The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-08-31

Auku1t -OlAA4
Board met pursuant to adjournment
Present, all the members. VTVrr
Mr.. President sad this meeting was ap
pointed for the special purpose to dispos
Of the Gas question.
Mr.. Sch@fer moved to take the repor
of the Committee from the table and ex
anime the testimony Seconded and car
ried. s&A.E.A IA y AE,lM G..
Mr.. Belden said that after an investi
cation by the. Gas Committee, as com
plete and thorough as possible, having ex
pended some twenty nights on the same
consideration than had been shown by th'
Council. Hit was more desirable that thu
evidence should be submitted the Commit
tee were ready to do so. There was
great deal in the testimony that he though
could not be as satisfactory to the Coun-
ell as though it had been heard instead o
read. Mr.. B. then submitted an ordinance
in accordance with their report:
Mr.. Schafer stated that though th,
Committee had. devoted 20 and upwards
Of evenings to the question, it. does no
appear that they thoroughly investigated
the subject. For instance, Mr.. Reynolds
on oath stated before the Committee of the
old Council last spring, that he paid dur.
ing the past year $S, $4,000 for coal; that
he paid for coal $3.50 per ton; he admits
that 1000 pounds are ton; that each
pound of coal produces 81 feet of gas; in
accordance to that estimate, Mr.. Reynolds
during the past year manufactured $3.50,
600 feet of gas, and calculating 2240
pounds Of coal to the ton, he must have
produced ten millions seven hundred and
i ., A l-a1 faaf annOrd
ing to the cost OF the coal, when he don't
pretend, to claim that the consumption of
gas for private and public use did exceed
the amount Of four millions fve-hundred
Thousand feet. Now, there must be either
q great Leakage in the tank or pipes, or in
the coal account don't comprehend the
cause. the difference
Again according to the report of the
Committee and the testimony before it,
Nr Reynolds makes two statements, one
based az the price of $3.50 per thousand
feet for private, and at $3.50 for public
use. his income according to that, after the
deduction Of all expenses, is about six
Thousand dollars: to this he adds $500
for bis own services, about $500 more
than the coal costs; then another state
ment at So for private, and 50 so for pub
lie use. IN making the statement he de-
ducts so cents on thousand feet or IA
per cent, showing the income 10 be about
$500. to which be adds the coal and pay
for his services as stated; he had no right
70 make the deduction of IA per cent, as
the 80 cts. on the thousand feet were not
embraced in the basis of his statement, he
began BY leAving.it out, the $3.50 by him
realized Tor coke should be charged to him
IN both statements- gooaI ,.-sfsIt.g .aal.-I
ezAgains be estimates his works at $50, 900
and stated on oath that he purchased the
stock Of the Works in 1867 for SIS, 800 In
shares ~ 80 cents on the dollar This
amount purchased the works as they then.
stood with all the repairs, improvements
and extensions up TO that time; and then
he charges on ms account upwards of
$4,000 for repairs, extensions and i'm.
preHements made by Mccall and ,Begges,
ooRsrdsle and Tyler including his own
from the. beginning of the Gas works to
the present time. This is all wrong, the.
Committee should have ascertained how
much ssspent by the parties who owned,
the Works before Reynolds, and by Ray
nolds, and allowed him an amount equal
to the ssnount Of S1S 800 as stated, and
an amount equal to his outlay for improve
ments made by himself and paid out of
has Own pocket, and no more, anl should
not have any allowance for improvements
or repairs made by any of ms predecessors
fort expenses Of such mprovements &c.
were obtained by him for the SIS, 900
when he purchased the Works; he
don't,pretend that he paid any thing ad-
ditional for them 1t would be wrong to
tar our gas consumers, public and private,
iron 10 to I8 per cent on q pretended in
vestment OF SIS. 900, when the investment
really made can't exceed $4,000; the
Works without the improvements are GER
tainly not worth any more now than they
were 4 years ago, and the improvements
could certainly be made as cheap now as
vhan be- had them made Our citizens
ars now heavily taxed for improvements
necessary which can be shown to tax
them more than necessary for the benefit
Of one single individual, is certainly in
conflict with the preachings and teachings
ofsome Of the members Of this Council.
I Iwould recommend the appointment of
a committee Of three honest and impartial
Citizens not members Of this Council to
whom ~ refer this question for investiga-
ton. asit Is subject Of great Importance
especially TO the private consumers Of gas.
Tho idea Of passing an ordinance at an in
creased price as reported by the commit
tee Tor one year. looks to me like mere
dodgeS now is the time to finally dispose
Of thequestIon, q question which should
not have been stirred up by this Council,
asitwss cautiously, carefully and iudlcl-
ously examined into and disposed Of last
spring by the old Council These smiles
and signs over the table by some of the
members of the committee ! fully under
stand, and / want them to understand,
that can't be hoodwinked or humbugged
by any such performances; the conduct
Of some is too transparent, it is like gauze,
Won can see through it. l desire no in
justice done to Mr. Reynolds, let him have
fair compensation for his investment,
and no more.
Mr.. John Reynolds, on leave, replied 10
some Of the assertions Of Mr. Schafer
said that the coal used at the Gas Works
was Pittsburgh coal, and that there was a
difference between that and Massillon
coal IN the production of coke. Thought
he had business capacity sufficient to con-
duet the Canton Gas Works and knew, by
experience, what it costs to make gas
here. He did not know anything about
the Columbus gas and cared nothing.
Ny. President thought Mr.. Reynolds
should be able to give correct value of
the Works. 1t appears the Works when
he purchased cost him between $3.50
and SIS. 900 He thought the books ought
tolshow the cost of extensions and I'M
provements since What he wanted was
full and correct data. The Council
wanted the present value of the Works
and they could arrive at some conclusion
His desire was not to do injustice to Mr..
Raynclds, but preferred not to accept
prices Of committee for 7 years. 49, I,
Mr.. Anderson submitted a resolution
agreeing to prices of the committee for
ona year. t,s7 .s aa .--
Mr. Schafer moved the reference of the
resolution to committee Of citizens to
take testimony and report to the Council.
Afr. Cook wanted to know why the
Char did not read the evidence .i6a.
Mr.. President, we have all read it with
the sexception perhaps of Mr.. Bender.
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