Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-12
PHILADELPHIA MUST HAVE
CHEAPER GAS

| VNHE price of gas is too high The
L president Of the gas company says so
and he ought to know. He does know
and so does everybody else who has
given the subject any consideration.
Every few years. under the stipulations
I of the lease, the company charges a little
less. But it does the consumer no good.
! The municipal treasury drinks in the
saving and the consumer knows no relief
The company now sells gas for so cents
the thousand feet The city adds 20 cents
and the consumer pays one dollar. That
is tax of 25 per cent, Il perfectly enor-
nous levy on the gas.users of this terri
tory. 1t is SO inexcusable that merely
to state the case is to damn the condition
everlastlugly.
But an even worse situation is con-
templated. On January /, 1918, the COM
pany's price for gas will be reduced to
20 cents. Unless there is u change in the
city's policy, the price to the consumer
will remain at one dollar. The tax for
using gas will then be increased from 90
per cent to 33 1-3 per cent, which in ordi-
nary circumstances would be considered
prohibitive 1t ought to be considered
prohlbitive by the people of Philadelphia
The municipality, it is true needs more
instead Of less money. It sticks to the
gas tax because the gross revenue for
municipal expenses is already too small.
But what is to prevent the substitution
of just taxes for this unjust tax? Or
what is to prevent an agreement between
the company and the city for a price con.
cession on the part of each? Under
such an arrangement there probably
would be no loss of revenue to either,
increased consumption more than balanc-
ing the unit loss in price. The net reve-
nue. from 90-cent gas we venture to
prophesy, would be in a short time great.
er than the net revenue from one dol
lar gas.
We do not know what the United Gas
Improvement Company has to offer in
the way of concessions, but it's chief Off.
Ger has himself brought the matter for
ward We have two of the three parties
at interest plainly in favor of reduction,
the people and the company. There re.
mains the city, which is blinded by the
yearly income 1t receives and looks |
askance at any proposal for a change
We suggest to the Mayor that he take |
this matter up, sound the company, get |
it's views, sense the state of public opinion |
and begin sincere negotiations for the |
of what is nothing more or
less than fraud on the people of this |
community There is no work the Mayor
can do which would be more appreciated |
by citizens, particularly those citizens
to whom the monthly gas bill is a mat
ter of very great Importance. We enter
tain little doubt about the possibilities
Of an understanding. We even dare as.
sumo that the operating company can
find a way to accept less than 75 cents
the thousand for it's product after next
year, a possibility which offers basis
for concessions worth while on the part
of the city.
Nothing is being gained by dropping
the matter. 1t threatened for few hours
to become a great public question. The
Mexican war scare sent 1t back into re-
tirement. 1t must coWe out again. The
Mayor must force it out We look to him
to initiate negotiations, certainly not
later than next fall, and we have little
lOuDI lHdI lie VIII Dc dble " VIII
signal public triumph if he devotes him
self whole-heartedly to the undertaking.
Philadelphia has provided for the kind
IF transit that a city of this size ought
to have II has now reached the point
where It must have gas at modern cost.
Progress keeps step with its elements
md one great public achievement breeds
he demand for anothr. The splendid
,ictory Of the city in the fight for lower
electric rates is an augury of the triumph
n store for Mayor with the courage and
he skill to tackle the gas problem in
he way it ought 10 be tackled. The
people are in no mood for endless pro-
in this matter.