Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-01-19
THE CHARGE FOR GAS
WOULDN'T THE CITY DERIVE GREAT
ERReveNue FROM ALoWER RATEt
Tho Subject Discussed by Several CITY
ccnnciimcn and superintendent
Adams.

feet n month"; u oaiDs coheiu''"', ~ wy
Finance Committee Of the City Counch.
LISA very popular move. but there ore
two questions TO be first copsidcrcd--vlz. /;
Can the city afford 10 reduce The price I"
and "nro the people here paving more for
cas- than the people Of other cities oil hke
nopnla,ion ~" TO obtain THE information
a number OF city councilman ana ONO AIS
have been seen by the Dspd'oe ana nsked
whether in their opinion e would De 70 the
general interest TO adopt Mr.. hrimess pro-
position.
CAv rr Pr DoNEr
Mr.. Joseph G. Dickers0n, who is presi-
dcnt Of The Board OF Aldermen, SAID zee.
terdav in response 10 the inquiry what he
Thought OF this movc?" l think Il would
he 10 the c,ty's interest TO reduce tho pr &c
of gas II that would increase It's consump-
tion.
PRICE OF Gas EisrWHFEE
SUPERINTENDENT w. c. Adams said he was
convinced that 20 reduce the price OF gas
AS proposed would be TO entail loss upon
the CITY far ne first year: but he was sure
In subsequent years tho city would ret
even. This has been the history CT all
former reductions. and If the Finance COM
mistee could arrange to do without the
los Of revenue that would surely be en-
-
yould be wise 10 reduce tho price OF gas.
Answering n question as 10 the price OF
sas IN other citics. be said that while the
charge here il 81. 30 per thousand feet, 1t ~
Int 81 Is in New York, Baltimore. Hart
ford, Atlanta, aud Washington. In WASH
incton q reduction Is made to large con-
sumcrs.
Mr.. Adams's annual report is not yet
mite ready, but it IL understood that II
will show q handsome profit turned into
the CITY treasury. The works can, with
somparativelv small expenditure Oh I'm
movement account, turn out great deal
more gas than at present. and the more gas
that is made the cheaper II can be pro-
iuced per l.00J cubic feet; tor which rea-
sons be feels sure that reduction in price
would, after the FIRST year. net the city
quite 10 much AZ the present rate.
In 1883 the total consumption was 3d.
1900 feet; in 1889 the falling oil on tho
part of private consumers was ,210, C0Jfeet,
due to patrons taking electric light Instead
OF gas.
As TO the price of conl. superintendent
Adams says: Very few cities get their coal
as cheap as Richmond-$3.35 per ton"
SEVERAL ouEsTIoNs INVOLVED.
~ think" said Mr. w. II. Peasants,
"that ms the matterhas been referred 10 the
Finance Committee of the Council, of
be improper for mo 10 intimate WhaI
course 1 shall pursue when II is taken up
there. | nave no hesitation, however. IN
saving that my mind is not 80 made up one
way or the other but that II may be
changed by facts or reasons.
There are several questions connected
with the subject which may have impOr-
tant bearings on il that will require
mature deliberstion. As, for instance.
should the city own her own electric-piant,
whether IN that case she should become q
competitor with herself for lights and
power, and also whether IN case OF re-
ductiou in the price Of gas the revenues OF
the city Will be diminished, and If SO, to
what extent. These and other subjects
will all have 10 be maturely considered be-
fore correct conclusion can he arrivedat.
HEARTILY IN FAVOR OF II.
"You wish to know my views on the
ACCESSIBILITY of reducing the price of gas as
proposed by Mr. Grimes" said Mr.. George
L. Bowden. Vel, " meets my nearly
epdorsation. and, believe. would 20 him
one better and putt 81. Now, why! IL ls
this: The gas-works are estimated to be
worth $500 100, and the estimated receipts
are about SILL. 900. with m expenditure es-
mated ut say $4,000 then add what IS
called public consumption at III per
thousand cubic feet, which VIII average
about $4,000; then you will find that the
gas works pay the city about 100000 dlyi-
dend on an investment of @S00,000. Why the
city should charge herself IL for gas and the
private consumer Sl.50 have never been
able to see. Why the private consumer
should be CON PEELED TO pay such AN
exorbitant price. SO that the city
might be lighted free to all sense
and purpose. / can't see, either. The
report OF our efficient Superintendent
for this year have not feceivedyet there
fore base my statements on previous re-
ports. Why should the gas-works be made
the chief revenue of the city, 1t seems
hnrd because a citizen wishes to use gas he
must, in his choice, pay large percentage
for lighting the CITY. How many Of orr
c,tiyens who burned from six 10 FIFTY
burners were compelled to substitute the
electrc-licht and some oil on account OF
the enormous amounts of their bills TOR the
month" Concluding, Mr. Bowden said :
II believe in cheap gas and water, as they
are in my opinion, essential for the peo-
pie"
HE WILL VOTE ToR 1T.
Said Alderman r. NJ. Taylor: Il favor
tne reduction Of the price OF gas aho VIII
cheerfully vote for il when | have an OPP
portunity, provided I find it consistent
with the interests Of the people. believe
to cheaper prices viii increase the con-
sumption and thereby increase the revenue,
which is very material TO the city,"
THE CITY CAN WELL AFFORD IT.
~ think the CITY can verv well afford to
reduce the price of its gas TO Sl.25 or even
70 al per thousand" said DIR. George Il.
Steel 1.-The income from it at that price,
even with the present number OF gas con-
sumers would pay the city very well, while
the probability is that with cheap gas the
Y ha lQrnRlU N.
creased"
GAS Is TOO HIGH.
81 am not familiar with the ordinance
offered by MIR. Grimes, OF Marshall Ward
but there is no doubt that the price OF gas
is too high. said Mr.. Preston Belvin:
distinguished gas expert informed me
several months ago that the price of gas
was higher in Richmond than In any city
in this country having similar ADVANTAGES
IN obtaining cheap coal. cannot behcve
il Is right to force the taxpayers OF kich'
mond to nay profit OF more than 30 pei
cent. on q necessity while their pronts ~
business are less than half that amount. II
the Cty Council would build a gas holder IN
the West End. put the price OF gas at one
dollar per thousand as the cost at the
burner is only eighty-one cents), IN
few months the incandesccnt-light would
be q light Of the past IN Richmond,
Our gas Interests ara IN the nanus ol
an able and competent committee, with
superintendent capable OF making gas, es
pure and cheap as elsewhere III this
country" ,
al believe" continued Mr.. Belvin, THAT
the city will soon give rate on gas that
will be satisfactory TO all, as / have been
assured that some of the committee have
had it under sdvisement for some time"
xR. eRIh Es's VIEW.
81 believe TIE interest of the city de.
mands reduction of the price of gas,
said Mr.. J. X. Grimes. THE annual report OF
the works for 1858 shows that after paying
the city per cent. upon the cost Of the
plant. estimating il to cost $1,000, 900. the
works paw the city revenue of ST. COO
Iy ordinance provides for reduction OF
&f.25 10 oil consumers and 81 TO consumers
using 5000 cubic feet per month. an
satisfied that the latter reduction VIII
bring back IN large consumers who are nov
using electric hight fully eight or ten thou
sand dollars per anuum. For instance,
would cite one case under my own obserya
ton where the cost for electric light fol
four months was $3.50. which under The
proposed reduction would be reclaimed al
a fair profit TO the works. | don't believs
that the proposed reduction would re-
duce tho revenue to the city more
than SIS 900, which, according to the re