The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-31
roo MUCH WATER IN THE COMPANY

dollar gas"
The people of Birmingham are cry
ing out for cheaper gas.
you are on the right line. We should
have cheaper gas"
'iThe present price is exhorbitant."
"Why should we pay so per csnt mora
for gas in Birmingham than Atlanta
pays?"
''rhe gas company should be forced to
lower it's prices"
Such ordinations were heard all over
reporter.
The people are beginning to be arous-
ed to the necessity Of having the usual
household conveniences at the price such
conveniences are furnished to other
cities. They see no reason why gas for
lighting purposes in Birmingham should
cost $1.65 thousand while Atlanta pays
only 81 thousand for gas. Hundreds
of cities throughout the north and south
get gas for dollar thousand and must
transport coal hundreds of miles. Yet
Birmingham, nesting in the midst of
coal mines, must pay so per cent more
for its gas. The gas company's char
ter obtained from the city for thirty
years provides that the schedule of rates
shall be readjusted every ten years and
be made to correspond to surrounding
ci,iss. Tie next time for readjustment
is 1901. Under the present regulations
the company contracts to charge the
city one dollar per thousand feet and
the individual consumer, for lighting
purposes, $1.4S yet the gas company bills
are printed $1.65 a thousand feet and
are figured out that way The provis-
| ion is printed on the bill that If paid be-
| fore the tenth of the month 10 per cent
| will be deducted. This brings the price
down to $1.4S1s per thousand.
1t is held by many citizens that If the
city gets gas for ONE dollar, the private
| consumer ought ito get it for one dollar.
| The city only uses it for public buildings
street lamps having been abandoned
| long ago.
When seen by reporter of The Age
| Herald, MIR. B. F. Roden, general man.
ager of the gas company, said the price
| of coal had little to do with the price of
| gas; that in other cities a better price
| is gotten for coke than in Birmingham.
| Mr. RIDDEN insisted that the gas COM
| pany is not charging too much for it's
product, and explained that they charg
| people who used gas for cooking pur-
| poses one dollar a Thousand.
| Yet those who use gas for lighting pur-
| poses must ray So per cent. more.
"lI seems that the gas company has
to pay dividends on hundreds of thou
| sands of dollars of watsred stock" said
a well-known Citizen yesterday. "The
company has 100000 of first mortgage
bonds outstanding, and 100000 of stock.
| Thus it has to pay dividends ON 100000
Yet the entire property of The gas com-
| pany is turned in for tax assessment to
| the city at $2S,00o Probably the differ
| enc4 between the tax return made by the
company and the total issue of stock and
| bonds is the water in BIT, on which the
| people must pay dividends. That is the
difference between $4,000 and 100000.
| Yet "a well-knowm banker of Birmingham
| is said to have off red the present COM
| pany 100000 for its property, which Of
| fer was refused
| Everybody agrees that the price Of
| gas Is Loo high in Birming CHAM. Instead
of bringing people here to make this city
their home, the high price of gas is like
| ly to drive them away.
Atlanta has dollar gas. Atlanta has
| $4,000 people.
| Danville Va, has dollar gas. Danville
| has 10000 people.
Detroit, Mich, has dollar gas; Indian
apolis has dollar gas; Cleveland, O., has
dollar gas, and scores of othar cities
have moderate priced gas. Why not