Show NATURAL GAS It is noted that in tho bill for an ordinance ordi-nance introduced in the city council Tues day evening conveying to a company the right to lay pipes and sell natural gas in this city an attempt is made to limit tho price at which the fluid can be sold the language of the bill being The rates for such natural or fuel gas shall not exceed the charge of 1 per thousand cubic feet to the various consumers Wo cannot think the council fully understands under-stands this matter or it would not think of permitting such a charge as that proposed Natural gas at 1 per thousand cubic feet would not do much for the city It would not induce the establishment of many manufacturing enterprises nor would it very materially reduce the price of heat As wo understand it the price of re fined coal gas which is certainly safer and much better in every respect as well as containing greater heating powers than natural gas IsSSO per thousand feet when used for heating purposes and a slight drop in the price of coal would put down the cost of fuel gas to the figure which the council proposes to permit the natural gas company to charge I I I Everybody here is eager for the coming of the natural gas and all will welcome it but we respectfully suggest that if tho discovery is to benefit Salt Lake materially the price of the gas must be made reasonable reason-able that the article can be used in competition com-petition with coal and coal gas It may be argued that the natural gas people will notgo to the limit in price and possibly they will keep way below the limit but it will be well enough to be on the safe side The franchise asked for and which nobody can object to granting will be worth a good deal to the natural gas company and that company we assume will not be so unreasonable un-reasonable as to request in addition to tho right to lay mains and sell gas the right to charge extortionate prices The council now has the power to protect the community commun-ity and do the city good service without injuring anybody and it Should exercise that power before it is too late |