The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-25

abridged or interfered with, 1t follows
that this question is in no way involved,
and offers no ground upon which 70
base plea for attempting to evade this
obligation, even II the company 80 de-
sired.
Another question, hardly of less i'm
portRnCe, may present itself: What po-
sition will the passage OF this ordinance
place the city in? The committee would
answer, that you will be exercising o
right granted you by the Legislature,
and il in defense OF this right, you, as
the representative OF the citizens, are
threatened with a legal contest, you
have no reason to fear this, Us the peO-
pie will demand such prosecution, II It
becomes necessary in their interests.
Even il this result be present or remote,
the Council would not be justified in
yielding right granted by the charter.
A contest Of this kind, it may be added,
would probably reveal that this compa-
ny with its claim OF eminent domain,
that it enjoys, would also find that 1t is
not for It's own ACKNOWLEDGMENT alone
the franchise was granted, but for the
benefit OF the public as well; and while
determining the status OF the several
parties, il may result in the discovery
by the Gas Company that it has been
handling boomerang, aud its last con-
dition il worse than the first. By way
OF assurance the committee deem it i'm.
portant to state that legal ability OF the
best in the city, has been taken into
counsel, before assuming the position
il has.
1t will be observed that by the terms
OF the ordinance offered, there is All in
crease over the price heretofore paid.
This concession was made by tho COM
mittee after careful Investigation, and
is believed to be due the company. At
the same time, it does not place heavy
additional burden on the people, but is
ono they will be willing to bear
in spirit OF harmony aud Cancellation.
1t is proper to say that the committee
has been aOtuated by the best OF feeling
toward the gas company, not forgetting
at any time that it has been among the
pioneers in introducing natural gas at q
time whom success was problematlcal
and rolling stock at the best, uncertain
in character and precariOus in operation.
Tho committee has also felt that duty TO
the public on its part prompts the avOWal
that oven small dividends on watered
stock, coupled with high salaries and a
large surplus, arc not evidences that sup
plying natural gas in improbable.
Neither will il divest the public OF the
idea that this corporation wants to exact
the last cent obtainable. Or, Il the mat
for came hefOFn a court il would accent |
this condition Of things in justification
OF tho plea that an advance in price was
necessary for the profitable operation OF
the company. Neither would such plea
be supported by the rumored large ex'
penditures or investment-the invest
ment sometimes characterized as onor-
mous-as upon investigation it is dis
covered that the company is paying
taxes to the city on less than 81, 900 OF
property. .. ..... /
For the reasons assigned, we present
you tho ordinance accOmpanyingthistor
your action, as being just to the COM
pany and its interests, and ask OF you, in
behalf OF the people, its passage.
And for this We will ever pray.
Signed-C. j. Rawling, Chairman, T.
II. Moore, Secretary, J. NJ. Todd, VIM.
Ellingham, J. G. Mcmahon, VIM. Dill
lon, V. Gicsy, John Warehouse, J. W.
Robb, ]. S. Gibbs, II. B. Baguley, II. II.
Dunley, B. Dunley, B. klieyis, \. En-
sheimer, +. n. Flood, S. N. Darrah, G.
Z. Irwin, A. II. Forgey, David Dell, j.
A. Dunning, n. L. Whitaker, Henry
Baer, 7. Il. Higgins.