Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-11-22

Fulton in. and supply you VITA wh&
gas YOU want. and sell the rest, / any
i'm Pittsburg. But l don't think uAe c'Iy
wants that done. I believe the peopies
want rs TO prosecute our business, II
there is any way OF doing L.
After some discussion about the ais,
tances gas is carried to Wheeling anu
Pittsburg. and a strong point mace Dy
Mr.. Heard that under the incentive VI
a good price in Pittsburg the Company
was going seventy miles after gas 20
TYLER county. the question OF the Legal
ity of the exclusive franchise was
brought I'D. and Mr.. Hearne cited inc
decision of the Supreme Court in the
Parkersburg case. as determining the
question that municipal corporations
had no right to grant exclusive iran
chises. This led up to the discussion
of the circumstances under which the
Wheeling Council granted the iran
cbise to the Gas Company, and during
it Mr.. Butts remarked:
q didn't vote that way. told you
addressing Mr.. Hearne) that you
couldn't. but you thought you could.
You voted for it, and l didnt, ana got
no stock"
Mr.. Hearne-I didn't know that any
member of Council got stock.
Mr.. Butts d-n sight of 'em got it.
Mr.. Hearne-I think there was no
foundation for that, unless they paid Tor
it.
Mr.. Butts-Well, that's what was
talked about at the time.
The Chair-If the exclusive right was
paid for, it was all right. II not, II may
not be right.
Mr.. Hearne-On the question Of eX-
elusive franchise, think it would be TO
the interests Of the city TO get that paper
out of the way. whether 1t is legal or
not. Suppose the Wheeling Gas Com
Danv. or some other Company wants TO
come in right away. 1t would take two
or three years to settle these legal ques-
lions. and in the meantime the new
Company could not sell its gas, and the
people would not get the benefit OF 1t.
There is q cloud on your title to that
extent. and we offer to take it away and
clear the table for new business. You
can limit the price for us, and also for
others, if they want to come in.
The Chair-Suppose we give you a
limit of 221Ac. and another Company
comes in and offers to sell for 15c., then
what?
Mr.. Heard-Why, they would have
right 10 90 it, and we would have 10
take that risk. The limit is in going
up. Competition will keep the rate
down.
Mr.. McKelvey-Was the supply of
gas greater when you made your con-
tract?
Nh Heard-Yes, four times as much.
Capt. OttO-There was never a gas
field yet. but what it declined?
Mr.. Heard-No; you can take it all,
Just as you can take all the coal, "
Put a limitation on us, and we will open
the door to anybody else to come in,
and will take the cloud off your title,
which might prevent others. Why, for
ell | know, the Wheeling Gas Company
rs now waiting to see what is going 10
be done. They are like everybody else.
Open the door to more gas. That is
what YOU Want-four or five times as
much as you have-and | believe it is
within twenty-five miles Of Wheeling
You made a mistake at first in asking
too much. but now you have a chance
to rectify it, and to ultimately get more
gas.
A general informal discussion, COW
ering a good deal Of ground, here en-
sued, and at the end of it the represen-
tatives of the Gas Company retired
The Committee discussed the question
among themselves for half an hour,
and it was apparent that there was a
general sentiment in favor Of altording
some relief to the Company, il it could
be done in justice to the city. At the
end of this discussion the Committee
invited Mr. Heard and his colleagues
back. and asked them to put propo-
sition in writing for the Committee,
and then an adjournment was taken IN
til December I'd.