Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-25
SUNDAY...............MARCH 25. 1888.
Unaccountable Things.

The City Council has done nothingmore
than adopta resolutionto provide forlook-
ing into the proposition to lease out the
gas-works, and the Mayor has not, so faras
we know at the present writing, ap-
proved even that resolution. Neverthe-
less, we shall be excused for saying
word on the subject this morning.
II was unfortunate that at the very
time responsible persons were trying to
get contract to supply gas to the city
OF Philadelphia at fifty cents per thou
sand cubic feet, our Council should de-
eide to consider a proposition to furnish
gas 10 the consumers in Richmond at the
high price OF one dollar and forty cents
per thousand. The consumers pay
Sl.50 now, but they know that the city
gets the benefit of it, and taxes are pro-
portionately reduced.
1t was unfortunate that the Council
entertained q proposition TO allow the
proposed lessees to charge these public
spirited private consumers. who make no
complaints, forty cents per thousand
more than they were TO charge the cor
poration Of Richmond. The Council has
legal right, perhaps, to make con-
tract for the city and bind her to pay
double the cost of gas, but it has no
moral right TO contract that private con-
sumers shall pay forty cents more per
thousand cubic feet than the city herself
is TO pay.
Ii a responsible contractor can make
money 10y supplying gas to Philadelphia
at fifty cents per thousand cubic feet, it
is q clear case that that gas does not cost
the contractor more than forty cents per
thousand. II is equally clear that gas
can DO made in Richmond for forty
cents per thousand cubic feet for we
can buy water, coal, or whatever else the
gas is to be made Of, as cheaply as Phila-
delphia can.
But is the Philadelphia gas to be good ?
Just as good as any person will ever be
able to furnish TO Richmond. The Phila-
delphia gas is 10 be not less than twenty
two sperm-candle power, and is to be
measured in meters furnished by the
city. For every candle-power less than
the twenty-five contracted for the city Is
TO deduct FIVE cents per thousand cubic
feet from the fifty proposed to be paid,
and the contractors bind themselves to
furnish gas Notwithstanding any non
payment by the city under penalty of
FORGETTING TO the city their works and APP
phances. Philadelphia owns her own
gas-works and made last year three bill
lions of cubic feet of gas. The new
contractor is TO furnish gas which the
CITY works are not of sufficient capacity
TO furnish.
Now, wouldn't it be unaccountable if
our City Council should contract on be-
half Of the consumers in Richmond that
we shall pay three and half times as
much for gas as it costs to make it in
u uliaucilAla
And isn't it unaccountable, too. that
the corporation Of Richmond should be
unable to pay $500 of interest on the
money needed to perfect her gas-works
and enable her 10 furnish gas at sixty or
seventy cents per thousand, and yet
able to appropriate forty.two thousand
dollars 10 build market-house a
few hundred yards from Hollywood,
in a region OF gullies and on spot where
the back-yards on Cherry street (where
there is no culvert) will abut upon one
side of the market? And that, too, when
there are two lines Of street-cars leading
from all parts Of the city to the present
market-houses? Who would patronize
the new market? Nobody. 1t would
prove to be dead failure. 1t is claimed
that the people Of Oregon Hill and others
living south Of Main street would pa
tronize the new market; but We don't
believe il for one moment.