The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-06-18
WHAT THE CITY COUNCIL
SHOULD DO.


City Council should do in connection
with the gas franchises which have agi
tated the city from center to circumfer
ence.
First, the Council should accept anc
ratify te proposition of the Hunter
Company operating through the Shreve
port Gas, Electric Light and Power
Company, whose maximum rates ART
fixed for the use of gas for domestic
public and manufacturing purposes.
Next, they should take up the Atkins
Company charter.
unfortunately, in their clamoring for
competition, few of the great number
interested, the consumers, have giver
earnest. thought to the vitals of the is
sue, and fewer still have read the char
ter Of the Atkins Company, published
in The Journals issue of Saturday
June IS.
A careful and diligent consideration
of what the Atkins Company contem-
plate, as outlined in their charter, will
lead the candid and the impartial mind
to the deliberate conclusion that it is
indefinite and Elusive, and, as printed,
would not be acceptable to practical
business men, nor to 1evel-headed citi-
zens interested in promoting legitimate
competition.
When Invested of its legal phraseol-
ogy, it becomes manifest that the COM
pany proposes to charge rs cents per
1000 feet Of gas when supplied to con-
SINNERS, but is deliberately silent as to
the rates fixed for manufacturers, which
Is equally as important as is the rating
fer domestic users of gas
4 was remarked Aippantly by an of
fetal Of the city, at the session of the
Council held Monday June 10, that no
special stress should be laid on the price
of gas for manufacturers, as the manu-
faeturers could combine and pipe their
own gas and take care of themselves if
necessary
Had this official been more discreet
he would have reserved this expression,
while urging the Atkins Company to
agree to reduce the rate from IS cents
to IS cents for consumers, which was.
yielded on the promise of the ratification
Of their charter At regular meeting of
the Council, which IS to be held tonight.
Al the reading Of this charter, at this
June 10 gathering, few Of the most
acute Of hearing understood intelligently
the character Of this charter. The ma
jority, in furry of excitement, viewed
the Atkins Company as blessing in
disguise; one promising the liveliest of
competition; one assuring the dear good
people the minimum price Of gas, but
how striking and amazing is this delu-
sion after the reading of this Atkins
Company charter!
On the spur OF the moment it was
attempted to commit the whole Council
20 ratification Of this charter, as read
q the June 10 session, and it is now be-
ing urged that the councilmen who re-
corded their votes for this charter, as
then read, are IN honor bound to sup
port i and pass it as ii was then read
and as i was published in The Journals
issue Of June 10.
In theory the Council is committed
to the support of the Atkins charter, but
in sense Of equity and in
Justice to the people, it is not.
As two wrongs can never make a
right, it Is not possible to defend an err
ror, Or e stand BY wrong because ii |
nay have been Endorsed or approved in
nomerf Of excitement or even with
deliberation.
& Is safe to say that if the majority |
Of the councilmen who voted on this
atkins charter at the June 10 meeting
had understood it then as they realize it |
g be now, their voices and votes would |
have been recorded against it.
Seriously, what do the Atkins Com
oany offer 70 the people7
e they were in earnest, rs compel
tors, dssiTing to give the dear good
'eople gas at the minimum, they would /
y thoroughly explicit in their PROPOSE
ION they would not hesitate to have
in their -f,arter fha ,,,avif