The Washington times., 1907-12-08
Systematic Warfare of
Municipality Crowned
With Success.
Hamilton, Ohio, Stands AS
Example for Others to
Follow.

HAMILTON, Ohio, Dec T.-ArtiflCial
gas can be manufactured and sold to
the public 1t so cents a thousand cubic
feet. and the company that sells it at
that price can make money. There is
no longer any question about this
statement. for gas is being manufac-
tured and sold in this city at 60 cents.
1t has even been sold as low as S5
cents. but not TO the consumer. The
gas company sold gas 10 the city of
Hamilton at s. cents and the city.
which had several hundred customers
for its municipal gas plant, sold it to
these customers at 90 cents The city
of Hamilton would s;in be buying gas
for 80 cents a thousand were Il not
for \ bitter political fight that has
ragged here for several years. and
which has split things 50 wide Jyen
that no one can tell who is his politi-
cal friend and who IS his enemy. II
is not necessary to go into the details
Of this fight here. further than to say
that friction developed between the city
which boosted the price Of its gas
from 35 cents to 90 cents. and this is
what the city Is paying nov.
Hamilton's Fight for Cheap Gas.
The Hamilton Otto Coke Company
makes all the gas that Is produced or
sold in Hamilton. Years ago there was
a gas company that had a plant here
ana 1t made water gas which lt sold 10
the consumers at $l.75 a thousand The
city finally concluded that this price
was too high and there was a popular
demand for cheaper gas, just as there
is n demand for cheaper gas in In
djanapolis. Efforts were made to bring
about a reduction in the price. The
people wanted it brought down 20 a
respectable figure. but the gas company
was obdurate and maintained its price.
The Indignation Of the people was
aroused. as It has been in Washington.
and nothing would quench the fire OF
that Indignation but gas at a lower
Price.
But the city and the gas company
were not able to get together. and then
the den and arose for a municipal gas
plant which would make and sell gas
cheaper than the company was furnish
ing it. The plan took with q hurrah
and the city Of Hamilton erected its
municipal gas plant II made water
gas and supplied it to the people at
81 Z5. OF course, tie city got most OF
the customers Then the gas company
reduced the price below the city's price
The city made another reduction and
so did the company. and thus it went
until Hamilton was getting water gas
at 50 cents n thousand.
Then the Hamilton Otto Coke Com
pany was organized by W. e Howell.
a, expert coke and gas man, and this
company mas since absorbed the old gas
company. The SO-cent price was con-
tnued.
Grafters Ruined Municipal Business.
Political grafters got their fingers into
the municipal gas business and ruined
it Nearly two years ago the grating
had become so strong and notorious
that the people of Hamilton decided to
make a change. so they elected new
set OF city officers. ard one Of the first
things that the new officials did was
to start an investigation OF the munich
pal gas, water. and electric plans. They
discovered that the water and electric
plants were making money for the city.
but that the gas plant was losing from
$50 70 $50 a day. and that II was due to
the grafteTs- Immediately the munich
pal gas plant was closed down and no
more gas was made by the city. This
left the field open TO the Hamilton Otto
Coke Company. which had orga nized
the Hamilton Gas and Electric Com