Arizona republican., 1910-02-17
COUNCIL FAVoRs
 AN INVESTIGATION
COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE. BOOKS OF PACIFIC GAS q ELECTRIC COMPANY WILL PRosA-
 eLY BE APPOINTED.
The Request For Such a Committee By Roy Goodrich and Other Business Men Was Dis
 eussed Last Night.

A prolonged session of the city council was held last night sitting as committee of the whole. Late in the evening there was an open session. but the only business transacted was the acceptance of the bid of the Union Oil company to supply the city water department with oil for the next three years.
 There were four bids submitted. three of which were the same. The price of oil seems to be about as fixed and definite as the railroad fares on rival roads between the same points. The bids were s165 a barrel delivered. or 65 cents at the oil wells. The com- panies that presented bids were the Standard. the Harris, the Associated and the Union. The latter has a To- cal branch here and was accepted
 The city has been buying oil from the Harris company at S1.13 barrel and the new bid will save few cents on every barrel used.
 It was announced at the last ses- sion of the council that the Wednesday night meeting was to take up the question of municipal ownership Of an electric light plant. The question be- fore the committee of the whole was the request of a committee or tax payers that committee be appointed to investigate the actual and physical value of the plant of the Pacific Gas and Electric company and the actual earnings of the company. - It is under stood that this matter was thoroughly threshed out with the result that the council in general Is amenabie to such a proposition provided the cost of the examination be shouldered by the ap- plicants.
 The city council looks upon this proposition in the same light that it did on the proposal of certain business men to submit tho whole matter to popular election to determine public sentiment.
 At the time that proposal was sub mitted the majority of the councilmen decided that if a number of business men wanted the question of municipal ownership submitted to the people it should be done provided the expense was borne by the applicants. and the election was ordered;- decide whether or not congress shall be applied to for permission to vote some $S00.000 worth of bonds for the purpose of erecting a light plant.
 When applied to by committee of fifteen of the prominent business men of the city to appoint committee of three men to make an examination of the books of the company and decide the value of the plant and profits de- rived from it. the council felt it their duty to acquiesce as representatives of the people. While the appointments have not been made it is generally supposed that the council will take ac- tion in that respect at an early date.
 In regard to the appointment of commission to fix the rates and deter mine the charges as proposed by the Gas and Electric company. the major ity of the council were of the opinion that this plan savored more of arbi- tration than it did of commission. inasmuch as one of the members was to be appointed by the Pacific Gas and Electric company.
 It is not the desire of the committee of business men. of which Roy Good rich is chairman. that a commission should be formed 10 fix the rates; all that is asked is that committee of men competent in their own branches of business. should be appointed to gather the data from which the pub lie may form their conclusions.