The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-22 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE GAS CONSUMERS.

A meeting of the gas consumers of Cradley, Cradley
Heath, and Old Hill, took place on Thursday evening, It
Mr.. Cartwright's, the Vine and Railway lust, Lowey
town, when the comuuttee appointed by the gas consu-
mers were to inform them of their negotiations with the
&recto's of the Gas Company, and also to propose a
plan, which, if adopted, will result in having the gas
supplied to them at a materially less price than the pre-
sent. Among those present were Dr. Standish (Chair
man), Messrs. S. Brazier. Humphries, U. Green,
Hughea, Gould, Forrest, Wallace, Barker, Bloomer,
Honer, IL Green, J. Green, A. Taylor, Burley, Troman,
Weldon, Smith, Parsons, Gibbs, 11. Bennett, Hickton,
Paigeter, Ac., ate.
'hue Chairman, on rising said be was a stranger in the
place, and lie had hoped that some one else would have
ueeu in the chair. He thought they were paying too
much for the gas. At the place he came from they were
net paying half the price for gas they were paying in
Cradley Heath.
. . .

Mr. te. Green then rose and said be expected they were
surprised they had not called a meeting before. A com-
mittee had been formed three months ago, and he thought
they would have been able to have told them something
before thie ; but they were new hands in the business.
lie would, however, tell them what they had done so far.
At the brat committee meeting it was proposed by some
of the committee that they should take steps to find out
if they could force the Winningham Gas Company to
bring their mains to Cradley Heath, and to can if they
could get the gas at 2s 9.1 per thoweand. Ile wrote to
Loudon, and took the necessary steps to get hold of an
Act of Parliament. They found it was out of print, and
the committee would not give them one. He told the
committee he bad tried to get one, and as he was going
to Loudon, they requested him to try to obtain one there.
He thought be would be able to see one by paying 64 or
a shilling. He made the necessary enquiries, but could
not °bum it. He was informed he could see one by
going to the Britieh Museum, or one of the Libraries.
lie could not stuy to see one. They then tried again to
get the Birmingham Has Company to light the parish,
and they said the) would be prepared to pay for GO gab
lamps from their mama. This would amount toil mach
as they weee paying at the present time. A deputation
was then appointed to wait on the Directors of the Mir.
minginita teas Company. Two were unable to iittend,
and they were then informed that they had their meet-
ings every gust ter. They bad had one between the 26th
of June and tile 29th of zeptember, and that there woula
not he another meeting before the 2nd of November.
1 hey then asked the Directors to call a special meeting
to receive the deputation. Mr. Edward Moore called
meetin of the Directors to appouit a day to receive the
deputation. He ((lhe speaker) was not there, but Mr.
oarker was, and lie would tell the meeting what trans-
pired.
. . . .

lir. Barker acid he wat; one of the deputation present,
and they aimed for three things—reduction in price, bet-
ter quality, and more gab. The two last they said they
woutd let them have, nut as, to the first, they could not
seduce it. They wanted 8 lot. cent. They made Ora
percentage up in a very curious manner. The present
gas company say they might do this for them if they
could realise 10 per cent. in two years time. They owed
xiabo, and could not reduce the price of gas before that
was pod off. At that rate they could not have the gas
from that company under two years, and they only pro-
mised that if they could get the 10 per cent. He c.tuld
not understand bow they made the phint at £1,2110.

-
U Green said unit was impossible to get the gas
I from the present Gas Company, it would be desirable to
look at ev,ry other means of satisfying themselves of the
bent plan for getting gas at a cheaper rate. Very fortu•
nately for them he had heard that a gentleman In that
place, a large manufacturer, being dissatisfied with the
present price of gas, had thought he would pat up a small
gas works for the use of his own works. He (the
speaker) was instructed to wait on the gentleman. He
did so, said held out to him the prospect as to whether it
would not be advisable for him to wait for a little time,
until they had had a meeting of the gas consumers. He
suggested that instead of putting up a small gasometer
at his works, he should watt souse tame, and then, if ne•
cessary, put one up large enough to supply the whole
pariah. That gentleman's name was Mr. Joseph Penis
—(eheere), Ile thought he would become a shareholder
in the new company. He knew Mr. Penn would go into
the matter. They must all hold together, and start a
Cradley Heath Gas Consumers' Company. Let them
consider what plant they should want, and letthem have
the district from Cole's Pool, right down to the Vine cml
Railway Inn, have the latnps on each side of the road,
and let the gas consumers be shareholders. If two-thirds
of them would become shareholders at ilt per share, they
could launch the company saccensfully. If they could
raise f5OO in the small consumers' shares, he could get
the rest from those present. It would enable them to
have the gas at ii much lower rate than they have it now.
they had tried all they could to get the present company
to he‘it the plane up, but as taey bad refused they must
' • IL and before long they loped to carry
th sr 11,111111 ti Cradley and Old 11111—(tiear, bear).
Mr. Homer staid he thought it would better to have a
calm soimidastioa a the affair. it Would not do to

jump oat of the frying•pan into the fire. It seemed an
obstacle to some people, how they could break up roads
and lay down mains. They mast look at these things,
and not let them rise up a mountain in their way. They
ask how are they to get the mains and whether they
have suffieient capital to undertake the affair. Some
people had said there was no money in Cradley Heath.
It had been said that no company could break up the
roads and lay down mains without having an Act of Par-
liament. If that was the case they would be placed in
the same position as the present company. He thought
they should go about it in a straightforward manner.
They ought to get an Art of Parliament in the first
place. The present tins Company had monopolised over
them for £7,000. He had been a gas consumer for 12
years, and many of those present were the same. Some
of those connected with the present company were stran-
gers, and they were most tyrannical. 'They said the
ratepayers were only little men. Mr. Leonard was a little
I man, and had got no money—(laughter). Others present
had no money. They would anon see whether there was
ally money left. 'Cu start a new company it is necessary
v. have everything ready, and not to go to too much ex-
pense. Mr. Green had said it would cost 1E1,200 to build
j the new gasometer. He knew he could get at least £2OOO
I without applying to any one in the room—(eheers). On
the Wednesday he was speaking to a gentleman about
starting a new company, and be said he would take 500
I El shares—(lond cheers). That gentleman is a gas con•
cower. He (the speaker) could get the £2,000 from four .
gcntlemem, to be invested in the new company. He did
not refer to any one in the meeting. If the £2,000 was J
sufficient, they would be able at once to lay down their I
mains. They ought to try to save their own pockets.
Gas was being bought in places not for from Cradley
tenth, at a little more than half the price they were
paying it. If they had gas at a cheaper rate they should
burn inure; but as it is they must be more niggardly.
They wanted to get gas at 34, instead of is per thousand.
The question for them that evening was whether they
should start • new company or not—(hear, hear).
Mr. G. Green said as for as the breaking up of the
roads was considered, there was nothing to fear. They
could do the sanie as the present company did. He saw
the Chairman of the Highway Board two months ago.
about the roads, and asked him if he should have any
objection to their breaking up the roads the sanie as the
present company did, and he replied in the negative.
With respect to the Birniingham Gas Company. He had
heard that one of the Directors had said he could stop
them from starting a company. They could not do any-
thing of the sort. Mr. Green read • letter from Mr.
Harris, grocer, Old Hill. which stated that although he
did not think they would bring the lamps up to Old Hill
fir some time vet, he was prepared to take 25 El shares.
the beet thing he (Mr. Green) thought they could do
would be to form a committee, and to get some one who
understood all about it. Ile was quite sure that before
lopg the present Gas Company would wish they had made
• redaelion.
_

Mr. /rimier said he cotailided with Mr. Green's re-
marks, and would Isle tea SI shares.

Mr. T. lFuglseu said before long the present One Com-
pany would have to get Vide gas from them, as they
-sold had it cheaper. It was just as mach encourage-
ment to the Cradley people as it was to the inhabitants
of Cradley Heath.
Mr Green said if those present gave notice how many
shares they would take, the mall consumers would soot
I.'llow their example. They would not start the company
unleps two-thirds of the consumers put their n lines down,
aud should propose that an attempt be made to start a
new gas company.
Mr. J. Green seconded the proposition, and in doing
so said he should take twenty-five £1 shares. He had
not got gas at his house. He had asked the present corn--
sany to put it on, but they refused to do se.
Mr. Hingley asked what price the new company would
be able to supply them at.
Mr. Green said there was no one present who could
answer that question. The committee had not been
formed, but so seen as it was they would let him know.
lu Dudley they get the gas at Ps 9d per thou,ond, Stour-
bridge Si 9d, Walsall 2. 7J, and Birmingham 2s
They could sell it at 3s Col the maximum, and 28 6cl the
minimum; making a dividend of 7.
The Chairman said it had been proposed, seconded,
and earned unanimously, that a new gas company be
',tor led. He asked those present to put down their names
as shareholders- He did not think they would be abcve
month before they would have two-thirds of the gas
consumers as shareholders.
. .

The following were elected aa a committee :—lfessre.
Sarker, Standish, Hiekton, Griffiths, Billingharn, Gould,
Sock, J. Green, and G. Green, with power to add to
their number.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was responded
to, closed the proceedings.
The next meeting will take place at Mr. Billingham's,
he Bell Inn, Five Ways, Cradley Heath, on Tuesday,
November Ist, at eight o'clock p.m.
£1 shares to the amJunt of £1,690 were taken by those
present before the meeting closed, some gentlemen tab.
ug 501.1 shares, others 100, &c., 6:c.