Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-15

| or 1910 per thousand feet for the gas alone
| which is furnished under our late cOntreet a.
$l,5s.
Under these circumstances, understanding
the proposition to include the lighting, ex
tinguishing, care, cleaning and ordinary re.
pairs and the consumption of gas the same a!
at present, we would not be willing u con
tract for the lighting Of the street lPmps a
any less than the present rates, and we think
the Council viii see that it is not reasonable
to ask us to do 80.
In reference to the second item Of the pro-
position, we need only say in word, that
the supply of gas to the city by meter has
been made under our last contract at 81 u
per thousand feet which is less than the aver
age cost to US, and no higher than is paid by
any city in the United States, so for as we
learn, except Pittsburgh And though the
amount thus consumed is comparatively small
we fail to see any good reason for a further
deduction.
The price Of gas to private consumers was
limited by the Ordinance before referred to, 70
50 per thousand feet and it has been sold at
that price from the commencement. In the
early history of the Company, this price was
not remunerative, so greatly does the cost Of
/
amount furnished; and the enterprise was
/ deemed so hazardous that it was with much
/ difficulty that men were found who were will
ing to pledge sufficient amount of capital to
undertake it, and for long time transfers Of
the stock were made at great sacrifices from
the amount paid in. And up to the present
/ time the highest premium at which any sale
/ of the stock has been made has been 10 per
cent. advance on its par value, which repre-
sented only the amount actually invested in
cash; aud large transfers have been made
| during the four years at this and Lesser rates.
Many false and extravagant statements
have recently been made relative to the
amount of our profits, dividends, the cost Of
gas, &C., which we have not deemed it neces-
sary or proper to follow up and contradict,
on account of their manifest absurdity as
well as esteeming our business to be as legit-
/ imately our own, and the knowledge of its
results as properly limited to our own stock
/ holders, as that Of any other manufacturing
company Inasmuch however as these
statements may have influenced the Council
to some extent it may be proper for US to say
TO them, that our average dividends Of profits
/ paid in cash 10 the stockholders, aside from
the amount expended in the enlargement of
our works, have been less than 10 per cent
per annum, and while great portion of our
| property is perishable, no sinking fund has
been provided for its depreciation. And the
actual and necessary cost of our gas which
we are situated to make as cheaply and dis
tribute as economically as any other party,
has been considerably in excess of the amount
paid for it by the city for its public use The
length of our mains in proportion to the
number of our consumers and street lamps,
is unusually large-23 miles to 100 con-
sumers and 465 lamps-oWing to the extend
| ed condition Of our city, and the liberal
| policy Of the Company, which has increased
/ every year as we have been able, in extend
| ing pipes on leading streets necessary to be
/ lighted, though not at present remunerative
in the amount Of gas consumed, and we
have now on the ground more than two miles
\ of pipe which we propose to lay on similar
streets during the present season. Our last
contract with the city binds us to lay 1000
! feet of main pipe per annum, if the Council
! shall require and furnish sufficient eneour-
/ agement in the number Of customers. Since
| the date of which the amount laid has ex-
ceeded ten miles, or I0,590 feet per an
mum, in most Gaze without suOh encourage
ment, and the Council have deemed any
suggestions unnecessary. The proper citeri-
on by which the public should judge of the
price they pay for our products is the same
/ as in reference to any other manufactures,
by comparison with that charged by other
companies taking into account whatever cir
cumstances necessarily influence or modify
their comparative cost. The accompanying
table marked "No. q" has been compiled
| from reports Of the companies in 248 cities
and town in the United States, embracing
nearly or quite all Of those now lighted with
coal gas, as published in the American Gas
Light Journal of January 2, 1860. From
this it appears that in only eight of the 248,
the price charged to private consumers at
present is less than it has always hitherto
been in Cleveland. In two of these eight,
Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the works are
owned by the cities, and the design is to fur
nish gas at the actual cost, which in Pitts
burgh, where the cost of coal is less than
nothing lowing 10 the comparative value OF
coal and coke) is 81 80, and in Philadelphia
where the number of consumers is 81 900,
and of lamps 5000, it is $2,35, which is the
next lowest price in the United States. The
remaining six are New York and other large
cities in which the number of consumers
ranges from 1000 to 10000, and the price
from $3.50 to S2,75 per 1000 feet, and the
| average price charged in these 248 cities and
towns is $9,ss per thousand feet. From q
thorough and candid examination Of these
statistics, with all the facts we can gather in
| connexion, we are satisfied that no com pany
in the United States is furnishing gas to its
customers, at q less price in proportion to its
number Of consumers, and other circumstan-
ees necessarily influencing the cost of its
production and its distribution, than our
present rate, and we are equally confident
i that similar candid examination by an un-
preiudiced party would lead TO the same con-
elusion. As question of policy however al
the last semi-annual meeting Of this Board in
January last, the reduction of tho price oi
gas to private customers, was discussed, and
t was then decided to make discount Of ten
per cent, from all bills Of gas consumed from
and after July next, and which should be
paid at the Office Of the Gas Company dnring
the first five days Of each succeeding month
This will bring the net price to 30 pei
thousand feet, which is decidedly less than
any other city in the United States, in pro-
portion to its necessary cost, and az low as
we can afford to make it with ur present
number Of customers.
The peculiar nature Of the business of Gas
Companies, so large an amount Of their ex.
penditure being in the facilities for the manu-
facture and the means for the distribution o.
] huGlA pAOuuCb - 1dSAi budt ~ - COululOu "
give them the exclusive use Of the streets fol
that purpose, before they are willing to make
such an expenditure, though this Company
has never sought such privilege: and there
is no instance in this country, and it is conf
IDENTIFY stated that there is none in. Europe
where two companies have occupied the samC
territory for any considerable length of time
the attempt to establish a rival company hav.
ing uniformly resulted disastrously to both
and ultimately to the citizens generally
Should such an one be organized here, it could
hardly result otherwise than in the sacrifice
of property by both-in proportion to th'
magnitude of the new enterprise-and the
abandonment of the field BY the one or the
other. Whether, in view Of the additiona
fact, that many Of our streets are fully occu'
pied with water and gas pipes, and large ad
ditions to such occupancy are contemplated
in the way Of sewerage, street railroads, &c.
there is sufficient reason for the additiona
annoyance involved in the extensive digging
necessary to the laying of main and servic'