The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1895-10-12
Between tho City and Natural Gas
CompanyP
Mr.. HEARD CLAIMS IT IS NOW VOID,
Because OF Acts Of tho City Council
Several Years ago-AI Informal
Conference Between tho City Health
board and General Manager Hoard
Yesterday Alternoon-Tho Gas 90 DO
kept on at tho CremStopy -

to confer with General Manager Heard,
Of the Natural Gas Company Of West
Virginia, relative to tho turning oil Of
the gas supply at tho city garbage
crematOry. OF the committee Messrs,
staLhers, chairman, McKaIYoy, Ebeling
and Farrell were present, aud Health
Officer JepsOn aud City Solicitor Boyca
also attended, while the gas company
was represented by Mr., Heard and Mr.,
Hare, OF the local office.
Before the gas CompRny's representa-
tiYca entered, Solicitor BOYca said II
was his opinion that before any confer
enca was entered into, the committee
should insist on having the gas turned
| on again. There had been talk OF
suit to compel the gas company to OBJ
sorve tho terms OF tho contract, no said,
aud 80 far as that was concerned II
would DO perhaps better for the city 10
10 into court with the gas turned oil,
but hs thought /. would be better 20
refuse TO treat with the company, I'M
loss tho gas was lirst turned on again.
Mr.. Ebeling moved that the commit
tee act on the advice ol the solicitor,
aud this was adopted,
When Mr.. Heard appeared ho was in
formed OF this action. lie said the com-
pany had no desire to OmbarTasd the
operation OF so important q thing as
tho garbage cremRtory, and no would
agree to furnish gasto burn the garbage
as fast aS possible. II would either DO
furnished on warm days, when the
other demands for Eaa wero light and
tho surplus strong, or at DighE, when
there was nearly always gas to spare.
DR.. Jepson asked II Mr.. Heard would
agree TO promise this as permanent
arrangement, and he answered that lie
would not; that It would not DO safe 10
promise any such thing. Oasis getting
too scarce to uso for such purposes.
The supply is growing daily less and
lssI. He mad served notice on Mr.
parko of the North wheeling glass
works, and on the ens pottery which
tho company had been furnishing, that
they would have to make other ar.
rangements for their fuel supply, and
they were shifting to coal as fast as they
conveniently could do so,
Sooner or later, Mr.. Heard continued,
there would be no gas to furnish to tho
crematory, aud when that condition
arose, tho existence Of contract would
not make much difference in the fuel
supply. mo contract entered into by
mortals will affect the acts OF God, said
Mr.. Heard. SooaeE or later there will
be no gas he had brought the matior
forward now because II was a good time
for the city to prepare for an emer.
gency which must be met later.
Dr. Siathors asked ii the company
would be willing to waive itI exclusive
franchise and permit competition.
"Ycs," Mr.. Heard responded with
alacrity. I'VE will gladly waive any
contract rights Of that kind and throw
the gates wide open, so that all corners
NAV stand on an even footing. be.
lieye that il the solution oil this problem,
Let evory person who has gas to sell
conduct business in the city Is ho would
conduct any other business"
lie went on 10 say that the seemingly
General idea that tho company had q
very iat monopoly was dolusion. In
tho early history OF the company that
llllUINHNANu Alb NV GGuAl ~ AAANAHNeA'
bic, but any hopes based on such an
idoa soon wont gtimmafing, The com.
pauy did its beet to live up to its part
OF the contract, and the city aud its cil.
zaua had received great profit and al.
vantage. Tho company had had tho
short aud OF Il, and would be glad to
waive It's franchise and enter into open
competition. The natural difficulties
in the way of furnishing As well as secut-
ing supply oil Gas wore really the only
protection tho company had had IN lis
sG.callCd exclusive franchise.
Or. Jcpson asked why tue company
had not notified the proper city officials
OF the intontion IN turn oil tho gas.
Because, Mr. Heard answered, that
would not have relieved the situation,
THE city would not have turned oil
the gas, would iti'
Somebody answered, "Lihcly not"
Mr.. Heard said no hoped ;hsrc would
DO no feeling in the matter. There was
no occasion for any. 1t was on both
sdes n purely practical matter. The
city had already had tho advantage Il
FREQ gas at tho cromatOry for nluo year,,
| which amouBted to 4 coH' idoFable item,
Dr.. JepIon rsmjn dc1 him that in con.
siderat!on Of furnishing fuel at tho Gre.
matory tho comptny had been relieved
Of a Contrac, to furnish the public
schOola with free fuel, but Mr.. Heard
responded that 1t was not q question Of
what Was in tho contract, but oil what
was possible to DO d0uc.
Dr. Jepson called attention 10 tho i'm.
portanco nj this Benson, and this yonr,
oil all 0thorR, OF having prompt aud
efficient means OF destroying tho refuse
aud 9Th Of the city.
Mr. Heard said he would agree 10 do
all tho company could to help the CITY
out In this regard, and ho would prom.
isO TO furnish fuel whenever Rt oil
practicable up to December !. lie
hoped the committee would look NJ tho
matlur from tho company side, aud
consider what 1t had already done for
tho community.
Dr. staihrfa fa,d whom two partips
entered into formal contract I. was
supposed to rest on business prinCplo',
Ia which Mr., Heard totorlod that tue
city had wip0l out tho contract, II any
roally over existed, by passing four or
I've wears ngO tho asilo ordinance, and
another granting tho right ol way to tho
Citizens Gas Company. The tact that
neither ordinance over amounted TO
anything did not attor tho legal phase
OF thOm.
Thoro was Bomc aldo talk about the
probability Of Bew supplies Of eas from
recently developed folds, but Mr. Hoard
did not hold out apY hope Of an ado.
qunlu BupplH
Mr. Boyci suggested that tho discus.
sion was rallor prodtl1l,. Tho pond.
ipt, ,t,,,,ii,r .,tu,rI 4, brm1iulv IA la.