Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-03
FREE GAS ACCOUNTS, 1888.
Total ............ ....................S5.sA 10 /

Total ............ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS W
The present Board, in common with
the last two Boards, recognizes the ser
ious situation in which the light Depart
ment of the city government has been
placed. largely through the increased
use of electricity supplied by private
corporation, which has cut off from the
city scores of the best former custo-
mers of the gas works, while the cree
ton and operation Of private electric
light plants has aided in the heavy in
roads made upon the receipts Of the
works. while the lightning of the streets
by electricity. as a matter Of course,
has aggravated rather than lessened,
the burden on the works.
As matters stand at present the pn-
vate customers of city gas, in addition
20 paying their own gas bills and their
share Of city taxes, have to light the
streets of the city. free of cost ~ the
citizen VINO does not use gas, and also
foots the bill for more than $4,000 worth
of gas consumed by the city and various
charitable and semi-religiOus inStltu-
lions. Under these circumstances it is
not a wonder tha; the gas revenues are
not sufficient 10 meet the expenses, hut
it is rather a su1jec, for wonder that
they come as near paying experi's as
they do.
Let the reader who desires to know
The truth ABOUT ms little ma ar IN
ST ect a fact or lWO'--
We will take Nam street, for exam
pie, between Eleventh. and Twelfth
streets. In former years, all the bust
mass houses along Tho street were con-
sumers of city gas, and paid a round
sum into the gas Office annually. In
those days che streets were lighted by
gas. and these large customers of the
city aided, through the profit of the
works. in lighting the streets of the
cry. Now. almost without an eXcep-
ton. these business men burn electric
ily. furnished by the Wheeling Electro
cal Company, and thus the gas depart
ment not only loses the large sum they
annually paid for gas, but the cost of
lighting the streets. to which they for
merly contributed. is thrown back upon
domestic consumers in remote portions
Of the city. The same thing is true
along Market street, Twelfth street,
and other localities in the business part
of the city. where the bes, customers
of the gas works were formerly lOcated.
1t will thus be seen that the city has
lost its best patrons, while the electric
lighting of the streets falls nOt upon the
real estate owners and taxpayers gen
orally, as it should, but upon the do
nestle consumers outside the business
iii nj A.. Cf elppfripifyr
supplied by the city becomes more gen
eral this situation viii be aggravated,
until the point is reached, if il has not
already been reached, when the city will
have in simple justice, to pay for the
rec, lighting out of the general city
tire lsury, just as it pays for fire and
Police protection or any other general
service There is reall' no more req
son why the gas consumers should pay
for lighting the streets than that the
water consumers should pay the CITY
fremen, and the sooner Council recOg-
Mics the injustice and applies a rem
edy. the sooner The light department,
will be pulled out of the hole into which
IL was forced to fall through the growth
Of electric lighting by private Com
pany.
The Trustees last night disouSEed the
constantly increasing inr0ads of the
Electrical Company in all its bearings,
and concluded that sooner or later the
city would be forced to buy out the
Electrical Company or go into electric
lighting for itself. No matter what is
done. il is apparent, as it has been for
several years, that with scores and
hundreds of the best former gas con
sumers cut off. the domestic consumers
of city gas cannot longer pay the eX-
penses Of the works, light the streets,
public buildings. market houses, etc,
and supply free gas to lot of charitable
and quasi-relgious institutions. The
end is in sight, and the sooner this fact
is recognized the better for all con-
cerned.