The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-02-08

sOtCus
The Common Council non-concurred and
referred the memorial to the Committee on
Judicial Affairs. The Aldermen voted to nom
concur with the Common Council.
The petition of William Kenney G. ais, in
reference to Milk Street Market, was referred
to the Committee on Public Buildings.
i Leave to withdraw was granted N. M. Muir
ply on his petition for license as victualer.
The Board voted to concur with the Com
mon Council in placing the copies of Willis
History of Portland at the disposal of the
Committee on Public Instruction.
John Porter was appointed Policeman in
place of A. FL. Purinton, resigned. r..
q The Committee on Cemeteries and Public
Grounds reported that the appropriation for
City Cemeteries and Public Grounds was
$1,000, of which $SO1.71 had been expended !;
for Forest City Cemetery the appropriation
was $500, of which $242.41 has been expend-
ed. Received for lots sold S32, and for grass
$40, which has been credited to income. For
Evergreen Cemetery the balance from last
year was 81, 473.14; received for two hundred
and ninety-sevcn lots sold $2,910; total 81, :
5443.14. Expended $2,962.99. W i.-4i-l 4 II
.A THE GAS QUESTION. Cg.
Alderman Donnel, from the Joint Special
Committee, consisting of Aldermen Donneu
and Southland, and Councilmen Burr, Gid
dings and Corey, on the subject of gas sub
mitted the following report OF GGG
In Board of Mayor and Aldermen,
February 9Th, 1866.
The Joint Special Committee appointed by
order of the City Council of November 6, 1865,
to confer with Messrs. Edward, I'll. Daveis, and
Charles Holden, Committee of the Directors
of the Portland Gas Light Company, in ac-
cordance with a communication from the Di-
rectors of said Company, of which the ac-
companying sheet is copy, marked "a" ask
leave to report. 7lfHisge
Believing it was important for the interest
of the City that the prices of Gas in different
Cities should be known, as it has been stated
by the Company that the price charged by
them was lower than the average of Cities Of
the size of Portland, the Chairman of the
Committee addressed letters to the Mayors OF
different Cities inquiring of them answers to
the following questions, viz:
What are the present net prices of Gas
charged by the Gas Company of your Cityp
1st To private consumers.
I'd. To the City for street lamps. lsl
81. To the City for public buildings.
Answers were received from the City Au.
thorities or the Gas Companies of those places
giving the prices as per the accompanying
sheet, marked "B. -T5.5 .l.e,. ~.
The Chairman of the Committee having re.
quested of the Gas Company answers to
certain interrogatories respecting certain
accounts ON their books, as exhibited in
their report of last July, the Company allow.
ed the books to be taken and examined by the
Chairman, and some time was spent in this ex
animation and the result of the same is to be
found in the accompanying sheets marked aC'
and 3D."
At meeting of the Committee, the result:
of the examination of the books of the Com.
pany and the table of prices of Gas in Other
places were laid before them, and thew were
of the opinion that the price of Gas could bt
| reduced to $3 per M feet for the street lamps
| and $3.50 for public buildings. Subsequent
| meetings of the Committee were held at which
Messrs. Daveis and Holden were present, who
made explanations as to the affairs of thu
| Company, and gave some reasons why the
prices of Gas to the City could not be reduced
to the price requested by the Committee, viz
So for streets and $3.50 for public buildings
They, on behalf of the Gas Company, propos
ed to reduce the price for street lamps ant
public buildings, to $3.50 per M feet This
not being satisfactory to the Committee, they
declined to accede to the same, anu une con
ference ended without any agreement as t.
the price Of Gas to be paid. subsequently b,
vote of the Committee the Chairman wa:
authorized to propose to the Gas Company
that if accepted by them, the COMMITTEES
would reccommend to the City Council t.
agree upon $3.50 for street lamps and publ,
buildings for the six months from Januar,
1866, and the same was proposed to the Ga!
| Company, but they declined to accept thu
proposition, and therefore your Committee
have been unable to agree with the Company
on any of the propositions made.
The Gas Company insist that the City
should pay the same price for its street lamp.
burning 100000 feet per year, as is charged
for the smallest consumer. : - 3s}Celo =
In the first commencement of the Comma
ny's operations in supplying the City and citi
zens with Gas, a controversy arose in regard
to the same question, and, as appears by the
City records, the Joint Standing Committee
on Lamps, &C., were directed by an order O
the claim of the Portland Gas Light Compan,
against the City and report on the same"
The Committee reported May 22d, 1852
that the Gas Company agreed to take 500
per M. feet for street lamps, and the sum due
them at that rate was $395.93." The Commit
tee further state that there has been no con
troversy in regard to the price of Gas furnish
ed for City buildings" and the Committee
further report that the Gas Company are now
willing to contract for the supply of Gas fol
the ensuing municipal year at the following
rates, viz: q..g7.1,., ?
To the City buildings $3.50 per M. feet; fol
street lamps $500, or one and half cents pei
hour, not less than five feet burners. The
prices at that time were fixed in accordance
with the recommendations of the City Com
mittee. This difference in price between street
lamps and other consumers was continued till
1861, when the price was made uniform. II
the Gas Company at that time considered that
they could afford to sell Gas for street lamps
so cents per M. feet less than to other consu-
mers, they at the present time can do so with
much more profit than then.
And your Committee would recommend the
passage of the accompanying Order.
j. E. DoNNELL, Chairman.
A.