The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-28
Drposits yvith Gas Compnny.

The remarkable increase occurred. de
spite the reduction IN the price Of gas
This citizen. whose experience is given.
speaking of the system prevailing in
Washington, says:
4 am told by gas men that this is the
only city in the country above 10000 in
habitants in which deposits are required
by the company from the consumer.
Moreover, no interest is paid on these
deposits. ! was told by a prominent bust
ness man the other day that his deposit
had been in the office Of this company for
thirty years without a cent Of interest
Ny own has been there for sixteen years
without interest being paid. The only
way 70 get the deposit back, or 10 get
interest, is to move out and then sur
render the deposit receipt Gas men tell
me that a gOOdly revenue aCcrues each
year TO the company. because people
move away or die, and no one ever
thinks of presenting the receipts and col
lecting the money. This is another evil
that needs TO be treated"
Favored District Ownership.
Resolved. That the legal committee Of the Board
Of Trade be, and IS hereby, instructed 20 prepare
and press before Congress bin providing for the
GENERALIZATION - AiAt pants t- At ~
Light Company. the United States Electric Lighting
Company and the Georgetown Gas Lighting Com
pauy. and also providing for the raising OF sufficient
money 20 pay therefor and for the conduct there
after Of the lighting business by the District Of Co
lumha-
This was the resolution that was passed
by the Washington Board of Trade in
1895, after a full investigation of the
whole lighting business Of the District OF
Columbia. The Board Of Trade commit
tee found that there were two elements
that conspired to create the profits OF the
lighting business-tke return upon the
plant and the value of the monopoly
They decided that if gas and electric
lighting profits could be limited to ordi-
nary business returns, there would be
little complaint. But the business was
essentially a monopoly, the element of
greatest value, the exclusive use of the
streets for this purpose. being furnished
free of charge by the government. The
committee asked: should our District
authorities permit private hands to retain
the right to use government property for
this special purpose They argued that
the merchant receives no special favors
it is only the gas or electric light manu-
facturer who is furnished with the exclu-
sive use of public property and charged
nothing therefor. And the Board of Trade
committee peTtinently demanded. Can
we wonder that the business man suffers
while the recipient of special favors wakes
fat?"
To combat monopoly by the creation of
other companies offered, to the special
committee of the Board of Trade, no
prospects of relief. It decided that the
evil was not to be met by a multiplied
ton of gas or electric light companies
This would but increase the fixed charges
TO be paid by consumers; create double
service and expense, where public econ
omy demands the existence Of a single in
stitution.
Source of Political Dishonesty.
The committee further decided that any
limitation upon the rate Of dividend to
be declared by a private company would
not meet the, evil because methods Of
spending money beneficial to managers
are easily devised to keep down dividends
Continuing, the committee said.
Nor need we fear the cry that the ex-
tension Of public functions viii debase
politics. 1t is becoming a commonplace
among students of public affairs that the
great source of political dishonesty now
lies In the fact that we permit private
persons to mOnopOlize public privileges,
and in their fight to obtain and retain
personal advantages, present corruption
results"
The committee declared that IL no bet
ter solution Of the gas lighting problem