Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-01-05
NATURAL GAS.
TEE SUBCOMMITTEE OF COUNCIL TO GO TO
PITTSBURG,
Leaving at 7.2O this Morning-A Conference Las
Evening at the City Hall Il. R. Noise
the Exper; Selected.

This morning at 7:9O o'clock the Sub
committee Of the Natural Gas Commits
sion will leave for Pittsburg via. the
"Pewiky" Railroad, to have an extend
ed conference with the Directors and
officials Of the Gas Company. look over
their books, and obtain whatever data
is procurable bearing upon the situation
now existing between the city and the
corporation.
The subcommittee met last evening
at the Office Of the Water Board, there
being present COuneilmen Farrell, Cad
die and Jefferson, Mr. John H. Hall, Of
the Water Board, City Solicitor T. S.
Riley, and Mr.. 1. r. Noise, the expert
accountant selected by the committee,
There was general discussion Of the
whole situation among those present,
aud IL was the unanimous opinion OF
those expressing themselves, that the
trip could do no possible good, so far
as q mere examination of the books Of
Company was concerned, two or three
gentlemen believing that fully as much
information could be obtained at the
office Of the Company in this city, but it
was the general desire of the members
to see and have conference with Cap
tain Bachelor, as well as with Mr..
Heard and Mr.. Buchanan, and it was
felt that possibly such a conference
would result ia the establishment
Of more amicablo relations between the
city and the Company, and possibly
end in arriving &c an understanding, by
some sc-t Of a short cut" which would
settle tle matter In a manner SatiSiaC-
tory 70 I'll parties concerned.
During the discussion, the subject
OF the section in the West Virginia
Company ordinance, providing tor free
gas for the city came up, as IL had at a
previous meeting, when the repreSen-
tativeS Of the Company were present,
and Mr. Farrell produced and read the
original ordinance, submitted to COun-
eli in the interests of the Gas Company.
This ordinance provided for a maximum
price for gas Of 25c per 1000 feet, with
a reduction of one-half TO city buildings
aud works lin front of which the Com
pany laid down It's lines" He then read
the proposition laid before Council by
{. ID. Robbins, who fixed maximum
price Of 15c, guaranteed to have gas in
the city in one year, and proposed to
furnish the city with free gas. 1t was
then stated that the Robbins PROPOSE
tlon was accepted by the Gas Company
In lieu of their original terms, and Sec.
6 of the original ordinance was stricken
out and new section substituted, con-
tanning the l5c feature and the free gas
clause.
Mr.. Riley thought the Committee
could do little real good in Pittsburgh,
i'm the manner proposed. He thought
10 would be well TO 90 to the office Of
the Company in this city, look at their
monthly statements OF receipts and eX-
penditures, and then ascertain, in some
careful and thorough manner, just what
the Company's supply OF gas was, the
condition OF the gas field, whether all
the gas coming from the wells was be-
ing turned into the Wheeling pipes, or
q norton used elsewhere, whether
prouer effort had been made 70 get
more gas, etc, and with that informa-
ton, he thought the city would
be prepared to meet the
officials of the Company and talk bust
ness. He thought there was a middle
ground upOn which all the parties 70 the
controversy could get together ana
make some such arrangement, II one
was necessary by the facts, by Whlcl
the city could get 4 partial supply OF
gas. saw I'm the summer, when the DO
nestle consumption was very llght. lie
said this could be arranged without
working the. abrOgation OF the oruln-
auce. which would carry with 1t the 10
cent Limitation clause 20 domestic con-
sinners. as well as knocking out the city
eRtirelv. With the ordinance aoro-
Gated. consumers might be confronted
with a higher price for gas, the
CITY would no longer be an Inter
ested party TO fight the Company
M consumer could afford 10 do IL, and
tbe result would be detrimental TO the
whole gas.cousuming public. Il thlub
an agreement could be reached after
DroDer Investigation" said Mr.. Riley,
s.butif the Company is going TO stang
nv their uItimatum and cut oil the gas
a. an hazards. then no amount or IN
vestication by the city could do any pos
sibIe good. He also reminded the
Committee that representatives OF the
Company had said, at a previous meet
10 tbat they were not looking after
tbe Interests OF the domestic consumers,
hut we're after dollars and cents.
The discussion took a very "iue
range, aud was prolonged until n.ne
o'clock, at which time the Commlttes
formally decided to make the Trip EN-,
- md
Moved Mr.. Noise as the expert anu l'i
made other arrangements. Ihey VIII
meet at the ''Pewiky' depot at seven
o'clock this morning.