The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-07-14
GnRAPaAA.


IN a EPnsIOes-BOme AuGsestiOna
BY the Trustee 10 CeRneil.
Below We give the paper presented to
Council at its meeting Tuesday night, by
the Gas Trustees, On account Of the ruSh
OF business 1t was not reached. butno doubt
1t will be the order Of the evening at the
next meeting. There seems to DO . gen.
eEal sentiment in favor OF the adoption
OF the ideas hsreinbeloW Get forth. Ger
sainly NO city in this country has bean
more fortunate in its selection Of gas
officers, for 1t has been owing to their
economical conduct, and buSiness pene'
tratlon that such . reduction has been
made possible, MI, Harry Caldwell, ever
since his election a. secretary, has been
indefstlgabIe in his attention, not only to
the details Of his own department,
but also in his general supervision Of the
works, tue improvements, extensions OF
mains, and in hne, to whatever might
conducs to the psrieciug and extending
Of our Illuminating facilities, The follow
ing Ia the report:
WHEELING. July 70, 1881.
TO The Honorable Mayor and Council Of he
Cty@ WeeliRg;
The Trustees OF the Gas Works re-
specially report TO your honorable body
that in their judgement the time has come
when the city may with safety aud pro-
priety make Q large reduction In the price
Of gas, This judgement 10 based upon the
following facts aud iguree;
During the fiscal year ending April let,
1880 the prcits Of the Works were $685.
1850 "a 100 in 0 total make OF 66,SlS,6OO;
the city's account for that year, amount
ing to S7,2S426, being counted In as one
Of the assets, The gas for mi month oil
this term april, 1879 was charged for al
the old rate Isl so per 1000 feet)
During the last fiscal year, ending April
lst, 1881, the profits of the works were
$26,4l9.05, the total make Of gas having
increased to co. S2, 800 feet for that term,
These profits, like those Of the proceeding
year, are subject to Q deduction OF the
amount OF the clty's bills for the last fiscal
year, $7,lS6 II, II said bills are not paid,
DeduCting the amount OF the Clty,a billl
for each year We have q net profit Tor the
hraE year mentioned Of $l7,035 0S, aud oil
the last year $l9,2s2 "a, The latter
amount Ia subject to some slight changes
in valuations and differences between
values OF old and new work, which could
not be made readily heretofore.
From the premises, the resulto I the OK
~perlenCe OF the two years referred 10, thu
Trustees believe that the present price o.
gas and rate Of consumption may be re
lied upon, under circumstances ordinarily
favorable, 10 produce . profit OF say $25,
900, or, deducting q bill Of $1,000 for thu
city, anet profit OF about $4,000. The
consumption Of gas by private consumers
during the Last iscal year was 1884 O
feet. A reduction OF 20 cents per thouSanC
on this amount would take from the reve
, nues about $40, 900 Calculated 5000 So
This would leave about 5000 on Thu
3 basis Of last years consumption, to NEE
the contingency Of q higher cost Of pro
ducliUn, owing to q rise In pricesj TO NEE
I the cost OF possible accidents and help Il
provide for the necessary improvement
/. at the works and extension oil maine
3 which the rapidly increasing consumption
Of our growing city will require. We Say
/ the 5000 referred to will help to provide
for the relnvestment Of profits which will
!, be necessary year by year. We have ne
/ idea that euCh q sum reinveSted each year
or set aside for re.investment as the oC
casIon might arise, would alone suffice 4
furnish material for the natural and prob
APPLE growth OF the works and mains, blu
We have a reasonable confidence that thii
sum, with tue increase In profits which
larger consumption will doubtless involve
UM provide for the needs referred 10
although temporary loans will sometimes
have to BIZ made as Q bridge between re
ceipts and disbursements. There arl
about SO miles o istreets In the city wherI
gas mains.will probably have TO be ex
tended. To provide mains for this terri
tory, with a new and larger supporting
main from the works as q base line, and 4
relay or replace some Of the present mains
will cost about Sl2s,000. 70 double thu
present producing capacity oil the work
would cost about $4,000. T..
The necessity for these expenditures Il
certain, and they will have to be made a
soon as the SpSrsely settled localities al
up. Such being the case, It is the part o
. wisdom 10 arrange the business OF tht
works 40 40 To provide funds for this pur
pose. II the revenues Of the works Art
paid into the general treasury and ex
= pended for general purposes, the work o
improvement 10 certain to be retarded
. because the real or alleged necessities 0
the other departments Of the city will
absorb the gas money, with other funds
and when heavy %expendilu 60 for the gal
works become imperatiyely necessary thI
city's limit Of Indebtedness will probably
have been reached. That this view 4
I correct need not be argued, because II !
: only necessary to cite The case oiIhe wG.eI
works to show that tits Just. The MAR
reason that the gas works 10 not In thI
, same condition as the water works TO day
> is that lie funds have been kept separate
To give some idea OF what has been thu
! growth, and 10 the present magnitude o
the operations Of the gas works, Ne viii
state the following:
, Amount Of gas made 10 1877, Gs shown by
station meter, ......... ......... ..a...".""..". 1882
station msstm....,.. /. m........ A,12LAc
station mCtet..... ..".:..:%..."....."r S,7S,7u
station mstSr"..:"....m....."......... B,Sss,iO
station msisr.".~.......a..... -........ Ss,SSs,GO
Amount Of gas made In 1880, 10 shown BY
E! a'iila: i1 isF 'ifss;il.::".:-:.-:@;::::%:..:":.:..:..-:::::.::::::".": . 8 ;,ess;SS
fncrtaSS In nine ytAts iSa per cent.
At the same rate OF increase the con
sumption in 1890 would be about l61, 900,
900 feet.
To meet the increased demand upot
the works the former Trustees made 10
yestments amounting 10 $l07,1 1914 %, o.
which about $50 900 may be considered al
an addition to the sssets, the balance be
Ing regarded as In the nature OF repairs
9 part Of the value OF the new WORK
being set down as taking the place Of old
the new work only forming an addi
tlonal asset for the excess In cost over the