The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-11
WANT DOLLAR GAS
OR THE REASON WHY
M. Newman Must Furnish Some
Figures.
THE PEOPLE ARE AROUSED
The Company is Behind in the Methods
Of Gas Making.
IF 1T CANNOT EARN A PROFIT AT 81
Mr.. Roden viii Appear Before the lnvestigat-
ing Committee Monday Nlght-A His
tory of Gas Making in Birming-
ham Council Proceedings,
IF 1T CANNOT EARN A PROFIT AT 81
PLAIN PROPOSITION.

AfT. NStOHtuU SJyS U6 tUttt UOC cOuoeHc
to a reduction of the price of gas. He
says the profit is so small that by doing
so he aoould lose on has Investment.
VIII DIR. NeaUman furnish the people
aoith something tangible something be-
sides his mere assertsonP VIII he fur
mish the people aoith a statement Of the
cost Of makings
Wiu he present facts and figures so
that the people can see for themselves
that the Gas Company cannot really
afford to Ioa0er the price of gas. If Mr..
Ne,Dman aUiIl furnish such q statement,
borne out By the facts, Everyone aoiIt be
satisfied.
No one vans to see the Birmingham
Gas company lose money.
The people do not believe it will do
so by furnishing dollar gas.
If the Birmingham Gas company can
not furnish gas at 81 per thousand and
make good profit then it is very far
behind in the methods of gas making.
Other companies are furnishing it even
cheaper and making a proffs. 1t reflects
bad generalship upon the part of the
Birmingham concern if 1T cannot do so.
It is the course generally pursued by
monopohes to hold out in high-handed
and arbitrary methods until forced to
yield by she sheer indignance of THE
people.
The people hoped for a better spirit to
be manifested by the authorities of the
Birmingham Gas company. But from
The interview with Isidore Newman
printed in The Age-Herald, it appears
that the company will follow in the
footsteps of others.
Until Mr. Newman shows the people
why and how the company will lose
money by reducing the price of gas, they
will not be satisfied. In the face of the
testimony that the Birmingham Gas
company is making a big profit, Mr..
Newman's simple assertion amounts 10
nothing.
The people know without being told
that this is the most favored section
in the world in regard to coal. Birming
ham boasts of furnishing the cheapest
of coal 10 the world. The gas company
does not pay but so or 80 cents per ton
for coal. Others pay this, and the man
ayers of the gas company are too well
versed in business affairs to pay more.
1t makes more than As per cent on
kon of COAL 1t has the bi-products, from
which profit is derived Then does 1t
stand to reason that the Birmingham
Gas company cannot make a profit on
dollar gas?
INTERESTED IN BIRMINGHAM
Mr.. Newman is interested in Birming-
ham in more ways than one. Neither he
nor others of the gas company have ever
undertaken to controvert the figures
printed in The Age-Herald. Hundreds
of people have protested against the
outrageous charges of the gas company
Mr.. Newman should pay Birmingham
visit He should talk with the people
and then he would find out that they
were in dead earnest in their demand
for dollar gas. Mr.. Newman is interest
ed in Birmingham to the extent that he
should desire to see the city prosper
There is no greater detriment to pros
perity chan the charging of outrageous
prices for gas.
The gas committee will meet Monday
night. Mr.. Altman has handed in the
name of b. f. Roden to be- summoned
with several other gentlemen.