The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-13
A HARD BARGAIN
gaddled on the Community For
 Fifty Years.

EQ1tOF The A0VerUSSFs
 All discussion of the new gas fran chise'' awarded to MT. Nandiver's com pany for fifty years at $l.62 per 1000 cubic feet for illuninating gas. Sc. ms to have contract by the Mayor, which speedily occurred, as a writer in your paper pre- dicted would be the case.
 Eut l. as an humble. citizen. paying taxes as well as cOnsumtrg gas. with vour permissio lon, propose not to let tn, matter rest just where. it Is. If abuses s are allowed to go unchallenged, when perpetrated openly dehantly and flag and worse conduct.
 1t is the right and privilege. therefore. If not the daity. of every citizen to sub duct of public servants to h fair but critical scrutiuy and criticism.
 insist in the first place. that the Vandiver's company is q great injury 10 this city and the peoplevhow great. l will not undertake to estimate.
 The second propositicn Is, that the city know, that 1t would b4 injurious and that they wilfully suffered and. inflicted the wrong.
 of course they live and are organized for profit. and they did the very best thing they could for themselves. of whicn we have, so far as we. know, no cause tc complain. and therefore we make n" " ~GT-N-NT- N'-
 our Our complaints are wholly directed against Uur public servants. the Mayor and tTe Counoil. who. we think, have not treated the city IS they W0ult nave treated themselves.
 I intend to keep strictly within the limits of legitimate argumnnt , s'f wifhia 't ,l worth. if Mir. Vandiver Of any other citizen chooses ta defend thc conduct. cf the city government, we Will ne giao to sec what can Oe said Tn their Justln-
 To determine whether or not there has hecn misconduct, and before We consider its gIopsnsss, it Is necessary lH consider t6 iti what was the reasonable duty or the clty officials in the premises.
 lay down this predicate which every man must admit Is strictly true:
 That public office is a trust, and when it Is heid on a vote of confidence of citi- calling for the exercise of what is called: in the law and by ths professors t,aas rhis El in commercial life. means that an Al derman and Mayor dealing with the pup lie lntercate in the way of bargain ahu put.lic as himself and should ne abso;; iutcly blind to every consi ler ttton oI friendship or profit to others ana seek to i,erve orly his sNIlow citizens. NO man this to be a correct statornent or ,,tne tne duty of public officials. avery Cuze" knows 1t to be true Every act or oni- cial misconduct is directly or indirectly subjected to this alemblc.
 Applying 1t to the case In nand, we ue, huce that it was the duty or the citx government to make the best con.i ,e,, sc. possible for the city. VIII i.ayOhe uV"'
 The next question Is, did the c'ty soy ernment make or endearor to niaHe '''S best possible contract for the c,ty o,,a,,
 We all know that the cost Of money is now much less than in pr"vt1us ySaa s1ay that it is growing cheaper ana cneap,r each year. And the most lgnoSant ,,;an San not doubt that capital wonia nI1 srto;n noM H to pay net dividends of per Sert' A"A ''AN' years. .,-.. .,-. .. of ma chinery and material is greatly rsouSer rsser from former prices and owing cLes pT psTT wear by year. And that the cost ot ,s Cos' and the price of labor is tess ;'na tesiS, tesis, had these induhitable facts before them, but they krew or should have kl1wn kl3tt that the old gas works erected about my years ago. to supply much smal,InIr n snII h,to o mand, for long years and until IL tcl my my the hands of exploiters, paid reguiaIIx F per cent. dividends or r1orc; l cannot % state what 1t actually paid; out roSSy ~@ years ago. that the actual pront sIS ~ such that 1t was kept as much as posshrS ble from the public and have been ItI xodu that 1t paid regularly F per cent u''i- dends.
 The City Council also had the fact De- fore them that Mr. Vandiver's comPaHy had gas plant already estabilsheu ,,,as Is the city, and a large part of when Was practically worthless in the market sN H,, cept as junk, but which might be nlSinsS valuable under new contract to saTt,Sn ns,l gas. They thus knew, or would naNSS sS known, no one can doubt. if they hau sU been dealing for themselves, that sell i.l- terest would compel MT. Vandiyer cor tn- pany to underhid any rival company sr,s, iu. the privilege of the gas contract. ittS ny would be able to do 1t. because ,t th.H plant would be worth at least 70 per csH t. more for continuing the business thaaa thaaa is would be If 1t were discontinued Aiu nsait it a new company would be willing to ;I Ss of new works and furnish gas on q pasis z5i oa per cent. net dividends. MT Nanu,,IIe : company would be able to ana Wouiu ..no,Ios oe forced to underbid such offers py Feaso' Of It's already established plant. 1at.h
 The City Council. then, Tn soou se', ia nf to the people, was bound by evelES, t'snIt It honor and business sense to aVam a,,ts Of this position and to offer lnasc to sl,is 10 capitalists for investment aau a, :" asna competitive bids for the conu S,,S thae1 clally as there was ample time e"e 1aiS rat WIS no necessity to accept any "'" '0'
 Viii any citizen say that this was not
 ts 8@ ?