Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-24
NATURAL GAS.
THE DoMRSTI CONSUMERS AGAIN LIFT
THEIR VOICES IN PROTEST.
The Ordinance Prepared Some Time Since 70 b
Submitted to Council This Evening, Together
With . Long Memorial.


With Long Memorial.
The members of the consumers commit
tee were not dead.
They seem to have been merely sleeping
on their arms.
Yesterday they aroused themselves from
a slumber which had been protracted to
such an extent as to give rise to the popular
belief that they would never more be heard
of upon the subject alleged to lie nearest
their hearts, and last night they held
fairly large meeting in the office OF the
Ohio Valley Manufacturer, in the Reilly
building. Captain g. ]. Rawlings, the
Chairman Of the Special Committee az
pointed at the first citizens meeting in the
Police Court room, at the City Hall, pre-
sided.
Captain Rawlings stated that the COM
mittee had concluded itslabors with the
preparation of memorial to be submitted
to Council, and had had the ordinance,
fixing an assize of coal, bread and natu-
raj gas" printed. He then proceeded to
read the memorial, which is long doc
ument, evidently drawn by or with theas-
sistancs of the legal gentlemen who are
acting as counsel for the committee. The
paper starts out by reciting the facts OF the
increase in the price of gas proposed to be
made by the Natural Gas Company o.
West Virginia, matters which were fully
reported upon by the press in connection
with previous meetings of the consumers,
and with which the public is familiar. 1t
then goes on 10 state that there was evil
IDENTIFY concert of action upon the part OF
the various gas companies in increasing the
price. and then passes to the allegation
that the Gas Companies are in the position
of common carriers, and if any discrim-
ipation in rates exists the company max
ing such discrimination is liable for dam
ages to the party aggrieved. 1t believes
the Natural Gas Company OF West Vlr.
ginia has made such Determinations, and
says the people are in no mood to submit
to corporate extortion. The people, IN
their Lublic meetings, had invited an
answer from the Company as to the griev-
ances alleged to exist, but the Company
.'true TO its record" chose to remain silent,
virtually saving "We don't intend to make
any explanation-th people can take gas
at our price, or lot it alone, and both people
and Council are powerless. This policy
of silence the memorial considers to "be
little less than an insult" The paper
goes on TO narrate the condition the Com
psny left the streets and alleys of the city
while LAYING down its mains, and says,
upon the strength of information obtained
"from a member of the Board Of Public
Works." that the streets, etc, of the city
were damsged to the extent of more than
$50, something which has been stated
before in this connection. Another point
scored against the Company is in relation to
the refusal of the gas Company to furnish
gas to heat the retorts at the city gas works
upon the ground that it would be aiding
in manufacturing, while at the same mo-
ment they were furnishing gas to make
steam in the boilers at the works, and says
the public may form its own conclusion as
to the pertinency of the point made by the
Company. Another allegation is that the
Company has offered reducedrates to par
ties disposed to take out their gas rather
than pay the increase demanded, some
thing which is to the disadvantage Of
those who quietly submit to the higher
price, and takes up the point that any In
Il L.. "a
breach of the ordinance whereby the Com
pany agrees to furnish free gas to the city
for certain purposes, and claims that the
free gas is only in the nature Of consid-
Grafton by the Company for the valuable
franchises granted it by the city, and has
nothing to do with an attempt to prevent
the Company from charging an extortion-
ate price for its fuel.
The memorial rather invites legal con-
test by the Company against the city, aud
says such contest will probably result in
the discovery that the franchise given by
the city is not for the exclusive benefit OF
the corporation receiving it, but that the
public has an interest in the matter and
has rights to be protected.
The paper has q certain friendliness OF
tone towards the Company, recognizing
the fact that its stockholders had the cour-
age to become pioneers in the introduction
of gas to the people of this city, and that
there is q certain element of uncertainty
, and risk in the conduct OF the business,
which inclines the committee to allow
! them on increase Of ten per cent; but al
/ the same time it alleges that dividends on
watered stock and the payment of high
5 salaries to officials do not constitute proper
t grounds for squeezing the people, espe'
5 cially when the Company only pays taxes
on $40 900. The memorial is signed by
about thirty citizens, and is in the hands
of a committee of three, consisting of 7.
NJ. Todd, John Waterhouse and Capt.
Dillon, for presentation to Council to,
night.