The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-02
Memphis Gas COmpany's PrOpO.
HitiOn,

Memphis Gas COmpany's PrOpO.
HitIOn
Col. Enoch Enpley, the Presi.
dent OF the Memphis Gsslight Com.
pany, then read the following:
THE PROPOSITION OF THE MEMPHIS GAS.
LIGHT COMPANY.
March q, 1886.
Tho Hon d. p. Hadden, President, Mem
pbis, Tenn
DEAR SIR Il want to tell your hon
o'sble body al know about gas the
nature and pecuiarties of the BUSH
ness; the necessary result OF compete.
ton, aud finally to make you a pro.
position which, If accepted, will in
future be of great value to your gov
eminent or city. Without further
Introductory remsrks will proceed to
the gist OF what I want to say
First, l will assert that no two gas
companies ever did or ever will con-
tinuously for any considerable period
oil time sell gas on the same
street to the same set Of consum-
ers in competition. They will sooner
or later come together, by one buying
out the other or by consolidation or
by dividing territory and each taking
part OF the city to itself so, in either
event, the result will be sooner or later
an "odious monopoly" either by the
consolidated company selling the en-
tire city or by the two companies hay.
ing divided the territory and each
selling in their respective portions of
the city, and, in which latter event,
each would still be an
"oDIoUs MONOPOLY"
and not in competition, but with
double or nearly double the capital
invested as was invested before the
nominally competing companies COM
menced, Such has been tho invariable
result in London snd other cities oi
Europe. In New York City, Chicago,
Detroit, st, Louis, Baltimore, Brook.
Ign, and every other city in America
where opposition companies started
some years ago, such has been the ne.
suit. So far this is all assertion and an !
nouncement OF some facts. Now for
the reason why IL is so, has been so in
the past, and must he 80 in the future.
Gas business is different in its verv
nature from nearly all other kinds of |
business. The property OF gas COM !
pAuy consists generally OF a COMPARE. |
lively small, inexpensive amount of |
ground, on which Ia erected the 0as
works, consisting Of expensive benches |
OF retorts, washing, purifying, con. |
aenslnH apparatus, etc, and tire.prool |
Tor lhe same, pas-holders
and many miles Of pipe, large and |
small, screwed, loaded, etc, hid away .
under the ground, besides many
thousands Of metere, etc. Where II ia
aud as It is, with q set OF customers
demanding or requiring its use, it is
very valuable property. But without
CUSTOMERS OR CONSUMERS
or the gas, the whole thing except thu
lHge pipe is scarcely worth auythinO
The labor of tearing down and digging
up and collecting together the whole |
plant would cost about rs much as the
c ELECTED stuff would be worth, partjc. |
ulatly II paved streets had 10 bs left
in good order. lite value is entirely
dependent on the patronage az tbs
oPSNHS PooPAo llNlHg ana uOlng BUSH
nees on the streets in which or thron0h
which its lines are laid. Unlike bank-
ing, insurance, merchandising. foun-
dry business, cotton and fiour.mjll-
ing, cotton-seed mills and nearly or
quite all other kinds OF business
where, II the custom has been In
one locality and by competition it il
lost in part or all, new customers can
be drummed up in new fields. II II
has been in Mississippi and they-the
owners OF these businesses-lose part
)r all, they can drum Arkansas, Texas
tic, and finally II profits get too short
md competition too sharp they-most
u them-can pick up aud move of 10
ONE other city, or can wind up their
business and quit
WITHOUT GREAT LOSS,
any, Of the capital invested. In
seamboat business II your business
1ould be destroyed by competition
on can save your boat end take il 10 q
lme other waters and either run or !
I'll it. In street mr. ataann rafirnod :