The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-04
The Custorn-IEouse Gas.

THE CITY WILLING To Ai.LOW THE UNITED
STATES GOVERNMENT TO HAVE GAS ON THE
L4TTER's OWN TERMs---0BJEcTIoNs TO THE
BlNK-sTREET GAs-wORKs-THE PRICE OF
CAST CAN DE LOWERED.
4 meeting OF the Committee on Light OF
the City Council was held yesterday eve
ming in the Mayors office. Present: MessTs.
Higgins. Wagner, Hargroye, Scott, VIII.
liams, Skinker, and Straus, and George h..
Christian, president OF the Common Coun-
Gil. Mr.. Christian had had some interviews
with DR.. Mills, the representative OF the
United States Government in the matter,
and in the interest OF the public hoped to
he the means OF efecting an arrangement
between the disagreeing parties.
The difficulty between the city and the
United States Government in relation to
furnishing the custonl-house building with
gas was fully discussed. 1t seems from
what was said in the committee that Mr..
Sherman, upon becoming Secretary OF the.
Treasury, established a rule which required
a number of bills, among them gas-bills, to
he forwarded 10 Washington to be audited
and paid. This rule was q general one,
and only applied to Richmond in common
with other cities. There were on several
occasions delays in paying the gas-bills, and
once the penalty for delinquency was en-
forced and paid by;Dr. Mills the collector
of Customs and manager OF the Govern
ment buildings) out OF his oSn pocket, as
the Washington authorities will not allow
ANYTHING more than the face OF bill.
1t is claimed that the Committee on Light,
and Inspector Page, acting under their or
ders, have always heen disposed to accom-
modate the United States officials, and about
all they asked was to know what the former
required. The committee at one time, with
the approval OF DIR. Mills, prepared an ordi-
nance to permit the Government to pay its
bills quarterly instead OF monthly. But Dr..
Mills soon afterwards informed them that
the monthly arrangement would be quite as
satisfactory. The committee were willing
and had arranged to give the Government
twenty-five days Tor five times the time al
lowed private citizenS) in which to pay their
bills without incurring the penalty.
The remittance for the bill which finally
caused the difficulty did not reach here
until t,renty-Seven days had elapsed.
A draft sent here from Washington, paYa-
BILE to the Treasurer OF Richmond at the SUB
treasury in Baltimore, was endorsed by MI.
Greenhow and sent OH for collection. Dut
returned unpaid. The Treasury officials
required proof that Mr.. Greenhow was
treasurer. Dr.. Mills AMI the city officials
were thus subjected to the trouble and cost
of getting sealed documents setting forth
that Mr.. GreenhoW was treasurer, DC. The
dealings with DR.. Mills have beeh quite
courteous and pleasant, but he seems to be
almost powerless in the matter. All he has
to do is to forward the bills to Washington
and receive and deliver the drafts in pay
ment. II penalties are incurred he has to
pay them himself.
Some weeks ago, when the bill was not
paid within the twenty-five days allowed,
Inspector Page went to see Dr.. Mills, and
had a conversation with him about The mat
ter. Mr.. Page says that DR.. Mills told him
to turn off the gas and make the issue with
out further ado. Mr.. Page gave DR.. Mills
two days to procure kerosene oil lamps, and
and then, as he understood tito be the wish
of DR.. Mills, and for no other reason, turned
the Gas from the premises. Mr.. Christian,
acting rs peacemaker, left the committee
and went to see DR.. Mills while the COM
mittee was in session last evening, and upon
his return reported that DR.. Mills had said
he W as misunderstood by Mr.. Page: that he
told MIR, Page TO turn off the gas only
because he supposed atfurther indulgence
could not be given him; not that he was de-
sirous of doing without the gas or wished
to force the issue. Mr.. Biggins's recollec-
tion Of an interview with DR.. Mills was that
DR.. Mills told him that lie had ordered AIr.
Page to shut off the gas. Mr.. Page re-
iterated to the committee that Dr..blils did
tell him to shut off the gas, otherwise that
he would OF have done it.
1t further seemed from The discussion in
the committee that the Government bill is
considerably less than $1,000 per annum;
that at $3.50 per thousand feet the clty's
profit thereon is only between S175 and
5000, and that il the price is reduced to y,
as is proposed, the profit will be scarcely
anything; that the private property-noid-
ers near the custom-house are apprehensiTe
that gas.works. if put there, will be danger
Gus, and that it is not unlikely some OF them
will proceed to enioin the contractors from
erecting the works il the plan is persisted
in.
In consideration of all the Information be-
fore them, and with the desire to remove all
difficulties and misunderstanding and cause
an Abandonment OF the Objectionable scheme
of United States Government gas-works on
Bank street, the following resolution, suS-
gested by Mr.. Christian, was adopted:
ReSolUed, That the Inspector be instruct
ed to inform the Collector Of Customs and
the Postmaster at Richmond that the city OF
Richmond is>ready and willing to furnish
the gas Of the city in the custom-house When-
ever it is desired to have the same, and that
they recommend to the Council to make its
ordinances with reference to furnishing gas
to the custom-house to conform to the re-
quirements for paying bills at the Treasury
Department at Washington.
This, the committee contend, has been
their true position all along.
At some early meeting OF the Council the
members will have an opportunity OF voting
on O proposition to reduce the price OF gas
from $3.50 to 81 per thousand feet. The
latter price, it has been officially ascertained,
will more than cover the cost OF making the
gas, and will include the cost of furnishing
street-lamps and buildings and leave some
margin to the city. About the only argu-
ment against the reduction will be that if 1t
is adopted 100000 thus cut off in revenue
will have to be raised by an increase Of taxa
tion upon property. 1t has not occurred to
some OF the gentlemen who have discussed
this matter that it is possible for the city, as
all corporations and individuals have done,
to reduce their expenses.
POLICE CoURT-JuStice White presiding.
The following business was transacted yes
terday:
The cases OF Claiborne Banks and James
Gray (colored), charged with entering and
hrao in p into the office of Robert A Aiyis