The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-09-17
WILL GIvEs1 GAS FOR
25-YEAR FRANCHISE
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has examined every sss lighting fran aaqass
now in existenSaS hut that none OFFERS
solution of the cheap-lignt p pr Gas
with the exception of that Oh lne tars
Light company which, the IneLt a;ot,
say, is already in the field, anu ,'+ and
because of its immense invest1lene an, 49,
equipment. practically preciuueS re-,
possibility of Competition. Any otes
duction that it llfiiay make IN its 49, as.eo
in return for anTextension of it's fran
chise, the report intimates. is a corieJ liz,
sion that st. Paul should De le ads
thankful for, and the committees
viSeS acceptance of the oIer.
Numerous conferences. the repor.
says, were had with the coIilpa ny,
While refusing to acknoWleu nes III
termination of its lease IN i9ot' ,iie
company. however. was willing to
forego the controversy and IN return
for a twenty-five years renewal give
the above concessions. AS TO elecllic
light, however, it denied the conten-
ton of the city that It's right was
limited as to years, and announced It's
courts. This practically took the
matter of electric light out Of the com
mittee's hands and it confined It's con-
ferences and investigations solely TO
the question of gas.
In this connection the offer of Alex
ander Harding, of Chicago. to supply
ST. Paul with gas at 95 cents thou
sand feet was examined, but the re-
suits were not at all satisfactory, says
the report.
Harding, through his local represent
ative, admitted his inability to pro-
vide a plant similar to the St. Paul
Gas company's by 1907, or even one
half as large, and as this was what is
absolutely needed the committee was
compelled to advise that he be dropped.
This practically left the gas situa-
ton up to the gas company and the
committee at once commenced nego-5
tiations for the best terms it could
force. Those obtained, the committee
thinks, are reasonable and about as
good as ever will be secured.
Does Not Favor Municipal Ownership.
Relative to municipal ownership, the
committee says the city is not in a
position to incurs the expense that
would be required for gas and cleo
trio light plant. Besides, the charter
tends to operate against such a project,
and legislative aid would be necessary
to correct it. Thatslegislative aid could
De secured the committee doubts.
Inc committee says it does not want
to discourage the giving of franchises
TO any party that may apply, but it adj
VlseS that in every instance a cash
guaranty be demanded. 1t intimates
that there is too great a tendency to.
secure franchises first and get the cap
1tal for operation afterwards and 1t,
recommends that such methods be dis
cOuraged.
This in substance, is the committees,
report that will be rendered the as
sembly this evening. Throughout there
is no mistaking that the committee
1eels that the city is practically pow
erless in the matter of illumination.
Great cost on the one hand, the COM
mittee fatty says, tends against mu-s
nlclpal ownership. while inability on
the part OF any other corporation to
duplicate the Gas company,s plant be-
tween this and 1907 precapdes any pos
sibility of competition. " The latter is
only intimated, but tits plain. = =.
Holds Up Small Consumer. -
The only portions OF the~.gas cons.
pany,S offer so far to- receive the crit
lclsm from any member of the commit
tee is that making 81 the minimum
OF gas consumption by any customer.
IN pam termssEne bill will be, made
out Tor less than. 81. As one member
of the committee explained, there are.
hundreds OF gas consumers that never
purn over so cents worth of pas
monthly and those who use less than
e 81 worth are greater in numbers than
thoSe that exceed that amount 1T was
pointed out that such a provision
would be positive hardship. The gas
company would really be losing moth
ing by it's reduction in rate.
What appeals, to the committee is
gas and the extension of gas mains to
sections OF the city not now supplied.
also the right of the city to insist on a
standard of quality and to regulate the
rate after 1907 ~ ~;
Because of the refusal of the COM
pany to acknowledge the Limitations
that have been placed on It's electric
light franchise by the council, the com
mittee wants more time to investigate
this phase of the matter, and this will
IN all probability be granted.
The committed consists of Assembly
men Wheeler and Doran, Aid. Huber
and Rohland, and Oscar Claussen. J. TT;
Mitchell Jr. and M J.eRyan.