Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-02-09
OFFICIAL.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.

8, 1900, there were present:
VIM. ID. Marbury, esq. President. and
Messrs. Hill. Dobie, ballenger. Clark, Curtin,
W. II. Sweeney and j. T. sweeney.
A communication from George L. Simpson,
Mayor, giving his reasons for calling tho
meeting of Council. WIS received. His pur.
pose was to lay before the two boards the con-
ditiOn of the gas furnished the city. The
following was also received from the Mayor
Alexandria, Va Feb, 8, 1900.
To the Honorable, the City Council Of Alex
aIdris:
conference.-the many and apparently just
complaints of conditions at our city eas works
arc my reasons for converting your honor BILE
body this evening. For sometime, citizens
generally, and gas consumers particularly,
have endured impositl0ns TO which few com
mudities would psssively submit. At most
inopportune times, lights have gone out, and
homes and places Of business have been
plunged into utter darkness, yet amid these
most provoking circumstances, thu patience
of citizens has been so strikngly exhibited
that stranger within our gates might patur-
ally have dnfted Into the error of supp0sng
that our people loved darkness rather than
light, and often-tmes, when light was procura-
bic it came to us laden with foul and noxious
doors, or it spurted Enthusiastically from the
burners, giving no comfort, and Only enabling
US to contemplate with 0minOus misgivings
the eccentric chickering's of most uncertain
flame that made reading burden ana con-
versation unless accc mpanied with profanity
we'll nigh impossible. These facts suggest
the need of remedy fer the ills which the
gas works have foisted upon our people, ano
we enter this discussion with that indepeDd-
h., ocfa of
men who pertinaceously solicit and who vol
unfairly accept positions wherein they become
the custodians of peoples interests.
A visit both agreeable and instructive, af.
forded us yesterday an opportunity to impose
upon the kindness of practical and expert gas
men, al d their good offices which included q
"Trip through excellently managed works OF
cur neighboring city furnished Information
which We & ally and proftsbly appropriated
In the works sfOre mentioned, there are now
employed ten men, and these men make 4S,
0OO, 600 feet OF gas annually. In our works
now, there are employed nine men, and they
make "a 600 OCO feet of gas annually; that
IS to say, one man in a practically systems.
zed plant mskes 4 800 600 feet of gass An
nuslly, ard in our works, one man mskee
100000 feet annually. In the creation of
coke. we discover in our neighbours works
that ton Of coal produces 40 bushels of coke,
ami only SO per cent. of the product returns
to the retOrts, the residue being sold to the
customers for fuel. We have not accurate
data at hand to make comparisons and we
mention figures ia one case, that you, the
representatives of the people, may procure
from our gas records. the figures in the other
One of the gentlemen whose kindness yes
terday supplied us with valuable Information
(this gentleman, by the way, Was in our city
short time sgo inspecting affairs al the gas
woTks) said that too many men were employ.
e. sad unless my memory is at fault, he
ful Their state be had 80 advised your com.
mittee. therefore, is it quite impossible to di.
vest ours Ives Of the idea that practical man.
agement should recognize the necessity and
the propriery of having fewer employees, q
reduction from nine 10 seven meaning a
people, aud in the utilization OF coke for reve-
nue., expert knowledge should certainly sp-
prOxImste results that are obtained IN other
gss pants. In the consideration of sll these
mstters there is only one grand. central OBJ
ject in view, aud that the welfare and interests
of ouroty. Neither personal regard nor en-
niue astic friendship for indivldus s should
ever stand between the conscientious Of
fetal and his devotion TO AlexandTia. Facts
and the discussions of facts displace personal
affiliations and personal snimosities, and We
are called upon not TO criticse individuals,
but to suggest changes for the benefit of
whole community. Today most anomalous
condition conirOnts US, the books of the gas
office show more consumers and less con-
sumption. There has been already falling
off this year com pared with the Same period
Of last year of at least one m llion feet of gas,
and a strange feature is the fact that one yesr
ago when we had better results there we're |
two men less employed at the works. The |
failure Of consumers TO use gas cannot under |
existing circumstances be attributed alto |
gether TO choice, for if we reason from the |
experience Of Saturday and other night oc.
inability to procure gas can be safe |
~ estimated as an important factor in this |
lack of consumption. Expert gas men speak |
in enthusiastic terms OF the profitable capa-
bilities and of the magnificent income value |
Of our plant, and Yet today widespread in
iignatiOn is abroad IN our city, an indigna-
ion that threatens dissatisfaction encourage
ing to the hopes of those ambitious fnan-
cieTs who, in a generous burst Of enthusiasm,
stand ready to give US 100000 for $3.50.
300 worth Of property How are we to meet
.hese questions, and what is the remedy for
.hese evils? Place in the gas works men who
,an .xpertiy point cut defects, have them
properly corrected, and who are in sll things
DO ougine to gas works and gas making in
lisputsbly c0nverssnt. Respectfully,
GEORGE L. SIMPSON, Mayor.
On motion of Mr.. Dobie petition of Miss
Hannah LuDt for permission to connect her
NO houses on Cameron street with the Pitt
treet sewer was granted by q unanimous
oil hsxo I
urned the petition amended so IS to provide
hat the petition er pay the sewer tax for tap.
ling aud make the connection at her own ex-
'ense. The Aldermen receded from their
ction and concurred in that of the Common
)ouncll.
A resolution directing the Auditor to draw
lis warrant for $50 % for work performed
y TIE street cleaning force on January 20,
-, 30 and 3 was received from the Com
non Council and their action concurred in | {
y the following vote:
Ayes, Messrs. Hill. Dooie, Curtin, w. II. /,
weeney, J. T. Sweeney and Mr. President {
g. Noes, Messrs. Ballenger and Clark
A communication from E. F. Price. Audi s
Dr., ammo ncing thst the appropriation for
utdoor poor and the aims house had been
Exhausted, was received from the Common
ouncil
Mr.. Curtin offered the following which was
1opted by unanimous vote:
Resolved, Tha. the sum of two hundred
olsrs be, and is hereby, appropriated fol the
on Poor, the present appropria-
on being exhausted, to be available Februs-
7 g. 1900, the Auditor having announced 9
} Council the exhaustion of the poor fund.
A resolution appropristing $40 for repair
x the sewer ct the intersection of Cameron
40 Pitt streets was received from the Com
on Council and their action concurred in e
was also the action of that bosrd on reso- 4
ltlon granting to any person or persons the
rivlege OF furnishing incandescent electric
ghts to persons In Alexandria for a period o
one year. provided the citys interests are q
Ut impsired thereby. q
Mr.. Hill offered the following which was
lopted by unanimous vote:
Reso we'd, That the sum of fifty dollar, be