Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-11-12
AN INTERESTING EXPOSE.
What it has Cost the City for Gas

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO IN
oUIRR INTO THE BILLS OF THE GAS COMPANY.
To ns Mayor and Council Of ne CITY Of WassltHg;
Tho committee on Accounts, to whom was
recOmmitted at the last regular meeting of the
Council the Gas Co.'s bill, with Constructions to
examine and report whether the charges in the
bill are in accordance with the charter, and II
not, what amount has been over charged to the
city by said Gas Company, from the commence
lncnt to the present time" report as follows:
Referring to the charter of the Wheeling Gas
Company, they find in Section IA, this provision:
"The gas shall be furnished to the city of Wheel
ing as n corporation, for lighting tho public
buildings, streets, alleys and public grounds, at
n rate not exceeding that charged to the city OF
Pittsburgh by the Gas Company of that CITY,.
The committee have elected from correspon-
dence with the Treasurer of the Pittsburgh Gas
Company, the following facts That the present
charges for gas in that city to private consumers
is "Sl 20 per thousand feet, with discount of
ten cents per thousand for prompt payment
saw within five DAYS" which reduces the price
to 81 so per thousand feet; and to the city at
8-5 Of $1,7O, which is $l,O2 per thousand feet,
payable every six months, for which the Gas
Company take city warrants, aud in the Ian
guage Of the Treasurer, ''get the money when
thoy can" That the gas is not charged to the
city by meter, but is estimated at ~ feet per
hour, that being the size of the burners III use
in the public lamps. That the lamps arc light
cd, extinguished and cleaned by the city watch.
men, and register of the timn Of lighting and
extinCuishing is kept by tins Captain of the
night watch. who makes monthly returns to the
Gas Company by whom the city is charged ac-
cordingly That the Gas Company clean the
public lamps of frost without charge, but repair
them when broken and other Hiselout Of order,
at the expense of the city. That the price
charged the City of Pittsburgh for Gas, during
It - or
1000; for the year 1852, 1926 per 1000; for
the years 1851, 81, Il per 1000; for they years
1886 and 81, 81, OS per 900; and since June
the Both, 1857, is 81 ,02 per 1000.
According to the Cincinnati Time Book, by
which the Wheeling Gas Company profess to
be governed in lighting and eXtinSuishinS the
pu6lic lamps of this city, the average number
Of hours each lamp burns per aunum is 2, llS;
and estimating the burners to average o feet per
hour 1.-THE size claimed by the Gas Company as
obligatory upon them to furnish the city, 1t
gives lO,59O feet as the average consumption
Of each public street lamp per annum. Multi
plying $500 by the price charged in Pitts
burgh at the different periods, as before stated
and we have the following results: 10,09O
feet Of gas at 81 Al, the price for the year ending
June 80 1921, is $l4,92; 10,590 feet Of gas Mt
Sl,26, for two years, ending June 80, 1852, IS
Sl2,S4; lO,59O feet of gas at $l,l+, for three
years, ending June So 1857, is 81 ,43; $3.50
feet oil gas AZ W. Ntle present Iato CLI III
Pittsburgh,) $lO,sO. :,
During the period named, commencing with
the Spring Of 1851, (when the first Gas was con-
sumed by the city,) the bills OF the Gas COM
pany were uniformly rendered against the city,
and settled at the rate of $50, for Gas consumed
In each Of the public lamps, and for lighting ex.
tinguishing and cleaning each lamp, SIN all
S25 per annum; and for the Gas consumed in
Market House, City Hall, Council Chamber, &c,
g. per 900 feet. 1t follows therefore, that for all
Gas consumed in tho street lamps, during
the year ending June S0th, 1851, the city paid
the Gas Company, at the rate Of So,0T per an.
mum more on each lamp than the amount of
gas consumed, at the thGH rate in Pittsburgh,
would amount TO; and in 1859, at the rate of
1896 per annum more on each lamp and
in 1858 and 1854, at the rate of $7,9S per an
mum more on each lamp. In 1886, to
June SOth, 1857, $S,57 per annum on each
lamp; and it is now paying at 1920 per an
NUM- more on each lamp. 1t is therefore only
necessary 10 ascertain the average number
Of street lamps in each year, to estimate how
much the amount paid the Gas Company,
is in excess of the amount they would have
been entitled to under the rate, then charged to
to the city Of Pittsburgh. To get at the average,
We have taken the whole amount paid for the
consumption Of gas In the street lamps in each
year, as rendered to the committee by the clerk
of the city, and divided il bv 20, the price in
dollars per lamp, and taken the result in the
average number Of lamps in each year, discard
ing the fraction when less aud adding when more
than half BY this process we find the NUM-
her OF lamps in use during the year ending
June so, 1853, TO average 70; in 1883 to average