The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-28
United G as Company
WithdraWS Offer That
Caused Trouble.
.DODSON ISSUES.
FORMAL LETTER
Withdrawal rs Signal Victory
for Mayor, Though Fight Is
Not Yet Ended Public
Clamor Forced Com
B. pany and Council
men to Terms.
fBy Associated Press. J


# PTIILADEIPII1A,sAla lay 81 After a COLI
test lasting five days, the Republican
rganlzation,"' led by Insurance COM
missioner Israel W. Durham, was forced
to-day BY public opposition and clamori
to abandon Its efforts to extend the
lease Of tho gas works to the United
Gas Improvement Company for. seventy
five years. Thomas Dolan, president OF
the company, to-day forwarded q formal
letter to the presidents Of the Select
and Common branches of City Councils;
withdrawing his proposition to advance IS
the city s25, 00o, 900 In consid ration OF.
the extension OF the lease, which n the
company now holds. This action .' WAS vas
taken after protracted conference with
Commissioners Durham State Senate r NC NC,
Nichol and Select Councilman Charles
seger, who presented the gas lease re reso-
lutions in Councils.
.5 The y wlthdrawal Il Of the United Gas i;4
Improvement Company's offer i u IN IN
,doubtedly signal Victory for Mayor No OF
Weaver in his fight with the 'organiiz7"a-a
tion,,. though 1t does not mean the END l't1
Of the battle: The Injunction proceed
ings brought by David smyth. former
director. Of public safety, and Peter II
Costello, former director OF public works
against Mayor Weaver and their SIS sue
cessors, Colonel Sheldon Pot ter a and a.
{IIncol11 Acker to restrain the mayors
n nnoin ees from 4 conducting the affairs
Of the two departments is sttll9to come
IN for argument and the leaders Will
make a determined effort to have the
temp injunction mad g perman = ~
since last. Observation-Disclosures the mayor ere
$ated the first sensation by oustlng 81 y Il
5rectors Smy,h and Costello and appoint
ling their successors, great pressure has
been brought to bearRsupon5E the coun-
cilmens by both sides and the "organlizl-
tom, leaders have steadily main tanned
confidence in their ability to nave the gas
lease passed over the mayors veto. PoI,-
.ular opposIt ii on became SO pronounced
however that one by one. members OF
Councils, who originally voted for the
lease, began to show. n dispose ton. to &C,
cede to the wishes Of their constituents,
and today with almost a week Int ryeni
Ing before the lease should come Y p
for final action, he mayor require only
seven votes in Select Council and ten In
Common Council to sustain his vote.
1T became evident that the leaders
were losing control of Councils, but they
were saved from putting their st rength
Ito the direct test when the United Gas
Improvement Company Withdrew IS bid
Commissioner Durham, State Senator Nc
NIchol and Councilman Seq er held a two
hours conference with President Dolanl
with the result that the company Of
ficially assumed the responsibility Of
withdrawing the lease.
Mr.. Dolan's letterito Councils states
that the notifications to the original.
lease bill, reducing 1.-The price Of gas
were not in accord with the offer Of.
the company, but that they would have
been accepted. Owing to the oppos-
ton on the part OF the people, however,
Mr.. Dolan's letter stated. the company
was unwilling to enter into any con-.
tract with the city looking to any varia-
ton of It's present lease.