Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-08
DOES COUNCIL SERVE THE
GAS COMPANY OR THE PEOPLE?
The People VIII Know When II Acts on
Haips Plan to Increase the Price Of
Gas for the Benefit of the U. q. 1.

Halls Plan to Increase the Price Of
Gas for the Benefit Of the v. @. !.
HOUNC1LMEN who set up their Judgment
- against the judgment of the experts on
the Gas Commission are within their rights,
just as they were within their rights when
they rejected the recommendations of the
engineers for the location of the Delaware
River Bridge.
While the Bridge Commission was prepar-
ing to accept the report of the engineers
that the Philadelphia terminal should be at
Franklin Square, the Council hurriedly
passed resolution indorsing the Spring
Garden street site and rushed 1t to the
meeting of the commission. ..
But the Bridge Commission is not a
creation Of the City Council. The Gas Com
mission is. On November 80 an ordinance
was passed providing for the employment Of
three experts and two other persons to be
appointed by the Mayor with the approval Of
the Council, and this commission of Ave was
directed to inquire into the gas situation
here and to outline permanent policy for
the future.
This ordinance was voted for by sixteen
Councilmen, including Hall, Gaffney, Coke
and Weglein. 1t was opposed by only five,
namely, Cans. Limeburner. Montgomery,
Patton and Won Tagcn. The division was
majority of the Council apparently wished
on November 30 to got expert advice on the
desirability OF substituting the British ther-
NAL unit for the candle power standard in
testing the gas and on the best plan to be
adopted for the future in view of the ap-
preaching expiration of the lease with the
u. G. /.
The Gas Commission made it's report on
May ID. in which it recommended the tenn
porary continuance of the British thermal
. unit of $50, the negotiation of new lease
and provision for enlarging the plant of the
company in order to enable it to meet the
increasing demand for gas. The report
dealt with every phase Of the subject, and its
recommendations were framed to protect the
interests of the public without interfering
with the legitimate rights of the leasing
company.
One of it's recommendations was that the
present price of 81 n thousand cubic feet of
gas be retained until u new lease had been
negotiated 1t reported that upon the
present basis of cost the price of gas should
be between 81 0j and 81 10. but that il the
prices of raw material continued to fall the
price in the latter part Of the year should
not be more than 81 .05. But it did not
recommend that this price be charged 1t
gave those figures to show what the condi-
tions were.
Now we have Councilman Hall. who voted
for the appointment of the commission. set
ting up his Judgment against that of the
experts and proposing that the price of gas
be fixed at 81 % for the next year. The
passage of his ordinance would certainly
relieve the gas company, but IL would not
get the city any nearer to the settlement of
the gas problem than 1t Is now 1t ignores
the necessity for the immediate preparation
of plans for additions to the gas plant, addi-
tions which should be completed. according
to the commission. not later than the autumn
of next year. 1t ignores the negotiation of a
new lease on a new basis. II is merely a
makcshift, and it is such a makcshift as is
repugnant to the Judgment of the experts
on the Gas Commission. Mr.. Maltbic. the
| chairman of the commission, says that IL the
! Hall ordinance should be passed the city
would surrender its control over the situa-
ton and put itself at the mercy of the gas
| company.
There can be no doubt that Mr.. Maltbie
| is right about 1t.
If Councilman Hall is planning to weaken
| the case of the city for the benefit of the
| Y. G.. !. he could not have devised better
! way.
Councilman Wcglcn's plan to keep the
| price of gas at 81 a thousand cubic feet
| and to reduce the payments by the gas com
pany- to tho city by 1917 cents n thousand
| does not differ materially from the PROPOSE
ton Of Councilman Hall 1t recognizes the
existence of opposition to an increase in
the price. but it gives to the gas company
| 1917 cents a thousand feet more than it Is
now obtaining, or one half as much as the
Hall proposition does.
The fairness and business of the Gas Com =
missions report have not been attacked by
| any one. 1t ought to be used as n guide to
the city in its future relations with the
| L. G. I. AS the negotiations progress il
may be necessary to modify the rccommCn-
dations in some details, but the general cut
line laid down cannot be improved on
Therefore the resolution of Councilman
Roper directing the commission TO consult
with the gas company and the City Solicitor
with a view to the negotiation of a new lease
ought to be preferred above either the Hal
or the Weglein propositions. So long as the
price of gas remains unchanged the city will
be in a position to demand better term,
than it can get IL 1t gives its case away, as
Hall and Wegein would have it do.
In the street cleaning business these gen
tlemen sided with the contractors against
the people. Are they preparing to side with
the U. G.. I. against the gas consumers II
this gas business?
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