The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-03
NATURAL GAS FREE
10 What tho Company Must Con-
tlnuo to Furnish to
THE PUBLIC WORKS OF THE CITY.
The Natural Gus Committee Holds
It's Last scssion..-aIr. Hoard Re-
fuses 10 Guarantee the Price OF
Natural Gas to tho, Consumor..-Tho
Committee Rejects the Company's
Request.


tho obligation to furnish natural gas
free to tho city water works, gas works,
crematory, tho city building and tho
engines aud school houses has boon re.
jcctGd.
AT the meeting OF tho general natural
gas committee, composed OF the council
committee on health, and thcwatcr and
pas boards, thoro wero present Mcssrs.
Mortimer and Julius Pollock, DR.. Camp
bell, William Irwin, p. +. Farrell, ]. A.
Jefferson, Craig and 0'Leary. There
was no quorum present. and while ono
went out and t~clephoncd iot the absent
ones, DR.. Campbell moved that tho
members prescott consider tho matter,
formulate \ recommendation to DO
made to council, and request the other
members to sign 1t. 1t was impossible
to gct 4 quorum, tho doctor claimed,
and the matter ought TO be settled.
Mr.. Farrell, OF tho members OF
the subcommittee that went to Pitts
burgh, made n report OF tho colnmittce's
trip. At the close OF Mr.. ForrGlla talk
Chairman Mortimer pollack suggested
that Mr.. Noise, tho accountant who
accompanied the subcommittee to
Pittsburgh, read the report he had pre-.
pared, and which has already been
printed in tho ISrELLIGENCEH.
Mr.. Irwin called tho chairman's attcn
ton 10 the fact that no quorum was
present, and suggested that tho COM
mittce wait until q representative OF
the board OF gas trustees arrive. A
telephone message was received that
MI. DunIcyy, of'tho board OF gas trus-
tees, was on his war to the city build.
ing. Mr.. Noise then read the report.
Mr.. Farrell moved that Mr.. Heard,
the manager OF tho company, be given
the floor, and Mr.. Heard delivered 4
few remarks. They we're on tho same
line as those made by him at the meet
ings of the subcommittee which have
been held during the last lew weeks.
Mr.. Julius Pollock asked Mr.. Heard il
he would agree to
GIVE TIE CITY FREE las
in tho event that n new gas well,
with heavy pressure, should come in.
Mr. lleardreplied that in that event the
cost OF laying the pipe to tho now field,
and the amount the company would
have lost through tho poor supply OF
gas, certainly should be rccompensed
to the company.
Then" said Mr.. Pollock, "if you
strike a gas field that would enable you
to sell gas to the manufacturers, you
would not agree to furnish the city free
gas?"
Mr.. Mortimer Pollock asked what the
cost OF the pipe and the cost of laying it
down had amounted to, up to tho time
the company started in to do business.
In explaining this, the question OF how
the capital stock was paid in came up.
MIR. Noise told about the leases on
OF! and gas territory, for which the gas
company had paid 100000 in stock.
Mr.. Heard explained the whole mat
Ter, and claimed that it was an honest,
Straightforward business transaction,
and the only one by which the Natural
Gas company OF West Virginia had
made money.
The original proposition submitted
by the company to the committee, was
produced by Chairman Pollock from
hls pocket, where he had kept it safe
oil these weeks, and Mr.. Hcard amend
edthe original proposition, SO as to
agree to furnish gas to the crematory
until September.
MIR. Julius Pollock thought it was no
moro than fair that-the school and en-
g!nc houses and tho uublic building
should continue to be heated by gGs, ii
the crematory, water and gas works
were taken off.
Mr.. Heard was aalledi ii tic company
would not at some time or other
RAISE TIE PRICE OF GAS
to the domestic consumer. MIR. Heard
replied that it might, il it found the
present price OF gas too low.
City Solicitor Riley disputed the pos.
s!oility OF tho annual running expenses
Of tho company amounting to $4,000
per annum, but Nh. Heard claimed the
company had drilled on lin average nine
wells per year at an average cost OF
$1,000 each, and that the annual run.
nlns expenses would surely aggregate
IN. amount claimed by him.
In reference to Mr.. Dunlovy's ,propo.
sliioa that the company agree to not
ASK more than Is cents for gas Mr..
heard replied that if the company ever
wanted more than Is cents it would
ior it.
Mr.. Farrell-"You are asking us to
MAKE you a present OF $4,000 per year,
as that is what you value theigus at that
you furnish the city"
Mr.. Acard-"We are not asking for q
Present OF $4,000"
Inc committee went into executive
Session and the representatives OF the
company withdrew. Mr.. Riley was re.
gne5tcd to read tho opinion prepared
y nm and Judge Melvin, which ro.
guest he complied with.
VNc member stated that the company
tt'aiincd to have cut of gas from several
M,Tctorles,, which were still running iull
vast, and were not therefore cut of, as
.IlNG by the company. Mr.. Heard's
refusal to enter into mn agreement not
10 raise the price OF gas TO tho consumer
was commented upon. After q long dis
egsslon OF the proposition 4 motion was
"uopted to reject tho proposition OF the
natural gas company. 1t now remains
" DO seen whether tho company will
garry into execution its threat to shut
VIC gas otr entirely from the city.