Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-12-02

MINORITY REPORT

The undersigned, Chairman Of the Com
mittee appointed to consider and report upon
the preamble and resolutions relating TO the
Gas Light& Coke Company, beg leave TO
| report
The Gas Light and Coke Company is in
possession ola charter, obtained from the
City Co Incil Of Davenport. with the exclu-
sive privilege Of making and vending gss
for private and public consumption for a
period oftwenty years, from August 18th.
1854, which exclusive monopoly is coupled
with conditions, viz:
Ist. That in consideration Of the privil-
eyes granted. the q. l.. Il C. Co will fnrn--
ish ga. for public and private use for two
years at the price of $3.50 per thousand Gu
bic feet.
I'd. That thereafter the said G.. l.. d. G.
Co. should furnish gas at the rate paid by
other cities in the State Of Iowa Of like pop
uiation and similarly situated as to the cost
OF manufacturing gus
81. All lamp posts. lamps, meters. aud fix
lures for public lamps. 10 lie furnished at
the expense Of the city.
The undersigned, after careful exarnina
ten, finds the follow ing facts to be true:
LIT. That the G. L. d G. Co. is now char
ging for gas. furnished by it, the price Of
$3.50 per 1000 cubic feet.
"a. That the G. J.. l. c. Co. is charging
private in iyi1uaIs the sum Of 81 for put
ting in meter, used by the company for
measuring their gas.
81. That the company is charging 81 cts
per month, or 80 per year, as rent for the
use Of each said meters
ith That the company is charging SD
one dollar per gallon for the alcohol, put
into the meters used
The undersigned believes that the above
charges are fragrant violation Of the con
ditions Of the charter of said company, and
for the following reasons:
lst. The City of keokuk, with like pop
uatIon OF Davenport, and under far greater
disadvantages in procuring coal, is paying
but $3.50 per thousand cubic feet for gas.
furnished by the Gas Company of that
place.
Burlington, with like, or somewhat
smaller population, and consequently fewer
gas consumers Is paying 1900 per thousand
cubic feet, and the disadvantages for coal
and its price, are far greater in Burlington
than in Davenport.
In Muscatne, the price charged for gas,
is $3.50 per thousand, and Interpolation is
about one half that of Davenport, and the
length of supplying pipe about seventh
that of our city.
In Dubuque, by ordinance of the City
Council, the Gas Co. is empowered to charge
the sum of 80 per thousand, and for the
reason that the price paid for coal by that
company is one-third greater than that paid
by the Davenport Gas Co.
The undersigned, from information, be-
lieves, that there is no city in Iowa, having
gas works, that possesses equal, or superior
advantages to Davenport. Our population
Is greater than that of any city in the State
Our ga compon ,.prccures coal at a cheap
er rate than the gas company of any other
t.'y !" ''.~ .>~ta, "nd the even grade of our
streets, renders the putting down of supply
pipes comparatively easy; hence, the un
dersigned is forced to the conclusion that
the Gas Light and Coke Co. can furnish gas
Tor the use Of citizens at the lowest price |
charged by any gas company in the State,
# the affairs of the company and its manu-
|acture of gas are conducted with ordinary |
skill, prudence and economy
The undersigned has been furnished with |
l written statement of the Gas Light Il c. |
ike the report of all private corporations
asking favors, appears plausible upon its
face, but the undersigned cannot take that
report as conclusive in its deductions
That report, or statement of the company |
makes the Pittsburgh coal standard by |
which to estimate the value, cost and prof |
Is of gas making, which the undersigned |
links wholly irrelevant to the main ques-
lion.
Again, the company puts forth the disor
dered condition of its financial affairs, as an |
argument for increasing the price of the gas
it furnishes. and adding other charges which
are justly deemed extortionate by those
who use the gas. Without TIE ability to
show that all its debts, and embarrassments
arise from inadequate prices heretofore
charged for gas
The undersigned is of the opinion that
the financial embarrassments of the comma
ny are owing to the following causes:
lst. A large amount of debts recklesly
created by Messrs. Herrick 4 CO., who star
Ell the Gas works as speculation, and be.
ore abandoning them left there utterly
bankrupts.
I'd. Because the Company has not EN-.
ployed skillful workmen in the management
Of their works and the Manufacture of Gas
Sd. Because until quite recently the CON-
pany has not had sufficient supplying pipes
to furnish gas to such a number of consum-
ors "a wnnla make the manufacture of yas
profitable.
The undersigned cannot see the Justice
Of this effort of the company to levy contri-
buttons upon gas, consumers sufficient to
pay off their old debts bequeathed to the
company by the spectators who first start
ed the works.
lsns L.,