea-
ture. And the public were dumb,
Is not this a fine record? Not much of
the spfr9 of '76 In this community is there?
Where were our influential citizens" while
these things were a-doing? Where were
the gentlemen who in past and future In
augurations Of Presidents were and will
be found in the front seats OF the White
House reviewing stand, properly enough
with badges on lapel, doing us proud?
Not to be too tedious, / end as l began
with the inquiry: What reason have we
to expect a reduction In the price OF gas
when there is manifestation of an In
terest by the Senate and probable House
chairman of the District committee; no
editorial advocacy of the matter in our
newspapers. nor any evidence of a public
demand beyond a languid suburban resoiu-
ton and promise to do something" which
is very unlikely to materialze?
w. J. MORRIS.