The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-09-30 00:00:00

THE GAS QUESTION.
NOISY MEETING.

A meeting, convened by handbill, was held at the
Corn Exchange, on Monday night, "(1) To consider
the extortionate price charged for gas and fittings by the
Stourbridge Gas Company; (2) to consider the tyrannical
conduct of the directors, and the insolence of their
chief managers, to consumers and others; (3) to urge
upon the Stourbridge Commissioners to erect (not pur-
chase) a gas works, in order to supply gas at a cheaper
rate."

There was only a sprinkling of persons present at
first, but the number gradually increased, and there were
some littte signs of impatience at the delay in opening
the proceedings, when Mr. Prescott said he should be
glad if those boys who were making the noise would
leave the room. It was evident they were not gas con-
sumers and had come there for the purpose of creating
a disturbance. The noise was continued, when Mr.
Prescott said if they did not behave themselves he
f.boeld sena for the police and have them turned out as
he had pail for the room himself. On the motion of
Ai r. Prescott, Mr John Pearsou, of the Lye, was voted
to the chair.

The Chairman said he had come to the meeting to
hear what was said and had no intentions of taking the
chair, hut as he had done so he hoped all in the room
would listen with attention and hear what was to be
advanled. If the price of gas was too high every coe-
sumer should be allowed to gi into the question arid
make a request to the company to reduce it. (Hear,
hear.) After some; further remarks he called upon Mr.
Prescott to address the meeting.
Mr. Prescott said of coerce there were a great many
young men come there out of idle curiosity and for an
insult, and as they were neither gas consumers nor
occupiers of houses,he requested them to leave. (No
one left.) Mr. Prescott also remarked that there were
servants of the gas company present, and that they had
only come for annoyance. He would remind them that
he had taken the room himself for the purpose of giving
the gas consumers e,rtain information, and tit( as wI
dt:l not like to hear it could leave the room. He had
taken the yearly accounts of the Gas Company, having
got them from the Town Clerk at Stafford, and he would
go into these accounts and show that a great swindle
had been committed on the tcwn. He did not go behind
the becks of any one in going into these matte,rs, and he
mote to the solicitot and two directcrs of the Gas Com-
pany, telling them he had called that meeting, and that
lie trasted they would not "pack it " by their workmen.
After ref,rring to a report of Messrs. Laundy and
Ile rison on the Gas Company's affairs, he said the
meeting wJuld judge wheiher the Gas Company was act-
f Oily or nefair y. After they had heafd the statement
they w .uld say there were people in Worcester or any
other gaol quite as respecteble as any of the directors of
the Stout bridge Gas company. Mr. Preee itt tle_n went
into a ma a of figures, commencing from 1863 onwards,
miintai. in that the ace 'tints had been incorrectly
sated, and that the profits were much greater than
appeare'el and that the gas ought to have been reduced.
From the year 1863 to 1865 they received £47,133 68
Oil; and from that period to 1875 it was £37,331. Ho
said that to erect works sufficieut for the wants of the
teen weula cost only £5,e86 or thereabouts, and
that at Wolverhampton the price of gas was 2s 7.1 ;
12ipte n, 3s; Kidderminster. 3, 51 ant Be 7d per 1,000,
or tak•pg the towns around an average of Be.
At this point a great noise took place at the bottom
end of the room, whin Mr. P.escott said it was a
heeler of Mr. Henry James, cashier of the Stourbridge
and Keldeituinster Bank. Ile knew him, he ea a back.
smith, and no doubt sent there to make it noise. It
was not creditable to the Kidderminster Banking Com-
pany for their clerks to come there laughing, and no
doubt they would hear of it again, but he dare say it
arise ered their purpose as the Gas Company banked
there.
A brother of Ur. James came on to the platform and
denied that his brother Henry was there.
Mr. Prescott said ha (id not say it was his brother
Henry,
stmhoc, butashier h
at the
sa
lie Bank,
another nk, butotaneortnegrebnrtloetmhearn,
a
mating Wrest f very ht see and he v a; in the office of the
Gas Company's lawyer and no doubt prepared those
very accounts he held in his hand. (Great uproar)
Mr. Prescott said he would challenge the gas directors
ti meet him. If they were honest men they would have
attended alel choice lithet be was wrong in his mcusations
and figereo, which he charged them with pocketing the
balance, as it was with the bank servants in 1831 se it
was with the gas servants. They were important and
the company dare not discharge their. While some
other remarks were being made there was a good deal
of int,rruption going on at the bottom of the room,
whistling, mowing, quacking (with a toy) and sheuting.
The Chairman appealed to those gentlemen who were
making the noise, and asked them to give the speaker
fair play and assured them that he would allow any one
to come and speak on th, platform when Mr. Prescott
had done. He eonsidendthet they eught to be ashamed
of themselves interrupting the meeting in the way they
were doing,
by
yaMr Prescott
pd
ee
r.
sf
ounr h
persons
aGrakifnet; likeoo.d‘n o
1,000, but
ti twe
was
sao say that
ienaet gs
sufficient
or tchieultdo
interruptedwb ne
at n,
alt 12,,
no pi
er ohpoons
ee
sdt tmo
amn owv eou%e
hfia .vset
the
ees oclouutriaogne at no dsleicoopaedd
it. The resolution was "That in the opinion of the
meet ng the directors of the Stonrbriege Gas Corneeiy
ahould niece, tee price of gas to (0122 i r 0,0 v
e) Or
and 0
feet and under to 2. per 1.000 ; from 30,000 to GO,OOO
to 2s 6d; from 60,000 to 100,1,00,
100,000 feet. es."
Mr. J. Ilyrons,nf the Lye, seconded the resolution,
and it was put and carried.
Mr. Pres( o t next moved "That it was desirable to
erect a sew g werks fez' the township of Stonrbridge,
:n the event of the Sr.);l7-hri:ige Gas Company reftwng
viitnina 1110u1.11 to reduce their price according to the