The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-12
Both sides ofthe Gas Question.

FIhlIlCe Cpmmlttce lueSuay nlght, u
provide for loan for the purchase Of thu
Gas WORKS. The merits ol the question
whether this community shah avail itsel
ofthe right to terminate the privileges O.
the present Company by purchasing theli
works, have been generally canyasscd
and are, We trust, fully understood. The
Council have decided the question in tho
affirmative, and rejected tho Company
propositions. A formal notice has been
served by the Mayor by order Of. the
Council, demanding the immediate ap
polntment Of arbitrators, Although this
is true, the Company continue TO argue
against purchase by tho city as If II
were still an open question. ..r..
In discussing this subject, we have con
stantly aimed to be fair to the Company
US we have tried to be faithful to tho in
terests ofthc community. Upon this prin'
ctple, we grant the company more than
they choose to ask by transferring to our
columns u communication which up
peared in Yesterdays Register, embodying
we presume, about tho best argument
which the Company are able TO make
in favor Of a. continuance Of their
franchises, We can at present re-
fer hut briefly to the salient points.
With all that The writer says In behalf
OF Tue personal virtues Of the stockholders
who compose the Gas Company, we heart
lly concur, 80 lar rs We know who they
arc, though, as the personal character ol
these gentlemen haA not been attacked,
no defence was needed. II Is not COM
mon, however, we would remind our read
crs, for men to carry their individual vir-
tues into the operations Of q corporation.
1t Is u well authenticated fact that the
stockholders Of the East India Company
were among tho most excellent, AMI. emil
nent, and ylrtuous Of all England; and yet
what exactlCns did not that corporation
lay upon the haplcss people whose Appeals
came up in Judgment against, WARREN
HAsTINGsS That corporations have no
souls is an automatic fact, no matter how
estimablc and just may be the men who
compose them when acting on their indi'
vldnal responsibility. But all this has no
relation to the merits Of the gas cuntto!
vesy. While human nature Is human
nature corporations will exact MI the law
allows them, 1t Is the law that needs to
be looked atler, not tho men. rii
Accepting thesf parte statements Of this
correspondent touching the revenues Of
the Gas Company, it must be conceded
they have not LOST any thing on the invest.
ment. Heays the average of their tlivl.
tlcnls for twenty years has been fraction
less tllan twenty per cent, Now these
Dividend, are twice year, and Il this
means 10 refer to semi,annual dividends,
then the annual profits have reached
the high figure of 3S 9.5 per cent. II II
means the annual dividends, 1t is, still
more than three times the legal rate ol
interest, doubling the capital ina littlcover
each five years. Amore explicit statement
ofthe operations Of the Company would
be interesting, and might be Instructive.
twill be observed that the profits Of the
Company have increased with the growth
ofthe city; and to make the average
named, must now be very large. They
have certainly been between 80 or 40
per cent. fora year or two past, What
they would be in future Is to be Judged
not by what they were 10 Of Is years
ago but by what they arenow; and they
must continue to increase rather than ,di.
miniSh. y A 5"'.' '' '''' 2 q.
Without.cOmplaining ofthe past, we
simply submit, wliat is not denied, that
the Company have had long and very
profitable lease, and cannot claim, either
as matter Of right or as n matter Of
generoslty, that this community should
any longer subordinate lis interests 10
theirs. famaut .an'. a7i.f~95
Asto whether the consumers always gel
what they pay for, we are willing to
accept the statement that no improper
measurement or other fraud Is committed
with the knowledge of the Company, and
that their employees are scrupulously hon.
est towards customers, That may be and
great injustice sullbc done. Almost every
gas consumer In the city Inns experienced
such vagaries in his bills as lefl no doubt
either that the meters were moi reliable
Or the ronndSman who took OF the record
careless In other States the Uncertainty
Of meters Is so well settled TINT most
rigid tests are required by State laws.
But we aim to go TO the root Of the evil.
The presentlaw places everything in the
hands of the Company, and makes M
provision whatever for tho protection Of
the consumer. The Company may IN.
tend that tie meters shall measure cor.
rectlyiand may suppose they do, and still
they may not, Tho consumer on his part
cannot know anything about H. lie must
bny at'thS Company measure Of not ut
all, and must first pay for having the
measure eadtstOd. Everyone, douutlcAs,
can recall some instance Of obvious error. it
wcCan mention ono instance ourselves
two or three years ago. when a monthly
bill OF some sl7 was presented for d
meter that supplied only one burner