The San Francisco call., 1901-12-06
WILL COMPETE
IN GAS FIELD
New Company Is Formed
With a Capital of
$3O,OOO,OOO.
1ncorporators Are to Erect
Plant Here Within
Five Months.

| Articles of Incorporation of the Califor
| MIA Gas and Electric Company were filed
with the County Clerk yesterday. The
capital stock is placed at the princely
hgure of $30,0OO,0OO, of which $450,OOO has
been subscribed
Inc purpose of the corporation is to ac-
qulre gas plants and machinery for the
manufacture and distribution of gas not
only in San Francisco, but at Bakersfield
Sacramento, Stockton, San Jose and other
points in the interior
Inc distributing points will be San
francisco and Bakersfield. The incorpo-
rators are A. E. Childs of Boston, R. R.
Colgate of New York City, Eugene ]. de
Saba Jr., r. M. Hotanng, L. P Lowe,
John Martin. William NJ. Pierson, J. c.
Coleman and c. A. Grow, all of San Fran
cisco.
Inc plan of the new company is to dis
tribute gas in this city for rs cents per
thousand cubic feet IT, this is carried
company will have a formidable competi-
tor. AS many of the incorporators of the
new company are mllionaires of enter
prise, 1t seems probable that they mean
business and that the public will get the
peneht OF cheaper gas in the near future.
MI. Colgate, president of the company
IS a ,multi-mfllionaire who has long been
identified with gas and electrical concerns
In the East Mr.. ChildS is capitalist
and at present president of the light, heat
and power corporation of Boston, con-
cern embracing some fourteen companies
in Eastern cities, Mr.. Hotaling is the
We'll known local liquor man and million
aire. Mr. Martin is president Of the Cali
tornia Central Gas and Electric Company,
which is at the present time supplying
many of the interior cities with gas and
electricity. -Theeother gentlemen are we'll
m iGa1 a9d Marfin ede gds tbe
lowing statement last night concerning
the proposed operations of the company:
We intend to be in operation in this city
within the next five months We will at once
daily capacity of 5000, 600 cubic feet. orde-s
for the material will be issued within the next
five days We do not enter this market with
any desire to injure vested rights, but we in
tend to furnish better gas than is being fur
nished in this city at the uniform price of
plan to construct a plant at Bakersfield hav-
ing capacity of 900 cubic feet. From
this point we will supply intermediate cities
to and including San Jose. The cost of our
San Francisco plant will be about 5000 OOO
of which 25 or 30 per cent will be for labor
we nave taken steps to acquire the necessary
franchises here and elsewhere and within the
next mex Twelve months ont the people of this city
Will experience the benefits Of genuine competi-
tion in the lighting field. Our stock is not
for sale for the reason that we have all the
money we REQUIRE That is all have to say
concerning the subject for the present.
President ]. B. Crockett of the San
francisco Gas and Electric Company said
last night that his company was ready to
meet the promised competition. He ad-
mitted that the incorporators of the new
company We're men of wealth. and that
their connection with the project gave IL
nored. He was aware that the projecz
was under consideration for some time,
and was not surprised when the papers
were filed. He declined to state what his
company would do until after the new
company had commenced operations as
promised and was actually in the field as
a competitor against the existing corpo-
ration.