The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-09-06
KEoKUK, Sept. 4th, 1868.

Mr.. EDITOR Please publish the following
article in answer to one written by the Pres
ident Of the Keokuk Gas Light and Coke
Company, in regardlto petition that was
signed by large number Of the most respect
able citizens and gas consumers Of the city OF
Keokuk. Said petition charges that the gas
is Of an inferior quality, and that the price
paid for it is too high. Mr.: Mooar, in an
swer to said charges. denies each and every
complaint. That will be we'll understood.
Mr.. Mooar is lawyer. Whom lawyer has
case he makes it his business to deny each
and every charge made by the plaintiff, if he
happens to be on the other side Of the case.
l would say, for the benefit Of the citizens
and gas consumers Of the city Of Keokuk,
that We can have cheaper and better article
Of gas, Notwithstanding Mr.. Mooar's state
ment to the contrary. had . long CONVEX.
sasion with gentleman who has been in the
gas business, in which CONVEX sation he said
to me that il Mr.. MooAr should conclude to
give up the gas works, provided the City
Council should reduce the price on gas to
three dollars aud Fifty cents per thousand
feet, he would oblige himself to furnish it to
consumers at that figure, 3 superior quality
and richer gas than is now furnished by the
present company.
Mr.. Mooar goes en- to state to the petitioners
that the Gas Company has not been able to
pay any dividend on the capital invested. |
suppose that the sigDers Of said petition will
believe all that Mr.. Mooar has stated in res
gard to dividends, but suppose they also
can believe that the dividends are paid to
the different officers OF the company in the
shape OF good, fat salaries. Therefore, you,
the citizens and gas consumers. shall under
stand Why dividends are not declared by
said company. Mr.. Mooar further says
that the earnings Of the company have been
almost insufficient TO pay ten per cent. on the
bonded debt, and that the stockholders have
never received one farthing Of dividends
on their stock since the company Was orga-
nized. Mr.. Mooar further states that DUR
| ing the period that three dollars
and fifty cents per thousand feet was charged
| for gas, the earnings Of the company were
insufficient to keep up the works and pay the
interest by over thirty thousand dollars
| Notwithstanding that Mr.. Mooar would
prove to you, the petitioners, that theia must
| have been 3 loss to the old company of up-
wards Of thirty thousand dollars, there is a
| gentleman in your city who is willing to build
| works and furnish to the citizens of Keokuk
gas that will be superior to that now furn-
ished by the present company, and obligate
| himself to furnish said article at the rate Of
three dollars and fifty cents per thousand
feet. Now, would say to the gas consumers
that they should insist that The City Council
shall reduce the price Of gas to three
| dollars and fifty cents per thousand,
that they, the gas consumers, may be benefit
| ted by it. We should demand it at the hands
| of tho Council.
Mr.. Mooar further states that there are .,
present two hundred and twenty>three pri.
vate gas consume $, and it appears that said
petition w.s only signed by So ofthem. In
answer to this would say that | could have
secured nearly al the names Of the consum-
ers for srid petition, but thought few Of
the most respectable portion of them would
answer, and with regard to any of them
having Withdrawn their names, would like
to have Mr.. Mooar produce single one tina,
has been Withdrawn from the petition which
was read to the Council. Also, in regard to
! petitioners not having read said position,
would say that it was universally read with
but very few exceptions. If names are oil
that MIR. Mooar wants, he shall have them,
because think | can secure the names Of
nearly oil the gas consumers Is petitioners;
and would say further. for the benefit Of
| Mr.. Mooar, that there never was . petition
circulated which was signed 90 chssrfully By
the people, and some of tie persons who
signed it expressed desire to do % x4th
both hands. would further say, for the
benefit Of the public, that have no persoal
feelings in the matter, but that represent
the sentiments of Ill the gentlemsa whose
names are affixed to said document. In the
conversation had with the gentlemen who
proposes to build gas works, he said to me
that the City Council should appoint gas
inspector, to b. able to test the quality Of
the gas manufactured BY the present COM
pany, and that there should be particular
kind Of meter for that purpose.
Respectfully yours, GEoaoE Cares,
One Of the Petitioners.