Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-04-15
Ot.pIN Gas f,OupxNy An mr.


dinance passed Feb. %. 1895. granting
a fif;y-year franchise. subject to all
general ordinances regarding gas com.
panies then I'm force. the company
agreeing to charge a fixed maximum
price Of 30 cents per 1000 cubic feet
to general consumers and Is cents to
the city. or $40 per annum for each
street lamp consuming four cubic feet
per hour. including the labor of light
ing and cxtinguishing the same. the
city expressly reserving its require
ments of this labor as part of the con.
sideration for the ordinance; also that
the company shall pay the city not less
than 3ls per cent of its gross receipts;
make statement annually under oath
of its gross receipts to the Comptroller,
who shall have free access to its books
ut all times: submit its meters to in
spection and quality of gas to test. as
prescribed; expend on its works mt least
100000 within twenty-four months
from acceptance of ordinances: manu-
facture and distribute five million feet
of gas every thirty days within three
years from date of acceptance: and the
ordinance prescribes as accepted that
the price to consumers shall never ex.
coed the rate prescribed by the ordin.
ancc: that the company shall not
charge any person for service pipe, but
shall lay the same mt It's own expense,
and the company agrees and did give
bond of 100000 as surety that all the
provisions Of the ordinance shall be
faithfully carried out, under unlimited
liability for damages. and that ut the
expiration of the life of the ordinance
the city shall have the right of fran
chisc at an agreed appraised value.
CHICAGO ECONOMIC FUEL GAS
COMPANY.-An ordinance passed
July 81. 1891. conveying n franchise for
fifty years for the supply Of both man
ufactured and natural gas, upon the
same general provisions and require.
ments governing the other companies.
especially the provision Of Section ~.
which provides that in ease the said
company should at any time in any
manner enter into combination Ill.
rpctly or indirectly with any other gas
company. its ordinance and privileges
should become null and void and all
rights revert to the city without refer.
encc to any court or legal appeal. The
company agreed to charge for illumi-
mating gas S1.1O per 1000 cubic feet.
with 10 cents reductions per 1000 feet
for prompt payment. ana 10 cents per
1000 for natural ana fuel gas. with
10 cents reduction for prompt payment:
agreeing and contracting also to pay
the city , per cent on gross receipts
from illuminating gas and 8 per cent.
on gross receipts from sale of natural
or manufactured fuel gas. and to fur
nish gas to the city for $3.50 per street
lamp post per year.
on THE 10Th DAY OF FEBRU.
AIRY. 1892. a preamble and resolution
was passed by the City Council. re-
pcaling the above Chicago Economic
Fuel Gas Company ordinance. ana
declaring all pipes and connections in
the streets of the city to bc city proper.
~, In accordance with the provisions
Of the ordinance regarding forfeiture.
and upon the ground that Il majority of
the stock of said company had passed
into the hands of the Gas Trust.
THE OGDEN. II Is now currently
reported. and there are grounds for be.
lief. that the Ogden Gas Company has
entered upon u contract with the Gas
Trust agreeing not to extend Its plant
or pipes any further for a period Of
three years.
ALL EvADE THE LAW. All of the
above companies and corporations
have evaded the plain letter and legal
requirements of their franchises and
by the terms Of said franchises have
forfeited every right AMI privilege con-
tractcd for with the city and conveyed
Professionally by ordinance.
VIOLATE FRANCHISES. II IL pro-
vided In an ACT regulating the condi.
lions for the granting of rights and
privileges for lighting anu heating pur-
poses by cities. also passed by the late
4OTH ASSEMBLY. mat no gas COM
pnny In future shall be granted privi-
legcs of building or extension of mains
and pipes, except they secure petitions
signed by owners Of more than one
half the frontage Of each mile and frac.
ton of mile of any street or alley
which requirement. Is designed to pro.
tect the merge companies In their ille-
gal evasion of contract obligations
and prevents any competition, through
the organization and operation of new
companies. now ana forever In the fu.
t,ire. ana said ACT Is directly In con-
fllct with the ordinances passed and
franchise contracts mutually entered
into by the city ana gas companies.
which latter gained valuable rights
ana privileges thereby. and whose du-
ties ana obligations. as well as the
rights of the city and of It's citizens, are
therein specified, reserved and pre-
scrlbed.
CAN RAISE THE PRICE. The IN
FAMOUS "GAS CONSOLIDATION"
ACT provides that after one year the
GAS TRUST may charge any rate
charged by any company with which
merger or consolidation Is made. as.
for instance, with the PEOPLES GAS
LIGHT AND COKE COMPANY,
which has perpetual franchise from
the State and may charge as much as
S2,I5 per 1000 cubic feet 10 the city
and 81 per 1000 feet to general con
sumers thencefOrth and forever.
SUPREME COURT AGAINST