The age-herald., 1900-06-23
IA THIRTY YEAR
 GAS CONTRACT Agreed to by Committee of AL
 dermen Yesterday $1 GAS IS 25 YEARS OFF If Board of Aldermen Accepts Report of Committee. HIGH PRICES FOR TEN YEARS Must be Paid by Birmingham Gas Con- sumers if the Full Board Ratifes | the Action of the Mayor and Committee
HIGH PRICES FOR TEN YEARS

 cent, for the next ten years.
 Gas at $1. 90 per thousand feet less 10 per cent, for the next following ten years.
 Gas at $1 20 per thousand feet less 10 per cent, for the next following five years
 And gas thereafter at $1 per thousand feet.
 The above is the contract agreed upon by the Mayor and five Aldermen with the Gas Company yesterday. These Aldermen de- cided to so report to the full Board Mon day night and recommend the adoption of such ordinance.
 Under the act of this committee, if ap- proved by the Board of Aldermen, 1t will be twenty-five years before Birmingham citizens get dollar gas The ordinance will tie the city up to high price gas while At lanta and other progressive cities of the South are today enjoying the advantages of dollar gas.
 It postpones dollar gas to Birmingham consumers for twenty-five years
 The Detailed Proceedings
 The light and judiciary committee of the City Council met in joint session in the Council Chamber at 5:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon for the purpose of considering
  for new contract submitted by the Bir- mingham Gas Company to the Mayor and Board of Aldermen last Wednesday night.
 Mayor Drennen and the following mem- bers of the committees were present: Alder men Kerr, McAnally, Graham, Thatch and Heidt Mayor Drennen presided and Alder man Heidt acted as secretary.
 President B. F. Roden of the Birmingham II of New Orleans, representing 1sadore New man, were also present.
 Alderman Heidt of the judiciary mittee read the contract proposed by the Birmingham Gas Company This contract is covered by the ordinance introduced at the council last Wednesday night and which was printed in The Age-Herald Thursday morning. It provided for a forty-year franchise with the following maximum rates for gas consumed allowed to be charged by the company: | The first ten years the company to fur | nish gas at $1.4O per thousand cubic feet, with 10 per cent off. The second ten years the company to furnish gas at $l.3O per thousand cubic feet with 10 per cent. off. The third ten years the company to fur nish gas at $120 per thousand cubic feet with 10 per cent. off. The fourth ten years the company to furnish was at $l10 per thousand cubic feet with 10 cents per thousand feet off. Alderman Kerr moved that representa- tives of the Gas Company be heard and that then the committee go into executive session. The motion was adopted | It was suggested that the language of | the contract where it reads that the "Bir- | mingham Gas Company shall furnish all the gas needed by the city of Birming- ham, etc. was ambiguous. The phrase was thereupon changed so as to read that the city is not to be obliged to buy gas from the Birmingham Gas Company unless | it so desired.
 l Mir. March's Proposition | Mr March, the personal representative of MT Newman, the principal owner of the Birmingham Gas Company. addressed the committee for a few minutes. He said | that he supposed that e well under stood that the proposed contract meant a reduction from $1.50 to $l26 per thousand feet for the first ten years of Its life and l corresponding reductions for subsequent periods of ten years.
 
 of taking 10 per cent. off. the contract read that the company shall charge for gas fur nshed at the rate of sl.40 per thousand feet, less b cents per thousand feet. This, he said, would make even money. President Roden of the Gas Company said that to make such a provision would com plicate matters and that the people being used to deducting 10 per cent would want to laH,, gtn af nar thousand feet.
 T. H. Motion, who was present as a spec tator, opposed the suggestion, saying that it was much easier for the people to figure out a 10 per cent discount than to figure out the deduction at l5 cents per thousand feet.
 Alderman Thach suggested that the same , difficulty would be encountered the last ten years of the contract. A av.ng Of S7.OOOs Year President Roden of the Gas Company stated that the acceptance of the new con