The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-01-12
The Gas Question.-IIear the Other
Side,
E,,,,, ,,,,I..61,i, Rs0i,lsr


ganization Of wicked men banded togeth'
or 10 ruin the peace and destroy all hopes
Of future happiness Of the citizens Of
Wheeling. But various as have been the
signatures appended TO the published
communications asSailing the Company;
they have all emanAted from or been In
spired by one or Two individuals who
have in contemplation "job" at city ex.
pense. Thus far these men have had
their say TO the public without contradlc-
ton. But It must not be inferred that
there Is only one side 10 the question, or
that the Gas Company Is unable to make
defense. Claiming the right TO be heard,
we desire to submit our side OF the case
and are ready TO substantiate the state
ments we make by reference to the books
OF the Company or Tue oath of Its officers
THE stockholders Of the Wheeling Gas
Company are among the most prominent
and respectable citizens OF the place.
They arc not swindler and robbers Of the
people as they have been sometimes call
ed, but men whose. reputation for integ-
rity and fair dealing Is second 70 none:
Neither are they few, nor are they oil
wealthy. There are now upwards OF
fifty holders Of this stock, some OF them
are widows or orphans, and many OF them
are by no means wealthy. The profits Of
the Gas Company during the past twenty
years have not been such as 70 make any
person rich. s.,a....a,s,,
There have been many wonderful and
bewildering stories put In circulation con-
corning the profits which have accrued to
the holders Of this stock, The widest
imaginatlons have been taxed TO estimate
the revenue Of tho company, and the
most extravaganza assertions have found
credence with some who should have
known better. Nov, what ore the tactss
The books Of the company prove that the
average dividend paid by the Wheeling
Gas Company in cash aud stock since the
date of lis organization has been exactly
nineteen and ono;ftm 10 1.6) per eellt.
During the first ten years of this time the
stockholders received less than ordinary
interest upon the money they had invest
ed. To this small figure must oil the
stories about wonderful dividends shrink,
The! Gas Company has made no moro
than itscapital should earn In twenty years
business. " q.
And these dividends have been legiti-
mately earned. limo single instance has
q customer been deirauded oil one cent
with the knowledge Of the company.
The meters are manufactured by the
Standard Meter Company Of the East
and they have given satisfaction 10 the
consumer wherever else they have been
used. The company Is assured Of their
total accuracy, and has spared no expense
TO get tho very best that are manufactured
in tho United STATES. The integrity OF
tho employees Of the company who inspect
the meters has never been successfully
impcached. They arc known TO the citi.
zens, and as private individuals no one
disputes their word, 1t Is absurd 70 sup
pose that, enjoying good relations as
neighbors and citizens, they should be dis
honest in this. a..,. 49,,
AS regards the price charged for gas,
the statement oil dividends made above is
sufficient to show that Il has not been so
high as 10 yield princely fortunes to the
holders Of the stock. Besides this, tho
price Is far below the average. The ave
rage priceot gas furnished by three hum
dred and lightweight companies in tho
United States Is toNr dollars and torty.ttoo
cents per thousand feet. or these three
hundred and eighty eight gus companies,
only tpenty, or l,S than one.nineteenth
of The whole number, charge as little for
gas as is charged by tho Wheeling com
pany. The actual net price TO the com.
pany istwo dollars and ninety.five cents
IRON private consumers. OF the nominal
price, SO 80, ten per cent Is taken Oft the
bills OF those who pay ut the office, In
order 10 save the cost Of collection; that
leaves So IS; out Of which the company
paws 20 cents government tax, leaving
simply So 05 net. The gas furnished TO
the city lamps nets only eighty.ttco cents
per thousand feet, which is far below the
cost Of production, 70 say nothing Of re-
turning any profit,
The proposition made by the Gas Com.
sany to the City Councilsis far from being
as exhorbitant rs y has been represented.
Having the works in operation, and no
extraordinary expense TO incur, the com.
pany can barely afford to furnish gus To
tic citizens and tho city ut the uniform
nominal price Of $3.50. Taking. of ten
per cent from this leaves $2.0e, from
which the Government tax Is TO be paid,
leaving for the revenue Of the company
simply $3.50 per thousand feet consumed.
When Ii Is remembered TINT the present
price has not yielded the extrayagant
dividends which some persons have i'm
aFined, Il will be readily seen that the
price proposed is as low as the 50, can
possibly DO furnished for. The city can
not make gas at so low price to con.
sumers ,as we propose; without constant
loss .bf at least o round rate Of interest
upon the money invested BIZ Ia .yju
Itmay be asked, Why Is the Gas Com.
pany DESTROYS of retaining Its character
and continuing tsbuslnesss TheansWery
4 simply that, at The proposed price Sof
gas, the company can employ It's capital
Std reasonable, but by no means large,
rate, Of profit, while they are. well con.
Yinced, from their experience in and
knowledge oftheir, business, that under
city mana cement they In common with
6tier citizenswouh DO heavily taxed to
pay The interest on the purchase money
and the loss in themanutacture Of theIgas.
The cttyiwouldTbO compelled ITO morrow.
ct q high rate'ol interest, and r1nder city
management the Case Works Wouldin
all probability, befun at q heavy loss.
The members OF the Gas Company are
ayerse to, being burdened with this
inevitable increase of city taxation,
heavy rs the taxes already arc, and
they appeal to the prudence and good
sense li6f tho cilitizens, Of Wheeling
TO know whether the TRANSACTION .
either aseessar 3 adysaata ~ .