The age-herald., 1900-06-24


 The report of the joint committee of the Board of Aldermen in making a thirty year contract for gas for the city and citizens of Birmingham, given in The Age Herald, was the subject of much com ment yesterday.
 The sentiment gathered by Age-Her- aid reporters was strongly against any
 such long contract at high prices. Such adjoining cities Atlanta. knoxvihe' Nashville and Richmond are now getuhg gas at $1 per thousand cubic feet Chatta- nooga is supplied with gas at from sl 10 | $1.3O, depending upon the quantity used. | If these cities can get gas at $1 per thous- and feet the citizens of Birmingham see | no reason why they should be tied up in | a contract by which it will take them l twenty-five years to get dollar gas. Mayor Drenuen's Plan l Mayor Drennen said yesterday that he 1 had voted in the committee in favor of the contract because of the great induce ment offered as part Of that contract; namely, that the city had the option until April l. next, to buy the existing gas plant for $650 GOO, and pay for the same in , per cent, thirty-year bonds.
 "I am In favor of municipal ownership of the gas supply said Mayor Drennen, "and I believe that the terms offered in connection with this contract will prove of advantage to the city. l believe that the city should purchase the gas plant and issue for the same 900 Of thlrty-year , per cent. bonds. I understand that the l gas plants receipts for last year amounted l to something like S72.000 The interest on 1 sGj0,OoO of per cent bonds would be $S25oo 1 a year. If the plant were at all econo- | mically managed 1t could not only pay in- | terest on the bonds and operating expenses | but earn a surplus besides, and believe | under this arrangement the citizens could 1 be furnished with gas as cheaply as any
 other city in the south-perhaps cheaper "As to the other contracts with the Gas Company. or, indeed, as to any contract, I simply desire to do that which the cti- zens of Birmingham want. l should be glad to have expression of opinion from the people I am glad that The Age-Her- aid took the position 1t did this morning, because it has already caused much com- ment, and I believe will lead to a full and free expression of opinion, by which tho full Board of Aldermen may be guided in it's acts
 Expccs.inns from Citizens Many prominent business men expressed themselves antagonistic to any sucn long-ti contract as is proposed. They would prefer that no contract be made on the part of the city. They believe that if, for no other reason, competition will bring dollar gas to Birmingham in very short time.
 | Knoxville, which is smaller than Bir- | mngham, and not so near the coal fields, gets gas at a dollar thousand, and citi- zens here see no reason why Knoxville should be on a better basis than Birming- ham.
 President Roden of the Gas Company was asked for statement in regard to the matter yesterday, but replied that he had
 nothing more to say than he had stated to
 the committee of the Board of Aldermen
 Alderman Kerr when seen stated that
 every one knew how he had voted, and
 that he had no other statement to make.
 alderman iieiI.' E Views
 Alderman Heidt said: 'I wanted short
 CT term contract than thirty years, and
 wanted the controct to start with $1.30 gas
 instead of $1 40 gas The Gas Company's original proposition included 50-year con-
 tract. l have been in correspondence with
 the authorities of many cities, and while in some places the prices for gas are lower
 than the prices agreed upon by our com- mittees, the conditions obtaining here are
 such as to make the terms to be recom-
 mended to the Council Monday night rea-
 sonable; certainly not unreasonable. Att lanta has $100 gas, but when that S1.00
 contract was made coal was much cheap-
 CT than it is now. The Atlanta company is
 sick enough of It's H.00 business.
 q looked at the Birmingham Gas Com-
 pany's proposition this way: Our consume
 CTS are today paying $1.65 and the com-
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