Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1901-07-01

get.
To the Editor of the New DOMINION
At the request of number eiti
zens / shall make a few comments
on the proposed 80 year franchises
which our city copnell is asked TO
grant.
4 First / shall make correction or
two in the statement made by Mr..
Sturgiss who being counsel for the
applicants would naturally be in
clined to present his clients case as
well as possible.
Mr. Sturgiss made great error n
stating that "The two corporations
are separate and distinct, not hav-
ing single stakeholder in common. :
| personally know from statements
made by some Of the stockholders
that |. G. White, +. NJ. Grant and
Joseph H. McDermott are large
stockholders ia both the Union Gas
Il Water Co and the Morgantown
Electric Light Il Power Co. They
have control of the first named Com.
pany and own at least one half Of
the stock of the latter Company.
Another error of Mr.. Stnrgiss is
that prices will regulate themselves.
The Union Improvement Go. has
had monopoly of the gas and wa
GER business for Ii years and has
not paid cent OF Town or City
taxes, though for several years it
has been the duty Of our Town Coun-
ell to collect taxes from said Com
pany our Supreme Court having de
cided that franchise granting such
exemption was unconstitutional and
therefore of no effect. 1t is now the
plain duty Of our City Council to
collect taxes from said corporation
or its successor the Union Gas &c
Water Company not only for the
present year but for ) years and our
citizens demand that it be done
This exemption from taxation and
sole privilege Of furnishing our PEG
pie with gas and water has given
this corporation great advantage
in this, that it has its pipes and
mains under all of our paved streets
and alleys; it has become rich out OF
it's exclusive franchise with exemp
tion from taxation and its excessive
charges for gas and water, especially
water, we paying double or more
than double the average rate charged
in the following towns and cities
that / have had opportunity to in
vestigate, namely: Martinsburg,
Parkersburg, Fairmont, Uniontown
and Baltimore.
1t takes very little reflection to
see that if the Union Gas and Water
company gets so year franchise
now it can out Of its plant now well
established and with it's enormous
wealth obtained under and largely
by reason Of its exclusive franchise
and exemption from taxation, if it
will (and that it will, il it can, is
seen by the standing threat to the
people Of what will happen to them
if they use gas from any other com
pany which has for a long time been
seen in our local papers crush out
all competition during the term Of
it's franchise.
However, ! am not opposing any
company in particular. | want to
see all our people prosper, but !
think all should have equal oppor-
taRitiss, and if we have any fayors
to bestow bestow them upon our own
people and not on foreigners.
Our Electric plant has not TO this
date made any money | feel sureand |
have no complaint against its rates
and charges. believe in the future
it will pay and pay well II properly
managed, and hope it will pay well,
but | am OPPOSED to fifty year fran
chises. Twenty years is the longest
| franchise that should be granted to
any company. If it conducts itself well
it can at the end OF that term get
renewal OF the franchise upon proper
terms and conditions; if it does not
treat the city and the people well it
does not deserve to have its franchise
extended.
Reasonable maximum rates should
| be fixed for all companies to which
franchises are granted. This has not
been done Ia the past and the new
/ franchise Of the Uniod Gas and Water
| Company has in reality no maximum
limits, the limits being 50 high that
a Vanderbilt or a Gould would be
staggered at them. There is a max
/ inum rate TO the city Of $25 per plug.
This Is not right The Company can
we'll afford TO give the city all the
water II needs for all its purposes and
the rates TO citizens should not exceed
oDe-half or two-thirds present rates.
As to gas the maximum rate for
! ilhs Eisating purposes in the fran
chise are 30 cents per thousand and
for heating purposes the maximum
rate Is 81 per thousand when the same