Evening journal., 1906-08-06
PEOPLE WANT CHEAPER GAS.

PEOPLE WANT CFEAfEN OTAS
4v~HF action Of Mayor Wilson in vetong the
90 cent gas and municipal partnership iran
ch;se was distinct victory for those ooSporau.
interests that have 50 long dominated anu
s,r,,rled orr city The mayor was made 20 leel
+be nressure Of the Gas Company and its allied
;,+eres+s immediately after a majority OF toe
c+r.e+ ard Sewer directors voted in favor OF the
coron,erciai Light. Heat and Power Company
fr,rcbise They camped on his trail and set up
,;ob+s with him or rather made him set up
,;gbts usth them. iust they did win Oonl.
missioner Melvin, arguing against the nsh' o'
good proposition .
Fovtunately for the people Mr. Melvin oio no'
Weld TO this usually effective pressure ana mus
the action Of the mayor against the ne" iran
chise will do no harm
The ra,or admits the Commercial Company
offers more to the city and demands less Of the
neoole than any public service corporation we
nocy have. and. yet he proceeds to knock IT. IN
+,e head Tn effect he saws the new franchise is
ae,rioltv GOOD thing, better than anything else
,,,o have but because 1t is not as good as II
ought 10 be. he is against it and would Kill It. Inc
,,coole's side Of the matter seems TO have not
been considered at all The Gas Company may
ask .eNVhat do the people want with % cent gas
when we let them have it for sIoo' lhere'
then IS the $4,000 bonus the new company pro
noses 20 paw to the city, and per cent. OF 'ne
net income from the sale OF electricity lhere
ave- ot,er benefits for the city not in any OF the
other franchises vet the mayor and Sonmis-
sioner Johnson favor the present gas company
.,d ;,s one,sided franchise and reject the new
otfer with its admitted advantages But ITS the
same old story The people get it in the neck
every time
prav what does it matter who is behind the
new COMPANY? Is the proposition any different
Il # is not backed by some one OF the crowd
that has for wears been choking out OF the city
these valuable franchises and giving absolutely
nothing TO the city for them7 Is there an elect
fev who alone are permitted to secure franchises
ard traffic in them? What difference does it
v-ase 70 the people whether they be robbed and
plundered by one foreigner or another or ior
hat matter by foreigner or our own beloved
c;tizenss Surely there is no charm in the name
OF Dobson that makes it delight and pleasure
TO pay them a high rate for gas running through
ealloping meters. Il is now not a matter OF who
IS getting this valuable franchise, but in what
way does il favor the city and its people we
have had some pretty sad experience with our
own eminent citizens" and believe in this mat
ter outsiders" il they are such. will treat US far
more considerably We regret that the mayor
denies TO his people half loaf when there ap-
pears to be just now no whole loaves in sight
We do not know how Commissioners Gray and
Melvin will vote on this matter tomorrow, but,
We will say we cannot see any reason why they
should change their view OF vote If they were
right two weeks ago, they are not less so to-day,
and they may be convinced OF that fact by much
that has been done and said in the last few days
in an attempt 70 nuliify their previous action
An opposition telephone company brought
down the telephone rate nearly 50 per cent Al
opposition electric company has cut the bills
down one-half and guarantees better service. Al
opposition gas company would benefit us in th'
same way. 1t is as ridiculous as it is false, TO
Every Evening. the mouth-piece Of the corpor
ate interests, 10 say the people do not want
competing gas company. The people are jus
as anxious Tor cheaper gas as they were 70
cheaper telephones and electricity, and if the.
cannot get cheaper gas except by competition
then ninety-nine per cent OF our people wan
that competition as soon as possible
We expect Commissioners Gray and Melvi
will stand by their guns and the people and d
their full duty tomorrow
IT. -...-4-,+;o,, -, 11f,,t,-4o. -, c.+r~d.