The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-07-15

sS.rnctcrs. with tho expectation Of
3Yeither financial or political beIieilt 10
,sthemsclves.
"There liz little about municipal trad.
sging to attract men of the FIRST CLASS.
ssAir. E,dg,r and Mr.. Claisk uhitoain say.
Sing. I'VE have not found evidence IN
ss.ha United states that the persohlhei OF
1.-the city government of chicago poieE.
ring to Mayor Dunne's administrator
sur Wheeling is superior to that OF NJ
aslanta or Norfolk. or that the introduce
f.tIon of municipal water and electrlc
Infants in Detroit has brought q higher
Ntype OF citizenship into the governing
| BODY than We find in New Haven,
(which has neither"
cas- undcrtnkincs
Il Three American gas plants We're en-
ahmed by the investigating commit
tee and experts These We're at Nheelt
4 Ing. where the plant is operated ny
I the city and Atlanta and NortolK,
EEwhere there is private ownership anu
operation, In addition the commit
I stce visited the philadelphia Gas Wafks
and the labor investigators visited the
Il Richmond tNa.) Gas Works. As 10 the
I price charged the consumers, II was
! found to be Is cents per 1900 feet net
Z ut Wheeling. 81 net at Atlanta and
8 II net at Norfolk the municipal plant
+ thus selling at the lowest price TO
Offset this, however, Messfs. Edgar
!, and Clark point out that in Atlanta
s,'e. - ~ = y.
~ IN f
&While at Nheeilng charge IS fIlaae LOT
the e natsr ,,,J ~ -. tpa sattinrr of the
meter
In comparing the public and pri
"If we consider together the price
$,he wbeali,,r co,s,,,ne,. navs for ,as
and he character ~ Inc serv,ce rem
anu 't'e me etei " ny 81 ~
oerea4 we may not Doubt mat he gets
less OF net result per dollar expended
7. than does the gas consumer in .Atianta
or Norfolk Low and varying prcs-
sur, u.ceF.aln candle Power' iniln-.
gas Cat whselins5, viii G" bring trou hi
ia st,dvine ehi15ro ". 'S - 1870
fac,ors -, ~ l'l'e n.y.
nrnf,ar ,,,.n -. sei.uia..olls laSc
"a Ptope4 Pi"Se IN thls INQUIRY, Wheel
lhs gas plant is not an important
factor in the well-being of Wheeling's
citizens. What with fast meters
charges for service ma r,o+o,.S -. -
ting absence or any grot,,t,,>,,s.
tba ,a,,,i>-,,,,, .Sg taN'o''''S Moih'
ransio -. - cent, elsht-
IA sr. puMer natural gas, insufficient
in md .ales aia s pressure, end general
L
ment Wheeling gas is a dear comn,r,s
dity at any price orr o>,,a,.+s fa,,,,a
nothing 10 nraiso -, ~, ,- eApe'.ts lou lhd
yiaa.s, ~ - aise IN Meetings ser
49, az 1tu iiesie 10 criticize in the ser
wee OF the companies at Norfolk and
.Atianls.
In general If ma,, =, c,is
RS conditin,1 at MY ig pe Sa4d, SO far
efficiency is concerned there nrius
not well be a worse condition of afl
fairs than the engineers 'res,csrt 9,
existing at Wheeling. In tho other
Two cities the record regardin. con.
ulton of plant, and regardins The
Various points of practice 1nen7ioned
above in the case Of Wheeline WINS
4 contains a few points of criticism.
Is or the whole, satisfactory In both
modern and kept in an orderly con.
dition."
The labor situation ~ ,ha n,,,+s
examined is compared ia the a rl",l,s
,tage of the private nIar,s ~, az, . Al
eral impress sinn n,ada - 1,-,l ne ~ ,
SAYS Messrs IA .,aue AZ neelins,s
that no one ahont a tiia Niatk. was
any more interest IN HE NutMs tpon
was absolutely nacassar, '., "a.
him to hold his iob. and M ono eTlha,
at the works or on the street was
az az al in tie in getting work done
N an efnclent manner. The power
rest 'pl VIII II, AT Mneetng did not
therefore the ~ a,,u
the fear ~ 1;cct 49, e IN iiot iliN "
thew ma Hot 49,. sc " hlln, IN cas-
',erly. Al Nnrto III ~ .nsir W3rk Prop
irIari a;ptv ~ nra,,r. atin hllhhtH w
the ,ai ak o. M, ptonnt oiscnarge In cas-
suneriors IN JPN insir ll,,lllenIal'
peted - ,,.1 L,e as.oh o. ,ue pian
49, 49, f,; ,no men work nelte
a. Urhaai,,,t.,, 'eiisiS man was the cas-
~
me Philadelphia Gas Works.
referring to the Philadelphia ga
works as an instructive comparison o
the results OF municipal and priyat,
operation. the reviewers quote DR.. L
;. Rowe as authority for the state
bment that the equality Of the ga
supplied has been improved by tn
company now operating the service
and that through the rental paid tn
city has received for eight years al
average profit of $4ol,674 annually
While for the last few years, undc
city operation, there was a loss O
$245,3eS per year. The private com
pany, however charges no more thar
did the city. but supplies better gas
THE commissions record say Alr
Edgar and Mr. Clark, indicate a high
degree OF efficiency IN the compan,
operation OF the Philadelphia ga
works, and kindly and liberal treat
ment OF employees.
49, - I'm ,h.s,.:s,s,..,.