The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-21

Feet-A Special Meeting of the Board OF
Aldermen TO be Held on Wednesday Eve
ming 10 Consider the Granger Offer and the
Minority Report.
A special meeting OF the Board Of Al
dermen will be held on Wednesday eve
ming at O'Clock to consider the gas-works
question.
AT the meeting OF the joint Committees
OF Finance and Light held Friday night +.
#. Glasgow, Charles l.. Todd, Edward
Cohen, Nathan ID. Hargrove, Andrew Piz-
zini. Lewis ID. Crenshaw, and Z. X. Barks-
dale IN voted to make a contract with o.
A. Granger & Co. to manufacture the wa
ter gas and put it in the holder at 60 cents
per thousand.
Nessrs. John NJ. Higgins, j. III. Frisch-
korn. w. s. Gum, Il. NJ. Taylor, James r..
Phillips. and w. X. Bowie (G) voted that
the city remodel It's present works at cost
not exceeding S25,0O0. They had Mr..
Adams's figures showing that under Mr..
Anderson's plan this could be done so as
TO put gas in the holder at 493 cents per
thousand.
ACCURACY OF CALCULATION QUESTIONED.
OF course il the latter can be done it is
better plan than the former; but Mr.. Todd
and Mr.. Glasgow attacked the figures OF
Mr.. Adams, and said they were far too low.
They claimed that for five years past gas
had cost the city S1.3j, and that Mr.. An
derson's plans would not reduce the cost
more than SO cents.
Both plans contemplate large reduction
OF the labor at the works. With the
nv
all the labor. With the Anderson plan
there will be n considerable discharge OF
present employees Qwenty-eight mem, but
the city will retain control exactly as now.
CHEAP GAS.
1t is quite certain that by either process
the city can get the gas in the holder at 60
cents per thousand feet. The maximum
cost OF distribution from the holder to the
burner is 90 cents per thousand Some COM
mitteemen say 13), and the total cost to the
city Is rs follows:
Gas put In holder per thousand feet.......... go
Distribution TO burncrs....... ~
Total cost at 80
That this can be done there is no ques-
ton.
ANOTHER VIEW.
II Mr.. Adams succeeds in establishing
the correctness of his figures beyond all
doubt (and he offers to give bond and Sc
curify TO do SOY the cost will be still lower
by the Anderson plan, or as follows:
Gas put IN holder per thousand feet......... .4S4
Distribution to burners.......... ..s.......' 'ZU
Total cos; at burner. .69E
PRESENT COST OF GAS.
Even with the present works. universally
conceded TO be long ways behind the age,
Mr. Adams said that last month gas was
put in the holder at GG4 cents per thousand.
Add 90 cents for distribution to the burn
er, and you have SGt cents per thousand
feet.
That is what, it is alleged, the gas costs
the city.
sand.
LEAKAGE.
According TO what was said TO the CON-
mittees Friday night there is about 10 per
cent. loss in gas from condensation, leak
age, &C., &c.
The 20 cents for distribution TO the
burner includes all these items, also pay OF
the inspectors who take the state Of the
meter.
GAS AT Sl.2j, PROBABLY.
Mr.. Todd, who is very conservative in
his views, and always watchful OF city
finances, says that he believes our gas Is
now costing Us S1.35. The city sells at
81. The profit is G5 cents per tnousand
feet. With the Granger process the gas
will be put in the holders at 60 cents. Mr..
Todd adds 10 cents for distrioution-tOtal,
Is cents.
Making Cj cents on the thousand, the
city gets all Of its lamps and public build
ines lighted, and in addition puts a Sur
plus into her Treasury. Add Gj and 40
and we have 2l.40. With the Granger
plan, selling gas at Sl.40, the city would be
making all that she does now and would
still control her property-hcr own officers
would inspectthe meter make out the bills,
and collect same. But Sir. Todd is further
OF opinion that with some reforms the price
might be put down to Sl.2j, and the city
still derive present benefits, amounting to 4
good interest on its investment. One re-
form indicated looks TO more economical
Use Of Gas in public buildings. Now there
is no check. Every man uses as much as
he pleases. A plan proposed is to appro-
PIRATE to each department a reasonable sum
to pay its own gas-bill. ii it exceeds that
sum, then it can pay the excess out OF IFS
other funds.
OF the subcommittee who went North
Messrs. Glasgow, Todd. Barksdale, and
Cohen were satisfied with the water-gas
and with the offer OF Granger d Co. Mr..
Higgins was not satisfied with the gas nor
with the proposition. Colonel Cutshaw,
who went with the committee at their re-
quest, agreed with the majority thereof.
THE wATER-GAs SYSTEM.
Mr.. Higgins, the chairman OF the Com
mittee on Light, has for three months past
been devOting himself TO the study OF the
various plans for enlarging the Richmond
Gas supply. He has accumulated a vast
deal OF information concerning the Lowe
water system, and has obtained many facts
concerning il which doubtless he will lay
before the Common Council at the proper
time. HIS conclusions, like those OF our
gas officers, are that neither the water-gas
nor the contract system viii suit us. He
is i'm favor OF the city maintaining entire
aud exclusive control OF its works, in oil
its parts, in the hands OF its tried and faith
full officers. As for results. he promised
the committees Friday night that these
would be equal to those produced by any
parties or any process. lie relied conf
IDENTIFY upon Mr.. Adams's figures, which
were that if the city would make an appro-
priation Of $4,000 TO reconstruct the
works according to the plans OF Alr. An
dersOn, that gas could be put in the holder
at 49f cents per thousand feet. Add (as
for all gases) say 30 cents for distribution,
and we have total OF G9A cents, delivered
of fho h,trpor Mr. U,trpinS Il committed