The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-05-23
METHODIST MINISTERS
 MARCH ON CITY HALL
PROTEST AGAINST GAS STEAL IN
 PHILADELPHIA.

Will Fight the Lease With All His
 Power-Has Worked Out Methods to
 Prevent Deal Going Through.
 Philadelphia, May 22.-More than 100 ministers of the Methodist Episcopal church marched to the city hall to- day to express to Mayor Weaver their protest against the pending gas lease and to congratulate him on the stand he has taken upon the question. The decision to call on the mayor was made meeting of the Methodist Episcopal Ministers association after resolutions commenting the mayor and the coun- cilmen who hod voted against the lease had been adopted.
 The ministers assembled at the Meth odist book room and prayer was of fered by the Rev. Dr. Garbutt Reed, president of the association. in which he asked that the "city might be de- livered from harm and injury and from evil designs of evil men" The march to the city hall was then begun.
 The mayor met the clergymen in his large reception room. The resolutions were delivered to him by Dr. Reed in a brief speech, and remarks were also made by several other clergymen, all in protest of the pending lease.
 The mayor in replying, among other things said: You have already seen what I think of the gas lease. Within twenty -four hours after the passage of that bill by the two branches of coun- ell, I made up my mind what I would do. No living sould knows what pro- pose to do except myself, and might say to you now that shall carry out my purpose to the end. Your meeting has not changed my views. I had but one view and that was if could help { it the gas lease as proposed should never be foisted upon the city of Phil adelDhia. As to the methods that I have myself worked out to prevent 1 this. tha Is something that will develop within the next few days. But I say to you, as ! said before. that Iwillusethe utmost of my power to prevent, what believe is the greatest iniquity upon the i city of Philadelphia.
 .'The present lease is infinitely better than the other two, and why should I be asked to consent to the city giving away contract that we nov have, by which we must receive in annual reve- nues at least s25,OO0 900 in the next i twenty y-four years, and, with the in crease in the consumption of gas, prob l ably $40, ,0O0, 1000, and then at the end of 1 twenty two years we would get back, without any charge against it, the great gas plant, with all its franchises and with all the money expended upon 1t by l the United Gas Improvement company. i That plant, I believe, would be worth Ito the city from $50, 900 GOO to $10O, 900 OOO, so that by the proposed lease we should be practically giving away, without any return, the present gas plant which l will be worth, at the expiration of twenty-two years, from ss0.0O0000 to | $100, ,0O0, 900"
 | Two ward meetings were held to- night at which addresses against the pending lease were made. At the reg ular meeting of the Methodist Minis Iters Social union held tonight the dis cussion of the gas lease took up the greater part of the session. The com mittee of seventy has planned mass meeting to be held in the Bourse to- morrow night, and other mass meetings against the lease will be held during the week.