The age-herald., 1897-11-25
INVESTIGATION
 WAS BEGUN X Resolution Vas Passed by the Commit
 tee Last Night VERY UNCERTAIN IN TONE They Want Charges Preferred by Private
 Citizens. ALLEGATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE A Legal Authority Contends That There Is No Necessity For the Charges To Be Ret- erated-mayor Evans Opposed
 to the Resolution.
4 RESOLUTION.

ReSolUed, That loe in0ite any person or persons to present any charge or stdte- m ent shouting, or tending to shoac, that the Birmingham Gas Company hos Uio- lated its contract aoith the city, or dny settlement shouting, or tending to shoaU, that the present prices charged for gas by said compdny ere unreasonable, as aceU as any statement shouting, or tend ing to sto,C, qchat a0ilI be c reasonable price for gas iae Birmingham, said state- ment or statements to be ie aoriting and accompanied a0ith an offer to support the some by proof; be tt further
 ResoIved, That said charges are re- quested to be filed aUith the chairman of this committee, ct this office, No. 225 Twenty- first street, by 6 o'clock p. na. of the 26th iastaaat, copies of aUhich charges shaH be ct once furnished to the preSi- dent of the Gas Company; be it further
 ResoIUed, That this committee do noao adjourn to 7:3O p. no. on the 27th in- stunt, to meet at the City HalI, at aolich time hearing aUiU be had on said charges.
 The above Is the result of the first meeting of the special gas investiga- iron committee of tha city council held last night.
 There were present Chairman Walter Moore, Mel Drennen, w. J. Pierce, R. H. Kerr and Mayor F. V. Evans, who did not arrive until after the business of the committee had been transacted. J. J. Altman was prevented from being pres ent on account of illnsss and Mr. Ly- nagh was absent.
 The resolution was introduced when the meeting first convened. It was passed without discussion and without a dissenting vote. It had been pre- pared beforehand. Who had prspared it is not known. It was introduced by MT. Kerr
 MAYOR EVANS ARRIVES.
 Mayor Evans came in just as the meeting was about to adjourn.
 r'Let me see tine resolution" said he.
 It was llardsd him and he read it. After considering it for a few moments, he said:
 If I. had been here should have opposed it. If the gas company makes or 1000 per cent. profit, 1t is none of our busin:ss. The charge has been made that the gas company was break ing it's contract with the city. We were delegated to investigate this charge.
 He then attacked this clausa of the resolution: "Or any statement showing or tending to show that the present prices charged for gas by said company are unreasonable, or any statement showing or tending to show what will be a. reasonable price for gas in Birnling- ham,"
 Tn response Mir. Drennen sabd that he thought the contract with the gas com pany call fer gas at reasonable prices. Mir. Moore said that the resolution paved the way for amy investigation the committee might desire to make in the future.
 "The idea in passing that resolution" said MT. Pierce, 'is that if we find that the gas company is violating it's contract we can then make an Investigation as to whether the prices are unr5asonabgle."
 ORIGINAL RESOLUTION.
 City Clerk Camp was asked to get copy of the resolution creating the com mibtee, which is as follows:
 Resolved, That, whereas, it is publicly charged that the Birmingham Gas com pany has violated the agreement under which a franchise was granted to it, and, wh'ereas, it is stated that said company's charges for gas are unreasonably high, it is ordered that a committee of five mem bers of this board of which committee the mayor pro-tem, Walter Moore, shall be chairman, be appointed by the mayor