The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-03
MUNICIPAL GAS PLANTS.
Vienna to Make the Same Experiment
Now in Progress in German Cities.

Now In Progress in German Cities.
AS many as 40 German cities owned
at the beginning Of 1893 their gss
plants, and while a few of them showed
profit in operation, the majority of
them didn't. In 1883 the corporation Of
Berlin granted to private company a
franchise to supply electric lights. The
principal streets are Illuminated by
electricity, but it was deemed too ex-
pensive a system to adopt by the gen
eral consumer, and these are furnished
with gas by a company which pays a
profit to Berlin of about $l,500OO0 a
year. Now Vienna Is about to embark
in similar speculation in the fine of
state cooperation, and the municipal
administration of the Austrian capital
Is to lay Its own gas pipes and erect it's
own gas retorts. It is hoped to have the
works for the manufacturing and sup
plying of gas for its citizens finished by
March. 1899, when the present contract
between the gas company and the city
expires. The gas company has charged
91a kreutzers (3H cents) cubic meter
for gas furnished to private parties, !
kreutzers {2.S cents) for street lighting
and kreutzers for municipal buildings.
A monthly rent has also been charged
for gas meters. The Vienna city au-
thorities began negotiations looking to
the purchase of the plant. Thirty-five
million forms was the first price asked
by the company for its gas works. This
was in time reduced to 10000, 900. u.s.
100000 and finally to 10000, O00 all of
which offers the city declined to agree
to, until finally all negotiations were
broken off and the city began to lay
it's own pipes. This arrangement has
been expensive to both parties. With
the expiration of the contract, the old
plant will be almost a dead loss to the
mi u \
cost the city more than the price asked
for the old plant. A commission APP
pointed by the city to investigate the
cost of production Of gas has reported
that the city will net clear profit of
more than 100000 forms ($l,216, 500)
annually. should the price of gas be the
same as the existing company is by con-
tract permitted to charge Neverthe-
less it Is pointed out that the govern
ment is paying more for the new mains
than the former works were capitalized
at, and that government control of gas
works is quite certain to be more ex-
pensive in the item of salaries than un-
der private control
The city of Paris is supplied by a
private company which divides its
profits with the municipality, as a con-
sideration for the franchise. Paris has
10000 street lamps; London has 10000
London gas works are owned by private
corporations requiring in a year an out
lay for expenses of nearly $4,000. It
is, however, not necessary to go to Ber-
lin or Vienna, London or Paris for an IL
lustration of the workings of municipal
ownership of gas plants, for there is an
example much nearer home and much
less encouraging in sundry aspects in
the city of Philadelphia, where the gas
WORKS have entailed enormous expenses
upon the taxpayers and in which the
quality furnished has been inferior.
Many of the alleged profits of municipal
gas operations by cities abroad, are fic-
utlous. A company is exempted from
taxes; it is relieved from water rates;
occupying public property, 1t pays TO
rent, and 1t has the free assistance of
many many public OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES York
Sun.