Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-04-26
for the 1ntellIcencer.l
THEGAS.

lclaims to be- being neither a consumer OF gas,
nor yet having gas stock, it appears that tho
authors in the present movement for the reduc-
ton of the price of gas, aim not so much at
| the ACCOMPLISHMENT of that object, as at the
! destruction and total ruin of the Gas Compa'
nav The facts az developed in this controNef-
sy will we think, Justify this conclusion. 1T ~
n well known fact that of all the enterprises IN
which our public spirited citizens have engaged
during the past few years, and which have
! turned out ruinous and unsuccessful expert
rnents, gas stock alone furnishes the only ex-
annie of any successful speculation in which
| either our city citizens have engaged Had
/ the various enterprises, which could easily be
Enumerated, succeeded, they would nave oeeh
public good as well as contribute to individual
/ benefit The latter, no doubt, was the leading
! object but to say this was their only motive
/ to affirm theiraims were only sorded and selfish,
/ and that they were not actuated by noble
/ public spirit, would be reflection on their char
Gcter, as unjust as 1t Is ungeherous, Du. Siio
| has appreciated their well intended efforts p
/ When has any comniseratiOn been shown tor
/! the heavy losses sustained: Taking the pres
ent opposition to the Gas Company ::as an index
to public feeling, it shows how generous pub
| lie appreciates and rewards the efforts OF those
who labor for its good The Gas Compay in
its first inception had to struggle for existence
Many of our citizens of wealth and capital,
stood aloof, regarding it as doubtful expert
ment and of uncertain eSpediency, and they
therefore refused to have anything to do with It,
The facts connected with the early history of the
gas company will show in what light it was then
regarded After the city council had agreed to
take three tcnths of the entire stock, aud alter
canyasSing the city, and keeping the stock books
open as long as the charter would allow, only
0ne:fTtk of the stock was taken by the citizens,
and the whole thing would have been failure
but for the yYci-timcd action of single indiYid-
ual, John W. Gill. These facts, which are fami.
liar to most of your readers, are suggestive
They show that the spirit of hostility with which
the infant company had to contend still exists
Then it acted on the grounds of suspicion alone.
But the successful operations of the company
having shown this to be chimera, and some of
its early opponents feeling chagrined at their own
want of foresight in refusing to take gas stock,
the opposition now changes its form and mode
of attack-it would deStr0y the gas company be-
cause 10 has been successful, and paid its stOcS-
holders q .fdir dividend on the capital INFESTED!
The moral sense of the community would pre-
vent it from being guilty of acts of injustice to-
ward public bencfactors-fsr the gas is both q
public and private benefit-and we cannot but
think, therefore, that citizens have been
miSled-that there has been wire-working be
hind the curtain, and that the chief movers in
this opposition have yet to make their ''de"op'-
ment."
Our conjecture, however, may or may not be
true, though it would seem TO follow naturally
enough from the agreement But let us now
look the Oppressive monopoly full in the face.
If the company has no power to compel any
one to take the gas who does not want it, if the
consumer is at liberty to shut off whenever he
becomes dissatisfied with the quality of the gas,
or the price at which it is sold: andif the gas
at lis present cost, is really cheaper and BET
ter light than taiow dips or carbon oil, I0hcra
is the oppression, and in GoitGt does it consist?
What difference ought it to make to the consum
err whether the first cost of gas is two cents or
fCrO nor fnnE ia
furnishes him with cheaper light than he can
procure elsewhere? Ii gas can be manufacture
ed ut IL cents per 1000 feet, and il the compa-
nv has been realizing 81 IL per cent on the
net capital inYeSted-aud at this rate 1t ought
to be higher 200 per cent there is no doubt
that without solicitation, it would make the ne
cesSary reduction. Now, that such is not the
fact we have the testimony of Col. Wheat aud
McsSrs. Mckinney and FitZhugh-men whose
ability to investigate the matter no one will dis
pute and whose character for truth and prOhity
| is too well known to need any commentator
from your correspondent, They had access to
| the books of the company, and every opportu-
! ty to SiIt the matter to its foundation. And it
| is reasonable to suppose they would do so under
existing circumstances
| What is the result of their investigation? They
have published to the world ''that the actual
dividends, including the stock dividend, up to
this date, average but 10 IT per cent. on the
original capital stock, while noallowance is made
for the deterioration in the works, metres, &C.,
and that the depreciation averages from to ! 90
per cent. per annum." This statement, invOlV
| ing the sngacity and veracity of gentlemen who
stand high in the public estimation, and who
could have no notiUe to deceive it, if they were
capable of such an unworthy act, we regard as
true and reliable, and ought, therefore, to be re-
ceived as such by the gas consumers Many Of
them have expressed a willingness to allow the
company 10 or 90 per cent on the capital in
vested, aud yet when they have the rl,arest evil
dencc the gas has not paid what they themselves
allow, and still persist in their dema Is to have
the price of gns reduced, is to be Inconsistent
with themselves, and to demand the r, Iuction at
/ the expense of the very existence &c the gas
| company, which seems to be the object aimed at
by the chief movers in this matter. So at least
it appears to OBSERVER.
For the Inteigencer.l
Gas AGAIN.-Perinit me to say, in reply TO
! H., that not being versed in patent medicines,
do not know what profits are derived from them.