Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-03-12
GAS WORKS.

EDITOR OF THE CHRONICLE:-In
your issue of Feb. 25, / notice that
a new gas works for your city is UNI
der consideration, the inducements
to this project being a new gas (oil
gas of conference.-the power, and
at a price less than is at the present
charged. Before deciding this ques-
ton, | would ask the careful perusal
by your citizens, and particularly
those having the matter in charge,
of the following:
The present gas works In your city
have a generating capacity suffici-
ent for needs of GAINESVILLE for many
years to come, and gas can be made
in them with very slight change)
either from coal, water, oil, or any
other known process, as good an
quality and as chedply as by any
new works or new process.
Before deciding the question of
new works, the relative merits of
coal, oil, or other gases, should be
fully gone info, and also the queS-
ton of having two gas companies
in your city. The words "monopo-
ly" and competition" are freely
used, and as a general rule the last
is eagerly caught at; it always has
an alluringand pleasant sound with
it. To have two gas companies in
city very rarely results in cOn3Deti-
ton, except for a short time, when
the two companies agree on q price,
amalgamate, or, where a city is
sufficiently large, divide territory,
and both charge an advanced price;
and why? Because the money in
vested should make a fair return to
the Investor. and finding it does not,
the Irice of gas is put up so as to en-
able each company to pay something
on its stock, and then the consumer
has to pay an interest On tlcO capitals
instead of one. l have now had
thirty years. experience in the gas
world, and this is being constantly
demonstrated. One Works well
managed and with wholesome re-
striction, is better than two or more
for any community. The English
and French gas consumers have
long since learned this, and the
same is well known in the United
States, that it is to the interest of
consumers, the city authorities, and
for all in any way concerned, to
have but one gas aCOFts as the SureSt
way to good and cheap gas,
Is there anything In the future to
be gained as an egtt5Cdte11t to the an
noyance, danger, hindrance to busl-
ness, and expense of having all your
streets, sidewalks, ETC., torn up and
opened? / mention expense, as
there is no contractor, however care
FIJI, does his street work so well that
no repairs are needed after him.
The offer of sixty street lamps to the
new company is of much impor-
lance to it. For the past three years
or more, | have been anxiously eX
pecting to hear from your city couu-
Gil as to lighting some lamps on the
streets, say twenty or thirty, or
any number, but have been told by
some of your best citizens that the
finances of your city would not adj
nit of it, etc., and was told again
when in your city last October. and
in an article in your paper {s0me
time last summer urged the ques-
ton of street lighting as a means to
cheaper gas. ] waited, but got no
reply or inquiry, but / did reduce
the price OF gas ten per cent, and
held myself ready for "A further and
larger reduction, in case number
of street lamps should be inquired
TO-, and now that your city recog-
nizes the necessity, convenience
and safety of we'll lighted city,
DO hope TO be asked 10 bid on same.
/ am not afraid Of competition, and
if it is to come, hope, and expect,
fair and square competition in all
things, and whenever or wherever
any contract or proposal is to be
given or asked, let each have a
chance to bid on same. ] have full
faith that can make as good and as
cheap gas as any one; at the same
time / can not think that Ciarks-
vile needs two gas works, nor do (
believe any one else will think so, If
they will look In to the matter in 1
all its bearings. Good gas at lower
rates is the thing desired. This can
be obtained by increased cOnsunlp-
ton, as one aCOrlss only are needed TO
the best interest of the city and all
itscitizens, whether gas consumers
or not. On this there can be- but