The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-19
QUAKER CITY COUNCILS
 VOTE AWAY GAS WORKS
GIVESETENTY-FITEY TEAR LEASE TO U. c. I. co. FOR
 $a5, ,OOO,O

Action Taken Amid Scenes of Disorder
 Unprecedented in the Annals of PhiI-
 adeIphia's Legislative Body--Great
 Uproar When Vote Is Announced in
 the Common Council-Hisses and
 Cries of aThieves' from the Galleries.
 Philadelphia, May 1s.--Amid scenes of disorder unprecedented in the annals of Philadelphia's legislative body, the city councils tonight voted to lease the city's gas works to the United Gas Im- provement company for a term of sey- enty-f1ve years for the total sum of S2o,0OO,00O, the money to be paid in va rlous amounts before the end of 1907. Councils chambers and committee rooms were crowded with excited citf- zeris protesting against the lease from p. m. until after 8 p. m., when the select council passed the bill and sent 1t to the mayor.
 The climax was reached when the vote ill the common council was announced after three hours of debate.
 The moment President George Mc- Curdy, of the common council, an- nounced the vote a great uproar was started in the gallery, which was crowded to the door. From all over the gallery came misses and cries of Thieves" The outburst was somewhat startling to the presiding officer, who made a vain effort to quell it. Finally he sent for squad of police to clear the gallery, which started the disorder anew. The crowd continued to hiss and call the councilmen thieves and other names until the police arrived and started to clear the gallery. As the people moved out they sang uncompli- mentary songs. In clearing the gallery there were several clashes between the police and some of the spectators, but no one was hurt.
 All through the session of the com mon council there was disorder In the select council there were so many po- licemen on duty that no one dared to interrupt the proceedings. There was neither cheer nor a hiss when the bill passed that body.
 The agitation against the passage of the bill resulted in the common council amending the measure for a slight re- duction in the price of gas.
 
 self as unalterably opposed to the lease and in favor of a postponement of the whole question until 1907, when the first ten years of the present thirty-years lease to the United Gas Improvement company will expire. At that time the city has the right to take back the works on payment to the gas company of the amount of money expended in Improvements Mayor Weaver is ex- pected to veto the bill and in that event both chambers will probably pass it over his veto. The vote in the common council was "A to g and in the select council 37 to 4. There is only one dem- ocrat in each body and both voted against the lease. There is some talk among citizens who fought the lease to take the matter to the courts.
 Consideration of the gas lease to-day began when the finance committee met and received report which stated that the city was in immediate need of $49,- 900, 900, and that the present borrowing capacity of the municipality was only S15,O 1000, ,000. In view of these facts the report stated, the best the city could do would be to lease the gas works for a long term of years. the money to be paid in advance, and that the offer of the United Gas Improvement company was the best proposition in hand.
 Samuel Brothers, who fought the bill In the select chamber, shook his fist in the faces of the leaders and said it was ..the blackest crime ever perpetrated by councils in the city of Philadelphia" Those who favored the bill said the city was in urgent need of money and that public sentiment was not against the lease. 5s$ 5#
 The committee of nine appointed re- gently at town meeting issued a s statement tonight to "The Citizens of Philadelphia declaring the action of the councils to be ''the most insolent affront ever given to the people of any great American city" The committee calls upon the people to rally to defeat the measure when it comes up for con- sideration lover the mayors veto."