Omaha daily bee., 1909-04-26
Gas.

One of the planks of the platform
promulgated on behalf Of the demo-
cratic mayor and council seeking re-
election reads as follows:
Three years ago we promised dollar gas
In the event It was legally possible to pro-
cure It. We were stopped by the fact that
q republican administration had granted
the present gas company a franchise until
1918, with the authority TO charge $1.9O to
N.6S per 1000 cubic feet. Further. the city
was prohibited by a republican legislature
from granting a franchise to any other
company for more than ten years. No cor
poration would build a plant under a ten
year franchise. The present democratic city
administration tried to secure from a re-
publican legislature In 1907 an amendment
to the charter TO make dollar gas possible.
That legislature refused US the amendment.
But a democratic legislature has this year
amended the charter in the manner re-
quired. We now. therefore, renew our
pledge to give Omaha dollar gas in the
manner made possible by the efforts of a
democratic city administration and a demo-
cratic legislature.
AS a prismatic gas bubble this is
beautiful to the eye, but it is abso-
lutely lacking in every element OF sub
stance and truth. Do the democratic
word jugglers imagine that the people
of Omaha have such short memories2
The democrats three years g did
not promise dollar gas "in the event
it vas legally possible to procure it,"
but they promised dollar gas straight
out, Internationally and without any
strings. They promised to extort dol
lar gas from the present gas company.
IL they could, and IL not, to establish
a municipal gas plant, which was fully
| within their power from the moment
they assumed control of the city hall.
Here lie the platform plank of three
years ago:
We pledge the mayor and the city coun-
ell. IL the democratic candidates are elected.
to provide at an early date gas at a dollar
or less for the people Of Omaha, and in
view OF the existing contract With the gas
company. which remains in force until 1913,
this pledge binds ths mayor and council
TO the extent. II necessary. of establishing
q municipal gas plant. OF procuring gas
from an independent company unless the
present company comedies the reduction
demanded.
Now the democratic platform writ
ers are trying to cover up the fact that
the existing gas franchise was the re-
suit Of a pitched battle between the
people represented by Mayor Bemis
and The Bee. and the gas company, in
which the people won out and secured
concessions worth not less than 81
600, 900. At the time that franchise
was granted Omaha was mighty we'll
satisfied with It and under the condi-
tioDs then existing its terms were de-
cidealy favorable TO the city. The
reanon why these terms are not favor
able now IL because the city has grown
faster thar anyone then expected.
But what has the democratic mayor
and council during the last three
years done to alleviate the situation
Not a single thing. The price OF gal
today in Omaha is exactly where the
schedule was fixed three years ago. i
no competing company was Willing
to take a franchise because of the ten
year limit on street lighting contract
I'm the old charter, there was nothing
in the way OF the municipal plant
which the democrats promised.
But going back to the charter oh
stacle in the way of a competing ga
company, how have the efforts OF
democratic city administration and
democratic legislature" helped things
The amendment put into the eharte
reduces the time limit on street light
ing contracts from ten years to fiv
! years. II no capitalist could be in
duced TO put money in a gas plant Il
Omaha on . ten-year contract guar