The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-06-09
A SQUARE, DEAL.

ton of grants of franchises to corpora
tons seeking the privilege of supplying
the people with gas, is misleading.
An issue which should be plain has
been confused until even some OF the
wisest are COMPOUNDED.
Above all interests are the people.
The mayor and every councilman, one
and all, are expected to stand by and
for the people, regardless of corpora
lions, or competing companies, or IN
dividuals
1t is not becoming any representative
of the people in the Council, including
the mayor, to champion or plead for or
favor any contestant soliciting valuable
grants and privileges from the city. The
plain, substantial, common-sense view
is: What of the people?
First, the people must be protected
from imposition, from possible conbina-
ton and conditions which would ope-
rate to the detriment of the consumer,
and this can be provided only on basis
of "a square DEAF for all concerned.
In providing the safeguarding of the
people, a maximum rate for domestic
and manufacturing uses of gas should
be fixed by the Council, with require
ments Of such guarantees as will make
it impossible for combinations to create
monopoly with the view of increasing
the rates as fixed at the maximum; and
there should also be specified in plain
words such protection to consumers of
gas as may follow from any decrease IN
the supply of gas from the natural fields.
All ambiguous phrasing in the grant of
a franchise must be eliminated, nor
should the grant be limited to one COM
pany, corporation or individual.
The policy of the city should be broad
and liberal; inviting to all who would
engage in supplying gas to the people,
but the spirit of the square deal should
dictate thu t no unfair advantage shall be
permitted or given to any individual,
company or corporation.
From The Caucasians view the only
practical protection and safeguard of
the people is emphasized in the city
adopting a schedule of maximum rates
which shall govern every individual,
company or corporation now engaged in
or that may become engaged hereafter,
IN supplying gas to the people for do
mestic an manufacturing purposes.
From the records of the city it is de-
veloped that the Caddo Gas and Oil
Company, through its president, S. S.
Hunter, has filed its rates of gas to con-
sumers, reduced from previous rates,
are now effective and operative through
the Shreveport Gas, Electric Light &
Power Company The rates, revised,
are: e5c per 1000 cubic feet, less 10 per
cent for domestic use; 20 cents per 1000
less 20 per cent, for public institutions !;
and for manufacturing plants range
from TIC per 1000 feet, less 80 per cent,
for the first 100000 feet, to nc per
1000 feet, less 20 per cent, for 5o,ooo,o 900
feet an dover.
These rates, as specified, i'm the abb
sence of other rates.
As the cost of the distribution of nat
ural gas is, in a sense, nominal, if it be
not possible to reduce the rates quoted.
they may be the basis for schedule of
rates, which should be fixed by the city
as the maximum and which should gov
ern the price, regardless of who may
apply. With fixed rates, at the maxi
mum, the consumers would be protected
against every combination or monopoly
control of the price of gas. No matter
who would be the supplier of gas no
greater price than that fixed as the
maximum could be charged. 1t is the
only safe medium of protection afforded
the people against monopoly or COM
bination to secure high prices.
AS TO the proposed suggestion that
there be incorporated in each charter
granted to company the stipulation
that the company can not or shall not
sell out, moments reflection will lead
to its disapproval. Such specification
would be the rankest of nonsense, as it
would be imperative in law and equity.
The solution of what some citizens
have classified as a problem difficult to
solve is offered in the fixing of maxi
mum rates for the use of gas. Practi-
cally, it is the only safeguard, fair to
the suppliers of gas and to the users OF
gas for domestic, public institutions and
manufacturing purposes.
Any citizen, not bound to the gas
suppliers' interest, on reflection will con-
cede that with the rates fixed at the
maximum. speculative ventures would
be impossible and would leave the field
open to any legitimate competition de-
string to operate against the present
company or any company which may be
established in Shreveport in the future