The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-05
Letters to The Editor.
OUTRIGHT GIFT
Of Over a Million Dollars to .
 Corporation.

the amount of the donation made by Mir Joseph as Mayor and the City Council to in the new gas franchise upon two hy- rothest s-one, that gas could be reason ably furnished at Loo per thousand feet; the other. that the city remained sta position, l estimated tho donation at over a million and a half of dollars I desire TOW to show that am right in saying that gas could be furnished at H.oo. Not likely be made in fifty years, 1t is enough to cite the example of Nashville. l have in my possession a letter of the Mayor ss. e 5 to of y ef ths year. in which there is the following sen tence which I hope every citizen of this town will carefully read and then make up his mind about the good faith of our $.2.
 The charter. of the gas company
 expired last. November year ago, ment was effe cted with that company whereby they accepted franchise for twenty-five years. allowing the city to purchase st any time after ten gross income. in addition to the adva- lorem tax upon the value of it's he city will receive from the gas com, pany about $10.G00 per annum, and will collect from it about ;15,00o in adva- lorem taxes in addition to the above. The company under this arrangement, sells both Illuminating and fuel gas for s1.0O per thousand cubic feet net.
 Manufacturing coal delivered here costs from $21o to $2.2 per ton' the
 Any further information desired
 "Very respectfully,
 "J. M. Head" No that not favorably situated as Nashville. It will be observed that not only Is the gas fur nished at $1.00 in Nashville. but the com pany pays the city per cent. of It's gross income.
 In addition to this it is absolutely cer- tain now that acetylene gas, which Is far better than coal-gas. can be furnished the latter at 500. If this gas is sub stituted for coal-gas, MT. Vandiver's company can more than pay expenses with the 62 cents. leaving one dollar pront than double my estimate. of the profits of the contract. In proof of my state, ment in reference to Acetylene gas, l refer to the recent report of hsutenantt t United States Army Engineers, in the Cosmopolitan review for September, page 527. where he says:
 'It Is one of the cheapest illumin-
 ants known-kerosene being its closest
 rival in economy. One pound of call
 cium carbide, costing at the present
 price three and one-half cents, will
 make four and one-half cubic feet of
 acetylene gas, which woll produce two hundred and twenty-five candle pow
 CT for one hour. It will take fifty-six
 and one-fourth cubic feet of ordinary
 city gas to give the same amount of light, and at one dollar per thousand
 feet. city gas would cost five and
 six-tenths cents to- produce the same
 light as acetylene."
 Tt, k1 AlA 1tI, 10t this city would not grow In population. every one knows that the general expec- tation and prospect IS that 1t will more than double its population in fifty years. So that my estimate of the donation at a million and half is far within rational bounds. We may we'll suppose that the use of gas will be doubled or quadru- pied. Mr. Vandiver's company has a con tract which Is absolutely certain to yield million and half dollars. and in all probability three millions of dollars of profit beyond what was and Is reasona- ble and legitimate.
 This bonus of money our city govern ment says the people of this town must contribute in fifty years to have gas in their houses for do1estic purposes. senss S~ believe M 'H it is @ ssioe sh for @ any one to believe, that the Mayor and Aldermen of this town hastened to grant this new gas franchise on the eve of the demise of the city council from an adulterated sense of duty or propriety?
 These officials could not have acted ignorantly-they are merchants, and tra- ders, and lawyers and congressman, etc.. and knew very well what they were do- ing. And if advice was needed. was not the City Attorney present?
 What are we to think of Mayor and Aldermen who, for no consideration whatever to the people, can be Induced to vote away public money by the million? As every gas bill is paid for the nert fifty years, let the consumer deduct one third and credit that amount as his do- nation, through Mayor Joseph's bounty. to dividends on the stock of MT. Van divers company, as he calls 1t.
 MT. Editor, some years ago the city or Nashville was so corruptly managed that the citizens had to take 1t out of the hands of the officials and put 1t into the hands of a receiver of the court until there could be reform. It is, I think, the only instance on record of such pro- ceeding. But 1t caused reform, ana that city has now Mayor who Feels that he represents the people, ana no doubt he is loved and respected, as are wants.
 MT. Joseph, understand, says he ap- proved the contract out of deference to the superior wisdom of the aldermen: Is that the way Carter Harrison acted when he resisted the donation or street crediblv informed that he called great public meetings of. citizens to protest with him-and even went so Tar as 10 counsel them to bring ropes with them to the meeting. Here, MT. Joseph bows to the superior wisdom of the aldermen. What pray. Is the use Of Mayor 1T ne Is a dummy? ..,.,.