New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-05
pHILADELPHIA,s PROTEST.

PHILADELPHIA is fercely and righteously indlg-
nant over piece Of 1nanciering undertaken by
the lessees of its gas plant and the polluclans
who control its City Councils. There Is ntte OF
10 resemblance between our own gas problem
and that with which the Quaker City is now
wrestling We have here what is practically
private gas monopoly, working under the forms
OF competition. In Philadelphia the manufact-
ure Of gas is public monopoly, the city owning
the gas works and farming their operation out
to q privat e company. Here agitation is directed
toward lowering the price and lettering the
quality OF gas. There the public has risen in its
might largely TO prevent the sacrifice OF the
city's property interests through an extraOr-
dinariIy one sided bargain which the city law
makers and the leasing company were on the
point Of carrying into effect
Prior to 1897 Philadelphia sold It's own gas
making some and buying some from local gas
companies. In 1897 the city plant was leased
to the United Gas Improvement Company, which
agreed 10 sell gas at 81 a thousand feet and to
turn 10 cents for every thousand feet sold into
the city treasury. The city has the right to re-
sumo control Of the plant in 1907, paying for i'm
prOTements made; but, If the lease is continued
until 1927, the plant is to go 10 the city without
such compensation. The price Of gas to the con-
Eumer is 10 be 81 until 1907 and between 1907
and 1913 it is TO be reduced by gradual stages
10 40 cents everything considered, Phladel-
phia has had no especial reason to rue it's origi-
nal bargain with the United Gas Improvement
Company. Against the continuance of the pres
ent lease till 1927 no serious argument has 50
far been made
Philadelphia is said however TO need ready
money 10 spend on its park system, and the pro
motors Of the dicker now pending conceived the
brilliant idea Of converting the city's prospec-
tive income from the gas lease into cash. The
leasing company came forward with an offer 10
pay the city $25.0O0OO0 If the CITY would SIR
render its income from gas sales for the next
seventy-hye years. But the company also ex
Acted The concession that its present contract be
SO altered that il could continue TO furnish gas
III - thousand feet until 1927. and at 80 cents
thousand feet from 1927 ill 1880 A new lease
was drawn embodying these extraordinary
terms, and the City Councils moved by some
mysterious influence prepared 10 ratify II. prac
ucally without question and without debate
But the managers Of the coup had apparentiv
miscalcuiated the docility OF the Pbilodelnb,a
pupilc- When the terms of the proposed har
gain became known there was an outburst NJ
wFaih such as the Quaker City has seldom in
dulSed IN Since the city received last raar
sh"'oVp from its gas lease and since This in
come IS expected 10 double or trinla i'm +b
course OF the next twenty years. il was easy 70
ute ule financial sacrifice involved I'm sur
e-l.1,. ile ulls annuity on lump payment of
$4,000. moreover. every consumer Of gas
VIC mad counted 0n lowered prices afte, 1g0-
~s1t personally outraged that no sborld -