The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-24
THE CITIZENS
COMMITTEE
CONTINUED from PAGE u


written, and the injunctions of our courts
Notwithstanding; that il no other way
We're possible for them. that they will re-
fuse to pay Driver 4 Co. for gas de-
livered TO them and for which they have
received money in the past and may re-
ceive in the future, preferring rather to
bring suit against Mr.. Driver for an
alleged damage and by paying the moneys
due Driver q Co. into the courts. subject
10 final decision knowing that Mr..
Driver and his company could not
operate at the wells and continue to de-
liver gas for two or three years without
any returns whatever, pending this liti-
cation, and that in time he must fail,
through financial inability TO operate the
wells. 10 deliver gas 10 the light com
pany. This is the plan openly outlined
by the president of the London board of
this corporation. Mr.. Hilton.
II this corporation is so utterly without
regard for its own obligations, if it can
disregard the injunctions of our courts
on the one hand and use. them for the
carrying out of it's own acts of high
handed injustice on the other hand. and
really defeat justice by the machinery OF
the law. II We are to bow our heads
Whenever the president of the London
board bids US. let US know il now and
here. that We may govern ourselves ac-
cordingly.
The plea has been made that if the
citizens through their council refuse TO
grant the suggested amendment TO their
franchise, that this corporation will
cease to supply its consumers with ma
tural gas and that the city will thus be
deprived of this great natural advantage.
To this | can only urge that IL is better
to lose natural gas now than our free
dom forever. If the provisions of their
former franchise are now unSa tiSfactory.
do We know or can we be assured that
any amendment We may make now will
not become irksome in the future? II
this public servant, operating under
public franchise, is granted its present
nd wi he before
becomes our public master, If not die
tator absolute?
They claimed that the supply of gas
was so precarious that IL could not in
justice continue to supply the natural
article, but must resort to artificial They
admitted that there was at least one
producing well that was not connected
with the high pressure mains. The
reason for its not being connected being
that they had annulled the contract with
the company owning the well. If the
Electric Light company was acting con-
scientiously in sending the notice to the
consumer as they did, why did they not
at least avail themselves of all the gas
there was before claiming shortage? BY
cutting of the supply from the New
American company'S gas wells, were they
not themselves responsible for any short
age? For they have acknowledged that
all gas fields are subject to temporary
shortages. This we have from the state
mentS made by Mr.. Hayward, Mr.. Hilton
and Mr. Knapp, their eastern. expert
As regards the prices suggested by the
majority report, l am unalterably OPP
posed to them.
In considering the question we should
remember that when the present Gas &
Electric Light company erected and
maintained an electric light plant in di-
rect opposition to its gas interests. it did
so of its own volition. The progress or
the electric light rendered the artificial
gas plant of no value. They put in a
high pressure main from the gas wells to
the city, hoping TO make use of a plant
otherwise dead and get some return from
il. This was laudable as far as it went.
On the first introduction of the natural
gas II was expected. as stated by MI
Hayward. that as a lighting medium 1t
would be a failure and that consumers
would Immediately put in electric light.
To their disgust and material loss, the
light has proven to be of the highest class
electricity and put in the far cheaper and
better gas This is one of the sources of
all the trouble. The high pressure main,
We are told, cost $4,000. and is. so Mr..
Hilton says of the finest kind and laid
by experts from the east. specially i'm
ported for the purpose. Judging from
cursory inspection, am OF the opinion
that our local mechanics would have
done a better job.
Upon this dead plant. which they value
at $500 600. they now demand interest
and as much more as they can get. There
are only 500 consumers al the present
houses. If this business now in its in
fancy can be made to pay interest ct
this stage of its existence, Git already pays
operating expenses). what can
it be made TO do when the business is
increased as It can and ought to be?
When we remember that of all increased
business at least 90 per cent will be profit;
If we consider the figures submitted by
the Electric Light company. we shall find
that the cost of operation is only $500 per
month Ito which they add "one-third of
all rates. rents, taxes. ETC., $500 per
month, If this is q just proportion to
charge 10 the gas, l am much mistaken;
but allowing that the next charge is
$500 per month for maintenance Il
fetal planD- If they will live up to their
contracts and pay their contractors, this,
il appears to me. will be unnecessary
The item IN their estimate which must
be met above all is interest on the cost
Of construction of high pressure main.
30. coo at per cent. $500 per annum-
Since when has II become proper to
charge opera ting expense with the in
terest or cost of construction? To meet
these expenses they demand such an
to their franchise as will
yield them minimum revenue of $3.50
ger month after the cost of the gas IS
deducted: this based on the consumption
Of October last of 3. Ss4. coo cubic feet This
demand is backed up by the open declar-
alton that If this is not granted them. we
shall haze no natural gas.
l am willing 10 concede some cd-ance
above their present franchise, provided
that they shall act in good faith to-
ward the citizens. but such a demand as
the present 1 consider nothing short of
That they have acted and are acting in
good faith 20 the public. you may Judge
from the following letter:
Salt Ike City. Jan. :. 1897.
Captain Willard loung, Chairman Citi-
zens' Gas COMMITTEES. CITY:
Dear Strive think it well to draw your
attention to the fact that we are send
ing out our gas bills for December q
the 50 cent rate. We are aware that
under our own franchise we have not the
absolute right to charge more than so
cents per 1000 cubic feet for natural gas.
and we are not now working under the
franchise of the New American Gas and
Fuel company.
We had hoped that the gas question
would have been settled before the end
II December. so that the bills for De-
,ember could have gone out on a new
scale, or at ell events, that some com
promise could have been made to cover
he business for that month As il has
been impossible to do this.
We think that you win agree with us
hat IL would be misleading 10 the public
20 send out bills at the rate of 80 cents
Der LOCO and would only render our ne
yotiations more difficult TO complete
We trust. therefore. that we shall have
he support of your committee in adher-
ng 10 the 30 cents rate for the month of
December. and have deemed it right to
INFORM you of our action in this matter
n order that we may continue to work
n harmony with your committee. Yours
ruly. r. F. HAYWARD.
Manager.
So that although they admit they have
10 right to charge more than 80 cents per
600 cubic feet they proceed to send out
heir bills and TO collect them in spite
u the plain terms of their franchise. in
,pen disregard of the rights of the con-
llnerS Of common honesty even on The