The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1913-07-09
Call the Gas Company's Bluff

No one is disposed to question the motive of
City Attorney Bond in the gas franchise ques-
tion His course of action rings true as did his
statement in last evenings Palladium 1t would
be fair to criticse his Judgment men often
make mistakes in that regard, though their mo-
tives of the best.
The Palladium however, is not even going to
criticse Mr.. Bonds judgment. 1t believes the
negotiations between this city and the Allegheny
gas company might be lkened to game of
poker. And in such case it is pretty hard to
state just where judgment ends and chance
takes it's place.
Richmond and the Allegheny gas company
are the two last players for a jack pot. The jack
pot represents the particular kind of franchise
each wants. Allegheny opened the pot. Rich
mond stayed and drew couple of cards. Allie
gheny stood pat on the draw. Richmond bet a
couple of chips. Allegheny that bet and
tossed couple Of chips raise on the center Of
the table.
There the game stands at the present time.
Is the Allegheny gas company bluffing? Should
Richmond meet the raise and find out if it is a
bluff should she the additional chips it
will take to call and let this company rake in the
pot without showing its hand?
The Allegheny gas company says it will sell
gas to Richmond consumers at 40 cents a thous-
and cubic feet. 1t refuses, however, to be bound
in it's franchise to guarantee standard quality
in heat units for that 40 cents. On the contrary
this gas company declares if it is to be required
to guarantee the quality of the gas in specific
terms, it will not come into Richmond at all for
the purpose of furnishing gas.
AS can readily be proved 40 cent gas might
turn out to be 80 cent gas-yes, or dollar gas. If
the mains contained too much air pumped in
with the gas, your meter, not being supernatur-
al would register up the air along with the gas.
And that is where you might be compelled to pay
far more than 40 cents for the gas you consumed.
Of course, you burn certain per cent of air
in the stove or furnace when using gas. The
cheapest way to obtain it, however, is through
the mixer that is attached to the burner Air
in that case, costs you nothing. When it is
pumped through the meter on the contrary, you
will have to pay for it at the rate of 40 cents per
thousand feet.
By franchise requirement, however, where
by the gas company sells you specified number
of heat units for 40 cents, you won't have to pay
for the air.
That requirement, though, is just what the
Allegheny gas company refuses to have written
in the proposed franchise.
The question is, however, is the Allegheny
gas company "bluffing' when it declares it will
not furnish Richmond with gas if that require
ment is insisted on?
City Attorney Bond, we understand, is not
familiar with the fine points of poker playing.
At the risk of being misunderstood, therefore, we
advise him to shove enough chips on the table to
"call' the Allegheny gas company and force it to
lay its cards on the table.
1t does not appear reasonable that any honest
corporation with honorable intentions should re-
fuse to meet requirement to sell certain stand
ard quality article at given price. 1t does not
appear unreasonable that when the quality of
the article deteriorates the price shall fall in pro-
portion. That is but common honesty.
If the Allegheny gas company is not an hon
est corporation, then Richmond should not do
business with it. Under such circumstances
40 cent gas would be but a snare and delusion
The people would be as badly "stung" as ever
they have been in buying sugar that was half
sand.