Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-25
PASSED BY COUNCIL.
CContiaued from Fourth Page. ]

The committee is advised that the com
pany named is thus discriminating. While
the public cannot object to the companies
agreeing or combining to elualising prices
objection can reasonably be made to thei
entering into combination to wiring from
the consumers of gas the highest figures
obtainable. Indeed, any such attempt
must end in failure, siuce the people are
in no mood to submit TO corporate extor
ton, the low price of coal being an impor
tsnt factor in determining this. More thar
q month ago, as already stated, meeting
of the patrons of the gas company was
bsid, and the proceedings of that meeting,
including the proposed form Of ordinance,
was made common property by publication
in the daily papers; thus Offering an open
ing for, indeed inviting an answer from,
the Gas Company, but that corporation,
| true to its record here 80 far, has chosen to
remain silent and has refrained from Civ
Ing the public any information, or present
ing its side of the question-practically
saying to its patrons: ave, 1.-THE manage
ment) don't intent to give you any in
formation, or enter into any explanation
"a to why We make this advance. You
may take the gas at the increased price we
fixed on it, or you can let it alone. You
and the City Council are powerless to do
anything in the matter by way OF redress,
and we propose to manage our own bust
ness" This, in face OF the heavy outlay
made by the citizsns in piping their houses
probably more than SIS, 0OO-and i'm
pliedly o contract with them, is little
short of an insult In addition to being an
imposition on them, IS well as defiance OF
the City Council-by the way, not the
| first time this aforementioned feature has
been shown, Is an inspection of the streets
of the city will reveal. Aud in support OF
this statement that gentleman connected
with the Board of Public Works declared
that $50, 900 would barely cover the damage
done to the streets and alleys by the
pipe lines resulting from non-compli-
ance on the part OF this and the other Com
pany with the terms and spirit of the ordi-
nsnces or contracts. To another point in
this connection it is desired that the atten-
ton of Council be called: The Trustees
of the City Gas Works applied to this
Company for gas TO heat the retorts. This
was refused by the Company, chiefly on
the ground that it was for manufacturing
purposes, while at the same time the Com
pany was supplying gas for the boilers OF
the works; yOu may draw your own con-
illusions as to the value OF their reasons
for the refusal. There are very few per-
sons, il any, in the city, who would have
gone to the expense of piping their houses,
- \. L L. 4 al ~
furnishing the gas would, at this early
dag, demand an increase Of twenty
per cent. on the price then offered
and no guarantee given to sufficient sup
ply with the probability of another in
crease in the near future, if not controlled
at this time. The committee think it we'll
to state that inducements in the way Of re-
duced rates have been offered by the Gas
Company to parties disposed to refuse con-
tinuipg the use Of the gas on account OF the
increased price-thus iavOring the Oppcsi-
ton to the charges, and securing their
good will ut the expense OF those who
quietly yield and pay the increased de-
mands, being plain departure from uni
iorinity in price, and in treatment OF per-
sons. Whether this be violation of con-
tracts or not, yon will be able to deter
mine. In considering this subject, one
question will prominently present it,
self-to-wit: How will the passage of this
ordinance affect the obligation on the part
of the Natural Gas Company of West Vir-
ginia to supply the city buildings with gas
for heating purposesP The answer is, that
this supply being given az consideration
for the exclusive right to the streets and
alleys of the city, in which to lay pipes,
granted this company by the Council OF
the city, be this privilege OF much or little
value, was accepted by the Company, and
~ this right or privilege is in no manner
abridged or inteIfered with, it follows thst
this question is in no way involved, and
offers no ground upon which to base plea
for attempting to evade this obligation,
even if the Company so desired. Another
question, hardly Of less import
snce, may present itself: What
position will the passage of this
ordinance place the city in? The COM
mittee would answer, that you will be ex-
ercising right granted you by the Legis-
lature, and if in defense of this right you,
as the representatives of the citizens, are
threatened with legal contest, you have
no reason to fear this, as the people will
demand such prosecution, if it becomes
necessary in their interests. Even if 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 re-
veal that this Company with its claim Of
eminent domain that it enjoys, would also
find that it is not for its own aggrandizs-
ment alone, the franchise was granted, but
for the benefit of the public as well; and
while determining the status of the several
parties, it may result in the discovery by
the gas company that it has been handling a
boomerang. and its last condition is worse
than the first By way of assurance the
committee deem it important to state that
legal ability OF the best in the city, has
been taken into counsel, before assuming
ths position it has. 1t will be observed
that by the terms of the ordinance offered,
there is an increase over the price hereto
fore paid. This concession was made by
the committee after careful investigation,
and is believed to he due the Company.
Al the same time, it does not place heavy
additional burden on the people, hut is one
they will be willing to bear in spirit Of
harmony and Cancellation. 1t is proper to
saw that the committee has been actuated
by the best of feeling toward the gas Com
rsny, not forgetting at any time that
it has been among the pioneers in
introducing natural gas at a time
when success was problematical and
controlling stock, at the best, uncertain in
character and precsrious in operation. The
committee has also felt that duty to the
public on its part prompts the avowal that
even small dividends on watered stock,
coupled with high salaries and large sur
plus, are not evidences that supplying nat
nral gas is Improbable. Neither will it
divest the public of the idea that this cor
poration wants to exact the last cent OBJ