The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-07
Explanation Improbable.

Mayor Monteverde and the commits
! sioners say they want a written expla-
nation from Mr.. Stieg as to why gas
has been bad for some six months past.
Mr.. Stieg says he wants to present
the gas company's side Of the case YER
bally, where he can be cross examined
in open session Of the council.
The mayor replies with some bombast
that he wants the defense only in writ
ing, and hence there probably will be
no public explanation OF gas conditions
until the cas- against Mr.. Stleg comes
up for trial in the higher courts. With
The usual legal delays that will be a
long time.
On the face Of the correspondence It
would seem that MIR. Stieg's suggestion
for a verbal open hearing, where ques-
lions could be asked, would bring out
more facts that an ex-parte statement
from him would. Again there may have
been a private "gentleman's' agree
ment between Messrs. M%onteverde and
Stieg to agree to disagree and hence
have in fact no explanation, while both
appeared In the record to be clamoring
for It.
or course the %expiantion Of the gas
company would be interesting, but what
those who have suffered for months
from poison gas and lack Of heat and
am lights, Is not explanations but bet
ter conditions.
Several courses are open to the city
administration to pursue to that end,
but until conditions became so bad
that the people we're driven to despera-
ton the city hall crowd too no action.
Now they have simply created a polit-
ical job for VIII Reisser to check over
old gas bills, with the suggestion that
I tho RitV NAV rnpnNsnp CaInn ~ thu
amounts paid by consumers. Danger
Of this seems SO remote that the gas
office does not worry over II. The
possibility of a court ordering a rebate
on the February, 1919, bill on the sole
evidence ethat 1t Is higher than the
worry a gas official, and so far as the
people are concerned II any rebate were
allowed by the courts 1t would be at
least n and maybe three years before
the last court acted.
But if the city installed a gas testing
the per cent OF efficiency In the gas
both as to heating and lighting and
then at the end Of each meter-reading
period the city attorney could have
proof on which to enjoin the gas com
pany from collecting from any con-
sumner ar amount above what actual
good gas ran through the meter.
Right now II the city wanted to serve
the consumers Of Memphis without
serving the corporations, the commits
sion could direct the city attorney "a
apply In the name OF all OF the con
sumers Of Memphis for a receiver for
the company, the receiver to operate
the plant so as to afford pure gas for
Memphis.
This could be followed by an ordi-
nance declaring the gas franchise for
feited on account Of failure for the
past six months to give adequate SER
| vice.
And here Is where comes in most OF
the cal cause Of opposition from the
| public service m~onopolies and the pro-
fessional politicians to the proposed new
| charter.
Now the corporations mo matter
how can get on good terms with the
city administration and be safe until
the next election.
Now the city administration mo mat.
ter how con get on good terms with
the corporations m be assured that
no matter how much the people suffer,
the people can do nothing until the
next election.
Section 20 Of the proposed new char
ter provides, 'the people shall have
the power at their option to propose
ordinances and resolutions, etc" and
that the people by direct vote shall
have the power to enact them. Does
any one think that II the proposed
charter were in effect the peol le'
! olution directing the city attorney 70