Daily Republican., 1881-04-20
THE GAS EBTION.
A Gas Company that has Proven
Itself net to be a CrshG h Ing Grind
ing Monopoly.


every movement made to antagonize
them should be encouraged. However
tal this opposition is ju3tiliabIe in a
general sense there are exceptions to
the rule. One of these exceptions in
Wilmington is the Wilmington Gas
Company which is certainly any thing
else than u grinding monopoly. The
great difficulty with many Is, they do
not inform themselves properly upon
the Gas question, but take it for granted
that because the Wilmington Ga' Com
panviS an incorporated company it is a
monopoly.
A representative of the RErrhLl"AN
called upon Mr.. George Rich
ardson, the President Of the Whining
ton Gas Company,and from h!m he has
cleaned the following data ana fact:
The Wilmington Gas Company which
Mt present supplies the gas alone lol
Wilmington $4,000 was incorporated
in 1851, and the works Were erected the
same wear, but their capacity was Smdl,
then compared TO what they N" now.
The inrOrpprator} were; Jesse sharp,
j. y. seal, Joseph Seal, Jomn \ Dun
can, Stephen BonSal, Samuel MCCauIley,
William Chandler, Washington Jones
and Jacob Rice. Though the company
was organized only 30 years ago, Wash
ington Jones is the only gentleman pow
living of the original incorporates Be
fore this time the gas furnished for the
city was by rosin gaS company which
ON had pipes mp Market street to the
ncighborhoOd Of Eighth street, and the
only places of Market street furnished
with gas were the ST. Andrews church,
the residence Of Thomas Garrett and
the residence of John Wales. An ap-
plication from the firm of j. Morton
Poole & Go. was declined as the compa-
nv had about all they could attend to-.
When the present company got into
working order they furnished gas at -
per 900 feet, though before that the old
gas company had been charging about
s. per 100 feet. The first charges of
the present company, were maintained
for quite II number Of years and even at
that price there was nothing to be made
aS the company was put 10 great e%-
pcnSe in starting their works and
ne cons sumptiOn was small. Asa wise
precantion against the company be-
coming II monopoly the incOrpOra;orS
had Il paragraph inserterted prohibit
ing th,msel yes from ever receiving more
than T. per cent. dividend upon their
stock. Daring the war the price Of ga-
would have been materially reduced
had the government tax not been 81
high. As IL curious remini9cuce Ut
,I. 4. 4 l,i at nd
'ript is framed and hung up i'll the
office. This bill was dated August, 1872,
and WAS receiptad for ovet $500 for
Government tax for the months OfJunr
and July, the two months when tllr
least amount of gas was required.
Taking the average OF the whole year
the amount paid to the government wa,
over S5,000 When the Government tax
was removed the company laid miles
and miles Of pipe until now they have
81 miles laid 1T the cost Of about $500,
900, and other repairs and improve
mrnts added aggregated nearly 5000 Q.
The reduction in the price vi gas ceml-
mcnced soon after the company was re-
leased of the Government tax and the
city increasing rapidly in population,
more gas was required and the works
not only paid the T. per cent. dlvidcnd,
but other profits were absorbed i'll rJ-
pairs and depreciation Of the works.
Thus i'll 1873 the price was $40 net
per 1000 feet; in 1876 it was SOD; in
1877, $2.25; i'll 1873, 500, and in Jan
urary last still further reduction WAS
made to Sl.SO which commenced the
first Of the present month. The COM
pany still expect to 90 on from year to
year reducing the price III the same
proportion, and il the great demand for
gas continues i'll pIoportion TO the i'll
crease in population, until it may come
down as low as Sl,2j.
The question is will competition by
one or two other companies make gas
lower. The very feasible argument of
the Wilmington Gas Company is that
two or more companies will divide the
patronage and each company will be
compelled to charge higher rates for gas
or cease operating.
When the prices Of gas in other cities
are taken into consideration ii will be
seen that Wilmington has no cause for
complaint
Thus, Wilmington pays 81. so per 1000
feet Philadelphia, 81 Trenton, n. j.,
- Newark, n. D., 81; Jersey City,
$2.75 Brooklyn, n. Y, 500; Boston,
s.; Baltimore, $3.50; Washington, - /;
Hichmond, Va, $2.2j; Norfolk, Va,
s.. 80; Harrisburg, Pa, 81; Lancaster,
Pa, s. indianapolis, Ind, s.; Read
ing, Pa, s.. 271a Lynn, Mass, S2.75; /;
Charleston, Mass, S2.25. Only is gas
known to be cheaper in Pittsburg, Pa,
and Cleveland, Ohio, where it is respec-
lively 81. 50 and SLIGO than in Whining
ton, and with the gradual decrease III
priCe that has IN mlrhed the wilmington
tias Company lor the last six years,
without any competition, it will be
CHEAPER in Wilmington in three or four
wears more than in any other city i'll
the United States
There are various objections to allow
ing the two newly chartered companies
by the Legislature to establish them
selves in Wilmington and tear up its
streets for laying pipe.
An objection TO the Union Coal Gas
Company is that it is TO all intents and
a foreign company which may
only be operating to compel the home
to buy their works. In other
words it will not come to stay The
charge of alien does not lie against the
other competing company, rs its lncor-
are to the manor born but IN
all other respects the same objections
may be made with force, and If the gas
they propose to make is on the AvcrlIl
plan the gas itself would be of an into-
rior order and besides somewhat danger
GUS.
These same kind of companies it Is
said have operated in other cities but
with 10 beneficial results to the gatS
consumers, as the price OF gas was al
most invariably enhanced and with the
patronage divided neither company was
remunerative, and union soon follow
cd by one company selling out to the
other.
Under all these circumstances, anu
with gas lower than it ever was before,
and still getting lower, it is not likely
that the City Council will be in a hurry
to permit the streets to be.torn up by