The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-25


at the same time | want to be under
stood as desiring to see that the interests
of the gas company are protected as we'll
as those of the city. l always believe in
fairness AS for municipal ownership that
is impossible just now, as it would call
for bonded Indebtedness tina: could not
be incurred with taxes in their present
shape. 1 think the offer of the gas COM
pany is a good one and should be accept
ed. believe the city will profit from it. y
L. c. Taylor, of the United Brotherhood
of Railway Employees, asked permission to
speak. and did SO, much to the amuse-
ment of the members and the audience:
Mr.. Taylor was an advocate of munic-
ipal ownership, and he read lots of sta
tistics in support of his contention. He
held that if the gas company could make
money from it's plant the city could do
the same thing and give the consumers
the benefit Of a bottom rate.
Remember gentlemen, you are serv-
ants of the people, not the gas company.
were his concluding words and Mr.. Tay--
lor sat down amid much hand clapping
and not a little laughter.
Michael Furnished Climax.
The climax of the evening, however.
was reached when Corporation Attorney
Michael, on a call from some of the mem
berS arose to give his views on the Or
dinance as presented by the company.
Carl Taylor, the company's attorney,
admitted drafting it, but informed Mi.
Michael, in explanation, that there was
no intention to force it on the council
as an ultimatum. 1t embodied the terms
the company was willing to offer for
franchise. he said. and as for the phrase
ology or legal safeguards that the council
might desire to add. it was expected that
the city legal department would be called
upon to make the necessary corrections.
We'll, l thought as much. said Mr.
Michael, for if the council was to pass
this measure in its present form it would
be no better off than it has been for the
have nothing to show for its generosity.
have many objections to the ordinance.
and you might as well know them now
as any time In the first place. no pro-
vision is made for the protection of the
streets. The first sections give the COM
pany rowing license to tear up the
streets and lay pipes where they please
and when they please. 1 would impose
some regulations. The ordinance does not
provide any indemnity bond. The company
is perfectly solvent however and this is
probably not necessary.
Detects a Crafty Move.
But" and Mr.. Michael spoke slowly.
in the fifth section there is a crafty
moVe-possibly it was never intended by
those who drew up the ordinance-to de
l1berately nullify what the city has pro-
vided for by ordinance, the termination of.
the gas company's electric franchise at
the same time its gas rights expire Jan.
/, l9O7- 1t would be practically q recoS
milton of the company's contention that
it's electric franchise is unlimited With
this provision in existence there is no
telling when we would be able to force
prices of electricity.
The 20 cents penalty" continued Mr..
Michael, I consider excessive. If some
money lenders We're to charge that amount
we would call them harsh names.
The 81 per month minimum charge
seems to me exceedingly Objectionable.
from home, particularly during the sum
mer months do not consume any gas at
all But more important than this is the
fact that gas is a necessity to many peo-
W
to pay for something they do not use. and
any scheme which taxes them beyond the
price of what they do use. in order that
the company may profit by it, or that
large consumers may thereby secure a
proportionate reduction in price. is GER
tainly an injustice Section z should be
amended by providing test to ascertain
the amount OF gas consumed by street
lamps. The ordinance should provide for
| quality of gas and manner of testing
quality. There should be time limit for
the extension to st. Anthony Park, and
the installation of reasonable service.
1.-THE ordinance does not provide that
the company shall not again raise the
price of gas after reducing 1t. Power.
should be expressly reserved to the coun-
Gil to require extensions and new con-
struetion. There should be some provision
either prohibiting or regulating sales and
leases Of the plant and franchise and sales
or leases to, and purchases or leases from,
competing companies, If there ever are
any.
Should Not Require Deposit.
1.-THE company should be prohibited
from requiring a SO meter deposit and
then collecting meter rent. as at present.
There is an ordinance furnishing ample
protection for meters without requiring
any deposit. They now have the, use Of
about 900 of other peoples money to
do as they please WITH which is remark
able IN this age. }'rA
"Some comprehensive scheme of regu
lating and adjusting future rates, on the
basis of a reasonable income on the then
| TnfT1 fl1n llT1f
| should be embodied in the ordinance to
prevent tedious litigation arising out of
the action of the council in case it should
ever deem it necessary to lower the max
imum rates allowed to be charged. And
in that connection, as matter of informa-
| ton, the company should be required to
| furnish and file with the comptroller
| itemized sworn statements of the nature
| and actual cost of all future improve
| ments and extensions at the time Of
| making the same. and the commissioner
| of public works should certify thereon as
| to the correctness or incorrectness Of such
| alleged cost.
1t is suggested that the public inter-
| ests would be best subserved by adjusting
both the gas and electric franchises at
| the same time, and to require the gas
company in order to secure renewal
of its gas franchise to surrender the
electric franchises held by itself and the
| other companies controlled by 1t, and
take new franchises under the present
charter. There is no good reason why
Tue CITY SHouiO at Ills tliitS SUI C.NCi rs
vantage ground on the gas question and
then leave the company to involve the
city in tedious and expensive litigation
as to wherther the electric franchises
expire in 1907. But if it is decided to
grant this franchise, independent of the
electric franchises, then some. effective
provision should be embodied in the ordi-
nance to prevent the company from d.
verting business to its allied companies,
or the leasing of its plant by any one else.
SO as to in any manner evade payment or
the full gross earning fee to the city.
1T may be thought avisable to also
| the plant at some definite period during
| the life. Or at the expiration. of the fran
| chise, upon the basis of an appraised
| value If So the condition should be
| carefully set forth in the ordinance.
| Ordinance Not What 1t Should Be.
This ordinance, gentlemen, is not what
| thing. Let the gas company surrender its
old franchise and take new one With
three years yet of the old franchise to
run We should not rush it now. We have
been waiting patiently for this period for
years, and the city should get all it is
entitled to- There is no reason for haste
or a rush. We do not want 1907 to find us
! holding the sack. This is good time to
| compel the company to adjust its electric
I schedules. You advise giving the com
! pany another gas franchise and for my
| department to enter upon a period of liti-
| cation to determine when it's electric
| franchise terminates. 1 wish you would
| show me how to do it. / would bring
| suit tomorrow if did. We have no quar-
! rel with the company and cannot bring
any suit against it until 1907. 1 advise