Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-22
City Council Tires Of Parrying
With Jones & Hovey and
Passes Ordinance
START NEW YEAR WITH $1.1o
Sliding Scale for Two Years, Gradu-
ally Reaching Point Council Deems
Just and quitabIe-counci Votes
as Unit on ordinance-Gas Com
pany's New "StipuIations.

The people of Marshalltown WILL De-
ginning Jan l., have in force a new
| ordinance governing the amount they
shall pay the Marshalltown Light
Power and Railway company for gas
Instead of S1.65 or $145, with discounts
if the consumer uses enough, the new
rate is $1.10 for gas used for any pur-
pose. In 1910 the rate will be $1.O5 and
beginning Jan. l. 1911, and thereafter.
the rate will be a dollar flat, the amount
the city council believes should be
charged for gas in Marshalltown.
The new ordinance regulating gas
rates, regardless of whether it is used
for Illuminating or fuel purposes, was
| called ON its second reading at the adj
journed meeting of the council Mon
day night. Every member was present
Clark suggested an amendment of
$1.05 as fiat rate, doing away with
the sliding scale for the next few years.
He had no support, however, with the
exception of Good, who later withdrew
his second to what he supposed was a
formal amendment,
Devine Believes in Caution.
Devine, who has advised caution
turnout the entire controversy over the
gas ordinance, said he believed the
council was going at the question in a
haphazard way on the theory that I'VE
ought to have dollar gas" He said,
however, that the council seemed una
BILE to secure a fair and satisfactory
statement from the company as to its
earnings and the cost of manufacture.
hence there might be ground for doubt
that the company really wanted to get
at way OF enlightening the council.
He believed the ordinance as proposed
would get the city into trouble, and
that lawsuit would result. I'VE can
not agree on experts to examine the
books, and if we can not arrive at an
amicable agreement there is probably
no better way than to adopt the ordi-
nance, altho l fear that in doing so we
are getting into deeper water"
Nothing But to Pass IT,: Gregory.
Mr. Gregory, who has stood with De-
vine in taking every precaution before
ILli11AS ddoPtii5 SAtS SsAaSs
that because public sentiment and pub
lie opinion was always against public
service corporation, he had considered
1t due Jones & Hovey to give them ev-
cry chance to show their side, and per-
haas to strain a point to allow them
to meet the city on the proposition.
I'VE have kept up the negotiations
strongly. No doubt DR.. Devine made
the proposition regarding what Jones
said about the city selecting the ex-
pert as he understood Jones to make
it, but doubt whether Jones made 1t
Just that way Now we are up against
a stone wall. They will not accept the
services Of an accountant we would Sc
lect. / see nothing to do but pass the
ordinance. They have still got way
open. There is little use for further
negotiations, and favor the ordinance
as it is"
Is Fair Ordinance Says IngIedue.
Mayor Ingledue was of the opinion
that the ordinance was eminently fair,
and if it meant lawsuit the city
would go into court with showing
that it had adopted an ordinance at
the same rates proposed by the COM
pany. The only difference shown was
that the city was setting the time
ahead and putting dollar gas into force
in 1911 instead of 1914.
On the suspension of the rules all
voted ave, as was also the case on che
final adoption.
Text Of the Ordinance.
The text of the new ordinance may
be summed UP as follows:
Beginning Jan. 1, 1909, $1.1O per
thousand cubic feet for gas, regardless
for what purposes it is used.
Beginning Jan. I, 1910, sl.05 per
thousand cubic feet.
Beginning Jan. /, 1911, and there
after, 81 per thousand cubic feet.
What Saving Means.
The present rate on gas for illum-
mating purposes in Marshallto"Vn Is
s1.65, subject, however, to certain dis
counts, governed by the quantity used,
for prompt payment of bills.
The present rate for fuel gas, or for
gas used for both fuel and Illuminating
purposes, is s145 per thousand cubic
feet. also subject to discounts.
There is not so very much gas used
in the city for strictly Illuminating
purposes. The greatest amount is used
for fuel OF for combination fuel and
Illuminating.
The average consumer probably uses
between 1000 and 1000 cubic feet per
month. In the smaller homes. with
two or three in the family, the con-
sinner would use somewhere around
1000 feet, or $3.50 per month. A dis
count for prompt payment on his
amount or any other amount UP to A.
600 cubic feet, would be SO cents, or
$40 net For January of the coming
wear this same consumers bill will be
1920. or a fraction less than 10 per
cent; next year it will be $2.1O, or
about II per cent under the present
rate and after Jan. 4, 1911, it will be
80, or a discount of 20 per cent. For
strictly Illuminating purposes, of
course, the discount would be corres-
pondingly greater. as there is a diff
ference between the two rates now in
force, the discount of % cents being
the same in both cases.
company's New Stipulations.
The gas company presented new
set of stipulations to the council Mon
day night, which was read by Nc
Donald, chairman of the special com
mittee 1t differs but very little from
the stipulations of week ago, the
only change being in the manner OF ar
irving at an expert. Strictly speaking
this difference amounts to nothing. as