The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-08-08
THE RICHMOND GAS-WORKS.
! psport Made After q Very Careful EX.
animation.
VERY SATISFACTORY MANAGEMENT,
...,,,,cs said 60 riay Only Small Part IN
,hs supervision of the PIant-Thc Long
Term of tho Superintendent.

Professor Edward w. Bemis who is ct
rr,,ent agitating the question Of cheaper gas
=, Nashville. Tenn, and who has given good
S..l Of study to The question. uses as an argu-
e..,.t m his favor the city Of Richmond and
81. lengthy article. which he recently pub
t.tod on tho subject has the following TO say
..n ,cferencc to the manufacture Of gas in
b's city
Richmond. Va. with present population
osee 600 is steadily growing and has On APP
...,,nee OF Thrift and substantial business
....er.,y quite IN contrast with its coudi-
t'a twsnty-hve years ago. IL began owner
', 4 It's gas-works IN 1852. The war Of
r--se. sSGly upset things, but the city kept
,..rraportv and now has plant more than
,,1 .8r out of It's net earnings. The con-
ti~~afiou Of gaS IN 1890 was 1882, 500 cubic
s-sf The sale OF l28,7f4, 100 feet az $50 pro-
5.coi cash profit above al extensions and
movements Of S8s.2i2.5s
REDUCE rHF PRICE.
rfileprice were reduced 20 fl25, as Mayor
rriyson recommends, the net revenue would
-..f ne S6i sc. or IL per cent on tho 900, 600
,.rmafed BY Superintendent W. {. Adams,
,ffle gns works. a. the real cost of dupllca-
I'm Gas coal costa 1896 per long ton. or
ee-fsa basket and herefor l0cents The tarsold
N Richmond IS only is per 1000 feet # ga,
le-rc ! cent gallon. while here it is cents.
h,ieye the cost 81 gas. including per cent.
f- interest and taxes. is only Sill per 1000
fet We ought 10 do as well.
Il Richmond there is little, and only
ftte connection between the works and
p..fcs. IL Is not rs great as in many
Indeed / think most cities-wbero tho gas-
b. rbs are in private hands The same man
las been superintendent since 1886 and be
tre ;hst was assistant superintendent from
I- o. 1886. while he at first came 20 the
works in 1865 Richmond has been nominally
I.mOcatic for years, vet rival factions have
- various times controlled the city without
injury @ tho gas-wOrks. In 1896 working
nen's Ii ket was elected and no employee was
discharged. When the regular Democratic
,arty returned 70 power ia 1888 about ten #
the one hundred OF more employees We're dis
charged FOR Offensive paTtissnship.' The
rtst continued at work. Still. II 70 admitted
boy the city officials that the employees are all
supposed 20 be Democrats. A complete
divorce from politics has not. Therefore. been
ecurcd but IN q city whore most OF the peO-
pic are 81 one party there is no difficulty m
securing good men from that party. and when
parties 10 change the chiefs in the Gas De
partment are retained and little harm results.
To IS 20 be hoped, however, that even the few
changes IN the minor Offices viii III time
ease.
POLITICAL TEST.
While the author met many in Richmond
Va0 held that minor employees should belong
the ruling party no one was found to advO-
cate fhe application Of the political test to the
r-sp.usible officers If this department. who
ytrt0rce must be specialists. and specialists
caunot be readily found every day IF a de-
SIZED political faith. u must be remembered
that most Of the intelligent and ruling class
ll size south are Democrats.
Only one tendency toward poor manage
mru' was discovered in Richmond. Rather
lrre men were employed than seemed ne
c,ssary and the City Council was said to be
"a little slow in making improvements in the
works lest some men he thereby discharged.
IH true this is could not be proven iuthe
short time az my disposal but every one
sgeet that the works were entirely free from
s.lclOu Of corrupt management. A search
D.. investigation ia 1885 Dy citizens COM
rree. induced by complaints Of bad gas re-
fe4ei no corruption or suspicion OF II, hut
SIMPLY lack Of sufficient street mains and
nfr apparatus OF manufacture. winch was
t,regpon remedied The Superintendent
f.fs that The wages Of the common lADOrer.
Il a day. are above the aversge in other en-
ll0yments. This failing il It be a falling. is
lu.te common in public works. Many con-
,idor 10 an advantage for public works thus 10
set the example Of good wages.
~ THIVAIf HANDS.
The present able Mayor Of Richmond Mr..
] TAYLOR EllysoD. Informed the writer IN de-
, led terms that from his wide acquaintance
with Virginia politics and ha is chairman of
the State Democratic committee he had be-
come convinced that there was far more cor
ruption and decentralization of politics pro-
auced by local mOuopohes IN private hands
than when owned By the public. as Id the case
iu four irginia cities hr. Ellyson held as
10 many thinkers that one Of the grave-t
dangers Of our institutions IS the corrupt con-
tlo II our city and State bodies by corpora
tons possessed or seeking 20 become pos
,e.-ed Of public franchises. The solution Of
,le serious problem seems 10 be in the as
sumption of such enterprises as fast as prac-
tcaba bv the public. Whatever may be true
of ltleT kinds Of business that are natural
-opolies. the supply If gas, water and cleo
,rc gifts by municipalities has been proven
t4cucable in Virginia wherever tried.
At THE CAPITOL