, 1879-02-05

THE GAS COMPLICATION.
Tho relations between tho City Gover,.-
ment and tho gas companies l.ara reached
ono of tltoro municipal complications which
scem TO DO sought by tho Common Council
sAthor thnn avoided aud out Of this compile
cation tl,oro must bo m escape, ii there DO
ono, only throl,S, some very narrow loop.
hole, at present not ysaiblo 10 tllo general
oye.
To proper understanding Of this matter,
certain unchangcnblo facta must always DO
borns iu mind: ~ Tho City Council must
during tho first three months Of cnah aacal
year (Jnuuary, Fabruary, and h1arch) mako
oil tho appropriations ior tho year. (e} Tho
| expenditures Of tho yenr cannot exceed tho
appropriations. {a) Tile contract for gnH
| comet exceed tho appropriations for ono
| year.
Doaring these fact. in mind, tho Bianih-
cameo Of other facts bccomo important.
Tho total appropriation mnde in 1878 for
gas for tho city for tho year ending May,
1870, was $2o0,0o0.
| During 1878, and until tho eth Of JIM
uary, 1879, the City Council and the gas
companies failed to make any agreement Of
to the price to ba pnfd 10 tho companies for
gas per thousand, or per lamp. On tho
evening of jan. II, 1870, tho Council passed
IN order directing tho acceptance by tue
ity Of tic oirera by the respective gus CON-
panfes, Al follows:
North and South Sides, per stfcct.1anp y,
othcr a. Der l. ooo fec:... ~ ....... III
wc.t Side pe. .streset;!smp, 9s per year.... e5.o9 %
Other gas, per Il uUo teet............ 1.Vu
During Tho provions yoar tho city Ind BEEN
supplied with gas by tllo companies at 3l.c'
anl So per 1000 feet. Afsor May 1, 1873,
tho Oonncii proposed to 1oduoo these prices
to $1.25 per 1000 :cet, and asked, at vari-
Gus times, oilers from tho companies
Finally tho Council directed that tic COM
pauiea bo notified to withdraw tAolr gas. In
December the South Sitls Gas Company madc
tho oifor Of :21.5D por lamp aud tho West
si.le Company ut :seG per ta,up, which, Oilers
retunincl unnotcd on until jan. n, when the
Council aecoptol them.
When tho Council mot on Monday last q
motion was innile 10 rec onsidar tho vote no.
coptlng tho otrors Of tho gas companies, and 1t
was recons.dcred; and then tllo message Of tho
Mayor votoing the acceptance was read. by
tlis parliamentary proceeding the order &C.
coptiug tho olfors at tho gus companies was
relieved from the effect nnd force of tho
veto. Thus, then, up to this date, nothing
has been aolually decided by tho Council aa
to tho prico to be paid for tho gas consumoti
in 1873.
The Mayor iu Ills message, however, calls
attention to tho fact that tho Council cannot
appropriate in 1873 for term beyond 1873
TINT tho whole appropriation for gas and
; gas.lighta for 1878 was $500, 600, including
$4,000 for deficiency, ropa!ra 3t5,000,
md loss of collections s30, 900, leaving
available only ssl35,0oo. The cost Of gas
from May, 1873, to Dec. ii, 1878, Mt tic
prioos tho Council proposed to accept, would
DO $17o,o0o, hoing cost for pas for eight
months In oxcsas Of tho whole appropriation
for tho year, anl a35,000 In excess Of the
appropriation avallablo for that purpose
.rhia would lcayo tlotlcit for twelve months
Of uonrly $.l0, 900, for which there is no ap
preparation made and no tax levied.
Tho Mayor argues that tho rates proposed
to DO paid por lamp arc largely in cxcoss oI
tho rates paid the previous year per ! ,oot
foot. 1Io clAima that the rnto Of 521.50 pc,
limp 10 one Company, and $50 per limp X
tho other Company, will amount to about
SET. 600 for the eight months more thau II th'
gas consumed was pail for Mt al.G5 aud i:
per l 900 feet during tho samo time.
, Tho final result Of oil this Is (tho Mayor
J figures boiug assumed to be oorroct), tint
at the prices agreed upon laat waok, th'
. whole appropriation for the yenr was ex
, haustad In eight months, aud TINT thor
, would be deficiency for the whole year q
about $50, 900. lie claims that, thero bosnl
, NO authority to contract any suull indebted
, moss, tho contract To pay 1t liz void, and nj
. tax can he leyicd to make up the e1ceasiy
J expenditure. Tho result Of this Is, that, to
. tho service Of gas to tho first Of the preseu
! year, tho gaa compaulae. oan only DO pail
!. tho sum Of tho appropriation, DO that win
i II may TINT II that SUN only equal
t Bl.6o per 1000 feet, that IL MI tho city cul
$ lawfully pay to tho Company for tho servic
! during tho fiscal year 1878.
a The service for gas In 1870 must bo pro
n rltled for by thu appropriation for tho yen
l. 1870. Tho dolcIoncy for 1873 must 10 vel
J, tled In some way, aud, aa tho caao no,
IL ! &&aAAst RatA 04t3 ~ 6tkk4GA ~ hA9 bHS Cuu
y panss accepting IN fnl! payment for tho gp
It service Of that year tho exact amount OF til
a appropriation applicable for that purpost
o Tho gRs bills Of 1873 cannot bo carried int
4 1872, and when the appropriation for ls7
II is exhausted tho gas companies must sLl
i on tho gas.
ii During tho year Just closed TUE Ta1pus
|. repeatedly aud continuously atluaouishe
l. both tho Council md tho qua companie
4 that thu delay in fixing rrioo to bo paid Il
r. gaa must ultimately involve both In an u,
0 seomly trouble Tho Council wure lighI
r. censurab!o for non-aotion. Tho 1ilsto1
10 proceedings Of TINT body wcro dno, 1t /. tr1,
IS 10 faction, but thu responsibility OF IL
d 1usjority IL uoua thu less. TAey SHOULD III
20 l4ava permitted tho faction to contr
" tho action Ut tho Doarl. thu Couuc