The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-15
MAYOR MCCARTHY
WA WAS ON WARPA1A.
Went for Movement to
Lease Gas Works
With Gloves Off.
AFTER GAS PLANT
FOR DOLLARS IN 1T
Mayor Ridicules Idea That Pro
posed Lessees Are Actuated BY
Other Than Manipulating
Motives-Could Pay Off
City's Debt BY Pur-
chase Price.

II don't blame any man In the city of
Richmond Tor making such proposition,
hui think 1t will be worse than criminal
FOR any man 10 vote for It. when It
comes IN in the Council declared Mayor
Mccarthy before the Clay Ward Actives
last night In speech regarding tho
recent offer To lease the gas works.
81 they would sell me the franchise.
Or lease me the works, | could sell IT in
New York at once fnra cool Soo'pC
Ave. / have, q sncaking suspicion that 4
could get cool. clear million :, OF com
FOR my apture. and get 1t easy,
p ,rhe MAYORS speech was full of sur
r,tscs and was the hit OF the evening.
&lJn kept his auditors closely attentive
and several times when he offered 70
close. loud cries of Go on Give US
some more kept him on his feet. Ills
was ,indcnabIy the feature address OF
the evening"
The mayor said in part:
First, / want TO say oIat tne 10y
Council cannot sell, or lease, the gas
works OF this citysuntil you have express
cd your sentiment in the matter as citi-
Ezcns OF Richmond at a general election.
They have not the power. anu cllal-
ElenEe any man, woman or child to say
otherwise.
Meet Them at the Academy
g..I come here tonight not to make
Fourth Of July Grafton. full OF sparkling
fireworks but gentlemen,l come TO give
YOU a few plain facts about matter
which concerns yor all. And let me tell
YOU right now before begin, INA IL
any gentleman IN this city, or eise"lie'I :.
challenges any statement or nine, OF u
any two or more gentlemen take II upon
Themselves SO to dot that i Will fight "
Fout with them on the stage of the Acad-
cmy of Music, and there discuss the
value of the citys gas works before me
plblic.s I-sdcfy them to taho It up.58 !,
shall not jngglc with figures, but WI!
make assertions that can prove ana
which no one can deny.
''Regarding this last proposition which
has been laid before the city for con-
sidera ton, from careful reading Of the
letter as printed In one Of the dairy
papers the other day, ! have discoveries
statements which would show that me
letter does not proceed from any one
gentleman in Richmond, or any party IN
Richmond. My presumption Is that these
gentlemen who make the offer are the
representatives of some outside Interest
in the matter and are not acting for
themselves alone. So their claim Of pub
lie spirited action In this case Is too
thin and falls through. They are not
the natriotIc, beneficent authors OF this
plan to take from the city It's best fran
chise of all.
II have here the annual report OF the
superintendent OF tho Gas Works Mr..
Knowles in which the total in favor OF
the Gas Works Is given as S73,419,0. Now,
gentlemen, lust above this balance we
road OF n $19,51O.63, which Is subtracted,
with the statement that 1t is the cost OF
the extension OF gas pipes In various
parts Of the city.
What cannot swallow down IS the
bald statement that extensions are on
the debit side, when they are among the
among the most valuable assets OF the
city OF Richmond these pipes that lie hid
In the earth. Let me tell you some
thing. They force Mr.. Knowles to do
| this sort Of thing. as they wish to Keep
| It hid from the public how much tho
| gas works earns the city. They wish
+! TO get them away from the city.
Wish to Keep 1t Secret.
"Here. again. we hnyc a statement OF
a subtraction OF $4,000 interest on tho
| million dollar bonds at four per cent.
| from tho whole amount before tho earn
| ings Of the works. are stated. Now does
| any sane man presume to say that tho
| interest which Is paid out of the gain
| ings OF the plant arc to be subtracted
! before a statement OF the total earnings.
yyhy ask, do they compel the superln-
tcndent to hand In his report tS,ls, when
instead OF the measly seyenty-three
| thousand VIC have this plus tho nineteen,
and again plus the forty th->>and's In
! terest to be added together to q make
the total sum which represents the earn