The San Francisco call., 1896-11-18
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
Il. j. Smith Says Manager Rritton's
Letter on the Subject Was
Full of Mistakes


ALAMEDA, CAL, Nov. 1.-THE COM
munication of John A. Britton, manager
of the Oakland Gas, Light and Heat Com
pany, referred to in this mornings CALL,
has brought forth an answer from Ben
jamin ]. Smith. This gentleman takes
exception to NJ. Britton's statement,
which says:
\ The NJ managementof the city of Philadelphia
Works has been notoriously corrupt and offers
have been made to furnish gas 10 the city at g
much less price than that at which the city is
serving itself, and yet with coal and oil at its
doors, with labor so per cent cheaper than in
California, with a send out more than 1000
times greater than that of the city of Alameda
per diem, they are unable to sell it at less
than 81 per thousand.
In answer Mr.. Smith says:
The Philadelphia Gas Company is worked on
eight-hour shifts and is 80 per cent higher in
wages than is paid in Oakland or San Fran
cisco. The Philadelphia Gas Company in five
years has put into the city's treasury $5, ,403,-
90S over and above expenses and sells the gas
for 81. The companies in New York, Chicago.
San Fran cisco, Brooklyn and all big
cities sell their project for more than
a dollar and were never known to give up a
notoriously deceitful. Philadelphia buys
water gas from private company and pays 80
cents per 1000 feet for what ought to cost
only 20 cents. They use it for mixing. This
is corruption, and it is a notorious fact that
wherever public utility is furnished by a
private company corruption rules:
Mr.. Britton's assertion-that his COM
pany sell their prod uction cheaper than
anywhere in the United States-is an
swered in the following language:
The amount of oil and coal received by the
Oakland Gas Company is wei known. Very
little coal is used Nearly all oil gas is deliv-
cred in the holder, which does not cost over
% cents per 1000 cubic feet Experts say it
h<r fArE E0 M, III
feet, and thatprice would cover leakage, dis
tribution, taxes and political expenses. Ala
media now gives the Oakland Gas Company
some 500, 600 year, at least $4,000 too
much. If Alameda owned her own gas plant
and sold gas for 81 per 1000 feet, fuel, light
and heat would be nalf as cheap as it is now,
there would be ten times more gas used, and
so much money would flow into the city treas
ury that taxes would almost be unknown, and,
best of all, there would be one less corruption
fund
Refused to Accept 1t.
ALAMEDA, CAL, Nov. 1.-THE Joint
committee of the city of Alameda and the
Oakland Board of Trade on the harbor
question met last evening in the City
Hail, but the amended report made by
the mass.meetinF a week ago was not in.
dorsed. DR.. Mclean again brought up
some points that had been rejected at
each meeting and insisted upon their
adoption. They were again rejected, and
other questions which could not be salts.
factorily settled at that time were laid
over, to be taken up at meeting to be
held later in the week.
Alameda Brevities,
ALAMEDA, CAL, Nov. 17.-Alameda
Rebekah Lodge No. 107, 1. o. o. f.. will
give a hard-tme party in Armory Hall
Thursday evening, December 2.
The Board of Health has been requested
to investigate the sanitary condition of a
Chinese wash-house on Blanding avenue
and Park street. 1t is claimed that it is a
nuisance
The damage suit of A. d. Corvill and
wife against the Electric Railway Com
pany has been dismissed.