Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-20
IN INTERESTING SESSION
Of tie Council Commute on Ordinances,
Last Evening.

Last evening.
A Lively Debate Over the Pro-
posed Extension Of the Franchise
of the Manufacturers Natural
Gas Company, Ending in Re-
commentator to Reject the
Measure Several Other Matters
Of Moment Which Came Up for
Discussion and Action.
Last evenings session of the Council
Committee on Ordinances was a very in
teresting and important one.
The main business before the body was
the consideration of the proposed ordi-
nance amending and extending the fran
chise of the Manufacturers Natural Gas
Company. so as TO give that Company the
right 10 sell gas to a considerable number
of business Observation-Disclosures or not,
according to how you look at it-who are
not now customers of the Gas Company
and cannot be until there is some favor
able action by the City Council
Six members of the Committee were
present, with DR. Stathers in the chair.
A number of members of Council not on
the Committee were in the room, also.
The petitioning Company was represent
ed by Mr.. Rogers and \. J. Clarke, Esq,
the Natural Gas Company of West Vir-
ginia by Secretary Hare, and the Board
of Public Works by Messrs. Thompson and
schenk.
The proposed ordinance amending the
existing franchise of the Company, passed
April >, 1856, was read. as follows:
THE ORDINANCE.
Section l. Permission is hereby grant
ed the Manufacturers Gas Company 10
lay pipes in and under the streets aileEs
and public grounds of the city OF Nheel-
ing. for the purpose Of conducting nat
ural gas for heating purposes to the sew
eral manufactures owned ana operated 10y
Hobbs Brockunier IL Co, Wheeling iron
and Nail Company. The Wheeling rot
terry Company. Whitaker Iron Company
Wheeling Hinge Company, Norway rack
COMPANY Bodley Bros. Ewing x Blll
Lantern Company. and the La Belle iron
Works persons firms and corporations
engaged in manufacturing i'm the city OF
Wheeling. who have associated themselves
together as the Manufacturers Gas Com
pany,' and to the several manufacturers OF
other persons. firms and corporations en-
gagged in manufacturing in SAID CITY, ana
TO the several places of business OF any
other persons. firms and corporations i'm
said CITY for use and consumption at thelr
respective places of business, but not Tor
domestic or household consumption.
THE DEBATE.
Mr. Clarke followed with an eXplana-
ton of what his Company wanted and
why they wanted it. He thought the
Manufacturers Company ought TO be per-
mitted 10 dispose Of gas TO the class OF
business men mentioned in the proposed
amendment.
Mr.. Thompson. of the b. p. w, explain
ed the position of the Board. acting under
the opinion Of the City Solicitor. in re-
fusing permission of the Company to dig
up the streets.
Mr.. Hare objected for the Natural Gas
Company Of West Virginia. He said his
Company had an exclusive franchise, and
had paid the city of Wheeling very dearly
for il. and was still supplying the City
Hall and the crematory with free gas.
His Company had plenty Of gas-there
had never been any doubt of that for sew
erai months past. He did not see the JUS
tice of the city opening the door 10 cut
off customers after the Company had
given the city the equivalent Of $4,000.
Mr.. Clarke said the exclusive franchise
feature would cut no figure with Council,
since the Court of Appeals of this State
had held that no grant of an exclusive
franchise by a municipal corporation was
valid. He cited the Committee to the case
of Gas Co. " Parkersburg, 3oth w. Va.
and after briefly detailing the points i'm
the case. said that Council might look 1t
over with profit. He did not think that
either the Natural Gas Company of West
Virginia nor its counsel would regard the
exclusive franchise argument as tenable
ground. but whether they did or not, he
felt sure that the bar Of the county did
not His Company did not want TO come
into competition with the Natural Gas
Comanv OF West Virginia as TO the great
body Of IT'S business-its domestic consum-
cr-but n did desire TO compete with the
business consumption.
right Of the Wheeling Electrical Company.
against which the city of Wheeling APP
peared 20 be powerless TO sell electricity,
aud Mr.. Clarke retorted that the trouble
possibly lay in the fact that the city had
no authority in its charter TO sell cleo
tricity to domestic consumers.
Mr.. Thomas Britt moved that the Com
nittee recommend to Council that the or
dinance be rejected.
Mr.. Butts would like TO see them get
all the privileges anybody else has.
Mr.. Thomas Britt-Yes-make EN- pay
for en-, too.
Mr.. Butts-Yes. and then. it occurs to
me. there might be
A QUESTION OF DAMAGES
between the two Companies into which
the city might be drawn.
Mr.. Thomas Britt Ito Mr.. Butts)-You
have to pay for the privilege of mixing
mud on the streets don't YOU?
Mr.. Butts-Yes. The West Virginia
Company pays the city in the shape of
gas for the City Hall and crematory.
This Company ought to do something. and
besides, it don't appear to me to be alto
gether right to allow this Company TO
take customers from the West Virginia
Company through the action of the city.
All franchises ought TO be paid for; here
tofore we have been giving valuable fran
chises away for nothing. and when cor
porations get them. they abuse them
other cities get a revenue. while Wheel
ing gets nothing.
Mr. Thomas Britt-Its late DAY 10
digging up the streets, anyhow.