The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1869-11-24
lCommunica ted
The Gas Question.
Editors of the Register

cullOIS VI Ihc IseRssIeI
1t is popular proposition that "a
corporation has no soul" For this rea-
son the fact that the Wheeling IntelL-
genccr makes an assault upon the city
Gas Company, may, by some, be regarded
as satisfactory evidence that the at
tack is proper and just, even though
bad motives Tay have prompted it and
bad argument sustained it. But cor
peration, like an individual, is entitled
to fair play before the bar of public
opinion. Hence the following state
ment of the other side of the case,
sought to be made by the Intelligencer
against the Wheeling Gas Company.
The Mtelligencer'S first objection made
last Saturday, is as to the quality of
gas furnished our citizens. at is very
far from being of as good quality as
it eught to be-" This is simply incorrect,
whether maliciously so, or not, the pub
lie can judge. The Wheeling gas, as
tested by the photometer, the only re.
liable and accepted test, compares IA
vorably with the average of the best gas
in the country. Whatever objections
as to its quality the Intelligenoer can
possibly raise are fully answered by a
consideration of the style of fixtures
used in its distribution. The fittings
placed N the houses of this city twenty
years ago, when gas was first intro
duced, are not of sufficient capacity to
meet the demand now made upon them.
Many buildings have been enlarged and
extended without q corresponding en-
largement of the pipes conducting gas
through them. The result is that the
fixtures which were sufficient at first
are utterly inadequate for pres,
ent purposes. Then the burners
in many instances have be-
come orroded-literally stopped up
with rust. No matter how fine the
quality of gas, it cannot give perfect
satisfaction when its passage to the jet
is thus obstructed.
The reference to the "agitation many
years ago, in resistance to the exactions
of the Gas Company" as the Intelligen-
Ger puts it, recalls theme out of which
that paper and its instigators can make
but little capital. At the time Of that
agitation" the city was paying 81
per Thousand for its gas in the market
houses and city buildings and S25 an.
nually for the gas furnished at each
street post. The citizens generally
paid s. per thousand feet. Although
not legally bound to lessen it's rates be-
low the reasonable figures then charged,
the Gas Company, in order to leave no
further ground for complaint, did abate
its charges on gas furnished the city by
meter to Sl.35 per thousand and to sl2 2S
annually for each street post. To the pub
lie generally it made q reduction of 10
per cent. on bills paid between the 9th
and 10th of every month. When the
war came on, prices for coal, labor and
everything consumed in the manufac-
ture of gas advanced more than one
hundred per cent. Then came a Gov
ernment tax of 20 cents per Thousand on
all gas manufactured. While all other
prices were advanced so largely, the
Gas Company kept its figures down to
the lowest possible limit. 1t sought no
increase on its prices for gas
furnished upon contract with the
authorities, and to the general consumer
it only advanced to $3.50 per thousand,
or about 16 per cent, rate not equal to
more than one-sixth the general average
of advances upon other articles of con,
sumption. And let it be understood
here, that the masses whose champion
the Intelligencer claims to be, might now
have the price of their gas reduced even
below the present figures, were it not
that since the agitation" referred to by
the Lntelligsncer the company has fur.
nished gas to the streets and city build.
ings at far less than the actual cost oi
manufacture. Some statistics as tc
prices may be furnished hereafter: fol
the present 1t is sufficient to state that
the prices charged for gas here will com.
pare very favorably in point of cheap.
ness with the average of prices charged
throughout the country. If we are not
greatly mistaken, the Intelligencer's own
columns, of q date not remote, will cor.
roborate this by furnishing a statement
of the rates of nearly fifty companies
as compared with those that prevail in
this city.
To show the utter recklessness that
chsracterizes the Mteligeneer in its as.