Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-11-12

Amounting in all to June Soth 1881, tO.....s4ei9 %
and if continued to the end of the present year,
terminating june Both, 1865, with the same
number of lamps now in use !lQ the excess
| for this year would amount to 81 ,OIO ~
According TO a return made by the City
Clerk to the committee, the amount of gas con-
sumed in the Market House, City Hall, Council
Chamber, and at the Engine Houses OF the dit
ferent Fire Companies is 545, 40 feet, for which
the CITY have paid the Gas Company at the rate
of $500 per thousand feet amounting TO
| 81, 100 49, As the,price during this time IN
Pittsburgh, according to the data heretofore
| given. has not averaged to exceed $, ii per
| thousand, it follows that the city has paid the
Wheeling Gas Company at least 81 cts per thou
sand more than charged by the Pittsburgh Gas
| Company to that city-545, 440 feet at 81 cts
per thousand, amounts to 1863 OF, which added
| to the former amounts of "a, 649 ~, makes an
aggregate of S5,1lS 80. The committee i'll
their Estimates have not considered the fraction
of year commencing with the first lighting
of public lamp in the spring OF 1891 ana end
ing June go, of that year; the entire bill OF the
| Gas Company for that fraction was only 1913 ~,
and the excess thereon, over the Pittsburgh rate,
would vary the aggregate but little. 1t VIII he
observed that these estimates ana caicnlauonS
arc all exclusive of the $500 per annum paid
Gas Company for lighting, cxtinguishing and
cleaning the public lamps. Tho committee en-
deavored to get from Pittsburgh, where that Ia
Dor is performed by the night watch, an estimate
of the value, but failed. Here that labor is per-
formed by the employees of the Gas Company,
who are paid regular wages for that and other
service. and we do not hesitate to express the
opinion that the price paid 600 per lamp
amply rcmunerates the Gas Company Tor the
service. The aggregate amount now PAID Tor
that service, where III street lamps are IN use,
would be $685. per annum-an amount sufficient
to secure the service and entire time OF two men
to the city for one year. We are informed by
officers of the Gas Company that the lighting
and extinguishing occupies the lime of three
men for about one hour in each operation, and
the same force about one day in each month IN
cleaning the lamps The committee venture
the opinion that should the city undertake to
! light extingniSh and clean the public lamps ON
their own account, as is done in Pittsburgh, they
could readily contract with a responsible party
| for that purpose, at n lower price per annum
than is now paid the Gas Company.
The Officers and Directors of the Wheeling
Gas Company, in all their conversations with
this Committee in relation to the matters in dis
pute, claim to have been furnishing the city with
gas under contract made between the Gas COM
| pany and the city in 1851, specifying that each
street lamp was to be paid for al the rate of $50
pes lamp for gas, and s. per lamp for lighting,
DISTINGUISHING and cleaning,-in all, $50 per
lamp: and that the size of thG burner to be used
by the Gas Company in the strecr lamps, as con-
temDlated by said contract, was live toot burn
ers; and 80 per thousand for gas consumed IN
the Market House, City Hall, Council Chamber,
&c, where gas is served by meter. The Gas
Company has not produced any such contract,
and the City Clerk assures us chat no SUCH coll
tract can be found amongst the records or papers
of the city. On reference to the ocecdlngs
OF Council in 1851, we find the following, which
we extract from the records. See papers mark
ed A and 3, subjOined to this report.-Eds Int
Ii will be perceived, that the report presented
by the COMMITTEE on Light" June %, 1851,
and upon the reception of which the Mayor was
authorized to conclude contract with the Gas
Company upon the terms therein set forth, stiP-
ulates only for the price to DE paid for the street
lamps, ($25 per aunum, leaving out entirely the
Market Houses, City Hall, Council Chamber,
&c. This committee docs not undertake to say
why contract with the Gas Company, as
would appear to have been contemplated from
the proceedings of Council, was never executed,
OF, il executed, cannot he found. The fact that
the city has for upwards of six years. acqules-
ced in and paid the Gas Company's bills as rem
dercd may 0e deemed by some conclusive evil
dence that their bills are right
This committee docs not undertake to say
whether the city has or has not any legal claim
upon the Gas Company for reclamation, but
they do unhesitatingly express the opinion that
under the charter, the Wheeling Gas Company
are not entitled to charge the city for Gas, the
| price ueTelOlOTc pau.
1t must be evident to all, that at 81 ,02 per
thousand the present rate in Pittsburgh, the
amount of gas consumed in one of our public
lamps, with foot burners, lighted and eXtin
guished, according TO the Cincinnati Time Book,
could by no possibility amount to $50, &c price
now paid to the Gas Company. But may be
argued here, for the gas company, asst i'as been
by some members thereof, to the co;n'nittee,
that the burners in use average more than
feet, running from o to z, and averaging, as
some have claimed even aS high as - feet,
and that they give the city more time than
they are required by the "Cincinnat Time
Book" even as high as 1900 and odd hours in
stead of 21lS. Whilst this committee are will
ling 10 accord to the Gas Company great praise
for their lheralty, in gratuitOusly furnishing
the city any quantity of gas, however small,
they are unwilling and think it would be un-
wise to let that grHtuity enter into their cacula-
tons; holding the Gas Company liable to the
city, only for the amount Of gas it is obligatory
upon said company to furnish. But in order to
meet such n statement, should it be advanced in
this Council, on behalf of the Gas Company.
The following calculations will show, that fur
nishing the city with the gas that is obligatory
upon the Gas Company to do. according to their
own statement, and giving them credit for largo
gratuities besides, nevertheless, the cost per
| lamp at the present rate in Pittsburgh, would
be far short of the amount now paid by the
city. $500 hours at 81 feet to the hour, gives