Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-09-09


panies then in force, the company
agreeing to charge fixed maximum
price of 90 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 extinguishing the same, the
city expressly reserving Its require
lnents of this labor as a part of the con.
sideration for the ordinance; also that
the company shall pay the city not less
than 3ih per cent of its gross receipts;
make a statement annually under oath
Of its gross receipts to the Comptroller,
who shall have free access to It's books
Mt all times; submit It's meters to In.
spection and quality Of gas to test, rs
expend on Its works at least
100000 within twenty-fOur months
from acceptance of ordinance; 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-
ance; that the company shall not
charge any person for service pipe. but
shall lay the same Mt its own expense,
and the company agrees and did give
bond Of 100000 as surety that all the
provisions of the ordinance shall be
carried out, under unlimited
for damages, and that Mt the
expiration Of the life Of the. ordinance
the city shall have the right of fran
clise at an agreed appraised value.
CHICAGO ECONOMIC FUEL GAS
COMPANY.-An ordinance passed
July 81, 1901, conveying q franchise for
fifty years for the supply Of both man.
and natural gas. upon the
same general provisions and require.
ments governing the other companies.
especially the provision Of Section ~,
which provides that in case the said
should at any time in any
manner enter into combination Ill.
rectly or Indirectly with any other gas
Its ordinance and privileges
should become null and void and all
rights revert to the city without refer.
cnce to any court or legal appeal. The
agreed to charge for illuml.
mating gas $1.1O per 1000 cubic feet,
with 10 cents reduction per 1000 feet
for prompt payment, and 20 cents per
1 900 for natural and fuel gas, with
10 cents reduction for prompt payment;
agreeing and contracting also to pay
the city 3 per cent. on gross receipts
from Illuminating gus 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 GOTH DAY OF FEBRU.
AIRY, 1902, a preamble and resolution
was passed by the City Council, re-
pealing the above Chicago Economic
Fuel Gas Company ordinance, ana
all pipes and connections In
the streets Of the city to be city proper
ty. In accordance with the provisions
Of the ordinance regarding forfeiture,
and upon the ground that a majority Of
the stock Of said company had passed
into the hands Of the Gas Trust.
THE OGDEN. 1t is now currently
and there are grounds for be.
lief. that the Ogden Gas Company has
entered upon a contract with the Gas
Trust agreeing not to extend Its plant
or pipes any further for period Of
three years.
ALL EVADE THE LAW. All Of the
above companies and corporations
have evaded the plain letter and legal
Of their franchises and
by the terms Of said franchises have
every right and privilege con-
tracted for with the city and conveyed
Professionally by ordinance.
VIOLATE FRANCHISES. 1t Is pro.
vided In an ACT regulating the condi.
tons for the granting Of rights and
for lighting and heating pur.
poses by cities, also passed by the late
40TH ASSEMBLY, that no gas com.
pany In future shall be granted privi.
leges Of building or extension Of mains
ana pipes, except they secure petitions
signed by owners Of more than one.
half the frontage Of each mile and frac.
ton Of q mile Of any street 0: alley,
which requirement Is designed to pro.
tect the merge companies IN their lille.
gal evasion Of contract obligations,
and prevents any competition, through
the organization and operation Of new
companies. now and forever In the fu.
tnre. and said ACT IL directly In con.
filct with the ordinances passed and
franchise contracts mutually entered
into by the city and gas companies,
which latter gained valuable rights
and privileges thereby. and whose du-
ties and obligations, as we'll as the
rights of the city and Of its citizens, are
therein specified, reserved and pre-
scribed.
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 rs
1913 per 1000 cubic feet to the city
ana 50 per 1000 feet to general con-
sumers, thenceforth and forever.
SU PREM COURT AGAINST
THEM. The Illinois Supreme Court
has held and decided that an ordinance
granting franchise privileges is con-
tract by mutual consent, and the rights