The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-04-29 00:00:00

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U,, township is nearly - E. 'I .: leimber, 0 'len
plied by the 19.. will give to t'., ceripan i 0 p
If We deduct £9o—ii "sir average amorml for
eleaning z..nd repairing—it will leave a clear balance in
favour of the Gas Company of £l3O per year.
Your Committee bass also noticed the price paid for
coals which the Gas Company hat countenanced in ite
report. as I.ls per ton. —lt has been computed that one
ten of Stel'..rdshire coals will make 8,000 cubic feet of
gas. The amount paid for coals by the Gas Company
(luring the put year was £2,291 14s 4(1. It then follows
that if the quantity of gas (34,000,101) be dlvided by the
9,000 cubic feet. the result will be the number of tons
consumed, 4,210. Th, nif the sum of £2.291 14s 4.1 iso
divided by the number of tons we have 10s 93d nearly as
the coat of one ton of coals instead of Its, as stated in
the Gas Company's report.
In considering the whole question your Committee,
owing to the disinclination of the Gee Company to ren-
der such information as they require to enable them to
active at a satisfactory result with regard to the accounts
—their evident reluctance to meet the previously ex-
pressed wishes of the Commissioners—and the difficul-
ties thrown in the way of the Commissioners in ally en-
deavour to Emendate with the company for their works.
by the 381 h section of the Town Act (to which tio y r.f,r
you) they are forced to the conclusion that the oily
course open to the Commissioners in the interest of the
ratepayers, whom they represent, is to erect new works
to supply the township with gag, and strongly red 10.
mend this course tor the earnest censieleration of this
Board. And eith a view to the accomplishment of ao
desirable an object, your Committee would further sug-
gest that a public meeting be called to take the tIVIItIe of
the ratepayers upon the whole question of the supply of
gas to the township, in order that a decision may be ar..
rived at for the future guidance of the Commissioners in
so important a question, which concerns so intimately
the ratepayers at large.
Mr. Packwood moved the adoption of the re-
port, which was seconded by Mr. Newnan).
.. •

The Rev. D. Maginnis said be was very sorry
to move an amendment, which was that the re-
port be only received. He did not think it would
be well to adopt it. He must say that he did
not quite agree with it and could not vote for it
without having something more to guide him.
He must say that no committee had been more
assiduous in their duties than the Gas Commit-
tee. In bearing testimony to the manlier in
which they had considered the question. ln, was
not prepared to adopt the recommendation, es-
pecially that pait which referred to the erection
of new works. If the recommendations of the
Committ.e were to be carried out, it would in
CYeaSC the debt a hich already overburdened the
town, cud thought it would not be wise in them
to carry out the recommendation. The Gas
Company had not kept their accounts very well,
but if Stourbridge wanted to erect gaa works
they (the Commissioners) might be looked upon
as not the right party to move in the matter.
Boards of Commissioners could not always man-
age gas companies advantageously like mana-
gers, Neither did he think, like many others,
that the charges paid for gas were exorbitant.
' Many towns paid much higher, and he must say
he thought the charges in Stourbridge were
moderate. According to the census, Stourbridge
numbered little over 9,000 persons, and there
was a debt upon the town of something like
£lB,OOO, and he did not think it expedient to
add another £6,000 to the already overburdened '
town. It had been urged that a profit of £1,200
could be made annually, but they must bear in
mind that insuperable difficulties would arise in
putting down new gas works. Reference was
made as tocalling a public meeting, so as to have
the question properly discussed, and so give a
distinct opinion. He did not think that the
best thing to do, as they might only have an ex
pa ate statement. Reference had been made to
the negotiations between the Gas Company and
the Commissioners, and he did not agree with
the• Committee that there were insuperable diffi-
culties in the way. The company declined to
give certain information, but promised to give it
if the Commissioners contemplated the purchase
of the works. At the present time they were
aware there was a bill before Parliament which
proposed to deal with all gas companies through-
out the kindom. It proposed the abrogation of
clauses in general Acts by which companies were
compelled to give 10 per cent. ; also to enable
dissatisfied consumers to go to Quarter Sessions
to apply for accountants to be engaged to in-
spect the accounts of any company ' • and also to
provide that the Board of Trade shell, every five
,ears examine the accounts and settle the costs

for the ratepayers, and decide what price shall
be charged to the consumers. In consideration
of legislation he did not consider it wise to re-
commend the adoption of the report, and moved
that it be received only.
Mr. Collis seconded the amendment. In
doing so he said Mr. Maginnis Was chairman of
the late committee, and what he had said he was
quite sure would have some weight with the
Counnissioners. The Committee had said in
their report that they could make a profit of
£1,200.. Now, he put it to them as men of busi-
ness, did they think they could shut up the pre-
sent gas works? No, they would compete
against the new works. And yet sense
Commis-
sionete recommend the erecting of new works.
I Ile considered if they did so they would be
doing a great wrong to the town. They ought
not to entertain the question. Ile himself was
not a large gas consumer, but he looked upon it
in the interests of the ratepayers. They ought
to look at the question reasonably, and if they
thought the town would lose anything by the
erection of new works they ought not to enter-
tain the question for one moment; and hoped
the Commissioners would only receive the re-
port. and not adopt it.
Mr. MeEweu said unless it could be shown
that the Committee had arrived at wrong calcu-
lations, it was only just the Commissioners
should adopt the report. If new works were
erected the Commissioners had nothing to lose,
but the consumers ever s thing to gain, lie could
quite understand how it was that the (Lis Com-
pany could not supply them at a less rate. They
were continually taking up the mains stud laying
down larger ones. In some instances they had
done it three times. He did not think the Board
would take the matter up themselves, as they
had no interest in it beyond the interest of the
ratepayers. He thought the best thin., to do
would be to call a town's meeting, so as thing
take
the responsibility off their shoulders. He
would suggest that au accountant be employed,
and take the accounts, and so give an opinion,
and if he thought works should not be erected
here, he, for one, would submit. He did not
think they should wait for legislation to step in
—(hear, hear).
Mr. Newnam said if he were not convinced of
the inaccuracy of the figures which had from
time to time been put forward by the Gas Com-
pany on their balance-sheets, and in the report
received by that Board from its Directors, he
should be inclined to give credence to reports he
heard that the company was not in a position to
reduce the price of gas; but from a close study ,
of the figures in that report he was assured that
the accounts had not been fairly kept. In proof '
of that assertion, the Board had only to take the
average price, Se 41d per 1,000 cubic feet, as
laid down by the Company, and calculate in tbe
same rate of proportion what quantity of gas
can be bought for £4,681 Sc 10d, the gas rental
for lA7O. This would give only 27,740,395 cubic
feet, whereas the Company stated it made
34,000,000 cubic feet during the past year.
What has become of upwards of 6,000,001) cubic
feet difference, and the price of this quantity to
the amount of more than £l,OOO. And if the
report of the Committee be true he should like
to know what had become of the difference be
twoen 14s, the price per ton laid down by the
Gas Company, and the Ills 9d per ton, as laid
down by the Committee on 4,250 tons of coals
consumed during the past year? Looking at
these matters in connection with the report of
the Committee, lie would strongly urge the
Board to support the recommendation to call a
public meeting of the consumers and ratepayers
to decide the question as to the price paid for
gas, and, if necessary, to erect new works for the
township.
After some further discussion,
Mr. Hughes (the Chairman) then put the
amendment, when the following gentlemen
voted for it--Messrs. C. Collis, W. Edwards,
Blunsom' Billinghatn. Allsop, Young, and the
Rev. D. Maginnis. For the motion—Messrs-
Hughes, Newnam, MeEwen, Woolley, Packwood
and Emery.
The amendment was oarried by a majority of
one. ,
Moirrauxy.—The Clerk reported that accord.
ing to Dr. Campbell's Parish Practice Book,
there were 50 eases of sickness from 23rd March
to 20th April; four eases of fever—one in Round
Court, one at Brook Step, one in Hagley-strect,
and one in Coventry-street. There was ono
death from dropsy.
Mr. Dorricutt read his report for the past
month.
The Clerk called the attention of the Board to the
15th bye-law, "that the Inspector shall keep a book and
enter sil complaints made by inhabitants."
Mr. Dorricutt said that he had entered a good many
roses, but many of them were so frivolous that he got
tiled of entLrios them. .
Mr. Collis suggested that all eases should be entered.
g Cased might be (maundered trivial bv Kr. Dorrientiwbieb

the ouinion of others. be very important.
rue applications of Mr. Prescott on behalf of the lessee
w,re referred to the lieneral Purposes Committee.
There was no ether business.