The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-12-16

NJ4Ao Il MI
The fight for the people against the
Gas Company is not vet won. But
Mondays vote in the House was the
breaking down of the buIwarks. What
Is to follow-though it will require
Asrd fighting, perhaps-is only a mat
ter Of time. Not only viii no Senate
committee be able to withstand the de-
mahd of the people in a cause Sc mani
testify Just, but no Senate committee
would long desire to do so.
This, then. Is a stage of the fight
when the fighters tan afford to look
around. Amongst those fighters, this
newspaper feels itself entitled to par
ticular and distinct satisfaction in the
ground gained. 1t began the fighting
Il provided the sinews and the leader
ship. 1t kept az it, when the outlook
was none too bright 1t Is at 1t still
and will keep at it until the consumer
gets his rights rs represented in a fair
price Cor fair quality of gas, under
such general safeguards of law as will
preecnt any like depredations by this
corporation or any other in the same
business.
The Times undertook to obtain fair
play Tor its readers. Before it began
its campaign. therefore, il went reso-
lutely and impartially at work to find
what fair play would be under the cir
cumstauces Experts were brought to
Washington at its expense, Their
Judgment. boiled down into plain Eng
lish, WAS that 75 cents a thousa nd feet
was workable price, 50 cents a profit
able price, 80 cents a most advan-
tageous price, and 81 little short of
eNtortiOn.
Those experts were sent to tell their
story TO the House Committee on the
District of Columbia. OF course the
Gas Company countered. OF course It
produced testimony that gas could not
be sold here in the District of Column
bia at anything less than 81 a thousand
feet without bankruptcy. But no one
took their testimony seriously,-no one
regarded it as anything other than
what it was-testimony from sources
selected TO yield precisely those opin-
ions.
The experts went further-to the
citizens associations. Some of them
heard and were quiescent. That was
to be expected. But others heard and
went to work with The Times. That
was to be expected also, and they did
good service. The Spent bill passed
in the House last Monday is the whole
some fruit of this planting.
Then the Gas Company came to our
aid. 1t overreached itself with its
scheme To double or triple its capital
stock and so far increase its interest
charges as TO change the calculation rs
to the cost of producing gas. The
court asked the two governments if
they had anything to say Through
The Department of Justice, the National
Government said nothing Through
the Corporation Counsel, the District
Commissioners said great deal, said
it Enthusiastically, and made the Court
of Appeals hear and agree. For that
they deserve and must always obtain
the high credit that reposes in doing
duty courageously and thoroughly. In
that proceeding, however, as in all the
others of this fight, The Times stood
ready with its attorney and its pocket
book TO make sure that no advantage
was lost through lack of government
agencies or lack of government. funds.
1t was Gas that took The Times into
The district now represented in Con
gress by the Hon. Samuel W. Smith, OF
Michigan, Gas viii take it there again
III Mr.. Smith requires it. So will any
other measure of any corresponding
Importance take The Times into anv !
district at amy time !
In five years this paper has under
taken many things for its readers
such as the rescue of the schools from /
place-hmting and incompetency, the
construction of tuberculosis hospital. !
clarifying of the building laws so
that builders and owners can know
what they must perform, an awaken |
ing of the city TO commercial self-re- |
speet. 1t has lost none of those fights. !
1t did not expect to lose any OF them. !
No more did it expect nor does it ex-
pect to lose this gas fight And it will |
not.