The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-26

charges for running services Into the houses, nor do we make any charge for running fuel lines and setting stoves. A conservative estimate for this work is SS for each consumer. pro- vided there Is no paved street to re- place
 T take it for granted that there are some people Ifi Highland Park Gas there are in every settlement) who will not pay their debts though have made no deduction on this account.
 Now. Mir. Mayor, you will readily see from the above calculation that fl this company can secure $z.400 gross per annum from the sale of gas On this extension that the entire amount wtil be consumed in fxed charges, cost of distribution and office expenses Where is the profit to the Light com panyf
 "You may wish to know how I ar. rive at the receipts per consumer. It is in this manner. We have on our books a certain number of consumers who use gas for fuel purposes. We take the total receipts each month and then divide this amount by the num- Der of consumers and the average IS about $2 per month, or SPA per annum. Attached to your letter of today is a petition from 11S prospective consun- CTS think 1t is probable that we can secure 100 consumers from this list. though our solicitors canvassed the entire district in April and May but could not secure more than sixty seven promises. All of the gas sold Tn Highland Park will be used for fuel purposes as but few houses are piped l for Illuminating gas.
 "I also wish to cali your attention to the fact that from where the new line of pipe commences. corner of Scott fhAWn }S 100 feet of main from which we will new | CT derive any revenue. as 1t runs south on Union Street a distance of 500 feet, and then east on Highland Avenue to old city limits, distance of 1,600 feet before we get consumer. This entire distance of 2,100 feet is through ne- gro settlement, and we. can do no ous- mess with this class of citizens "However, notwithstanding all of the above objections to making this ex- nensive and non-p profitable extension, we are willing to spend the money m | order to accommodate the people or | Highland Park and at the same time l comply with the wishes of our honor 1 able Mayor and City Council. and l wish to assure you that the work Will be posecuted with as little delay as possible.
 Tn discussing this matter with Major Steiner. attorney for this com pany. 1t is his opinion that before the gas mains are laid into Highland Park l that the City Council should give to | the Montgomery Light and Water Pow | CT Company a special grant, and that the City Engineer shall be tnstructeo | to locate the mains, and 1t Is also ms opinion that the franchise which we are now operating under applies only | to the city of Montgomery ana aot lo greater Montgomery in so far as ex- tending mains beyond the old city linn Its is concerned. Should you agree with us in this opinion, I will take pleasure in having Major Steiner draft an or dinance along these lines
 Pardon me for punishihg you this hot weather with such lengthy com munication, but I find 1t impossible to state my case clearly in any other way
 'Wlll you please communicate the in formation herein contained to the spe- claI committee of the City Council to whom this mater has been referred and oblige.
 | Yours very truly.
 "R. J. Chambers.
 General Manager"
 Teleerams from the pipe companies referred to are attached to the letter.
 General Manager Chambers said that he did not wish 1t to appear to the citizens of Highland Park that 1t was necessary for the Council to take steps to force his company to extend it's gas mains into that territory wher the company was proceeding to do SC Il without any demand by the Council.