The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-03
CITY CAN'T CURE
GAS DISABILITIES
Twenty Per Cent of Trouble Is
Fault of Consumers, Says
Homer.
EXPLAINS LEASING OFFER
President OF Southern Gas and
Electric Corporation Urges
Plan as Good Business.

Twenty per cent OF Itichmonds gas
ills. according TO President Francis =.
Homer. OF the Southern Gas and Flee
trio Corporation. OF baltimore, is the
fault of the consumers themselves. and
! IL beyond the city's power TO remedy.
Tho disability arises from the insult
rient size Of the services ana meters in
use In residences, as well as from faulty
! burners AMI tips
MIR. Homer addressed Il special sub
! committee OF the Council Committee OH
Public Buildings. Properties aud Utlli-
! ties last night in behalf OF his COM
pany's offer to lease the Gas Works at
an annual rental OF $4,000 plus /
per cent of the gross receipts. Tho
! subcommittee consists OF Councilman
/ Mills, chairman. and Councilmcn Pol
| lock and Ratclffc
Upon tho motion of Councilman Pol
I lock the subcommittee took the matter
under consideration, reserving the priv
! lego OF calling further meetings be-
/ FOR" making up it's -cport The COM
! nittee adjourned after a hearing OF
more than an hour, to meet again ut
Is the call of the chair.
Analyses Local Problem.
I MIR. Homer prefaced his detailed dis
& iussiOn Of the leasing offer with a COM
parison OF the relative merits of 1nuni-
! Cipal and private operation. az applied
ton, as il is conducted in Richmond.
4 lie admitted. was comparatively OH
cent. The Richmond Gas Works. he
Il thought. was perhaps the best munich
raliy operated gas plant in the world.
/ ~ suffered, however he said. from the
defects inherent in municipal operation.
/ and TO that extent must always remain
defective.
Private operation. said the speaker.
insured more elastic administration. a
/ closer and prompt"r adjuStincnt of the
machinery OF production to The needs
OF consumers. a Capitalization OF re
sponsibility, and cheaper manufac-
turing cost by reason OF more advan-
tag"ous buying facilities
MIR. Homer read at length from rc-
ports prepared 10y engineers of his
company Undressing the efficiency of tho
. Gas Works. as well as the high char
. act"f of the service performed bv SUI
p"rintendcut Knowles Tho rlants
greatest single defect, according to the
reports, was It's distributing syste,n-n
failing which was strongly stressed by
Arthur g. Glasgow of London. who
made AN examination of the System
several weeks arc.
ReSuintcd Lease, the Kennedy.
I Nm Arrangement 10y which the city re-
/ tanned the ownership OF the works and
/ Yet permitted II to hc operated by pri-
. Natc enterprise, thought Mr. Homer
was the ideal solution. Municipal one
ration. he said. fails of its best results
/ except in the case OF AN activity in
Nolvinc health, in which case economy
ceases to be tho most important CON
siGcration.
The Southern Gas and Electric Cor
poration. if its leasing offer IL accepted.
SAID the speaker. would At once under
/ take TN" task OF Improving the dis
| tributing system. It wuutd replace ser
NiceS ana meters at Il cost of $4,000,
ana at once obvate 20 per cent OF the
/ present complaints. The city, he said
cannot do this because the law pro-
! nloits II from using the public funds
/ ior the bcncit Of individuals
Calls IL Iibcrul OHer
MI iioncr submitted table showing
| the benefits that would accrue TO tho.
city through the acceptance OF his com
/ panys onicr from which il appeared
/ mat. based on the earnings Of the Gas
I Works during 1872, the lease of tho
( works would mean during the tirst year
/ It profit TO the city OF S73,3i7 in excess
81 inc gross profit reported by Super
/ intcndcnt Knowles
Against tho gross profts OF So6-
"'2.1o reported ny tho Superintendent,
OF tho Gas Works FOR last wear. The
t"bnlalion enters among other Offset
ting profits. these:
Reduction in the price OF gas from,
go cents to so cents. saving to gas con
sumcrs, $4,000.
additional cost OF oil, to be assumed
by the lessee, which would otherwise
/ nave I" be paid next year by the city
/ $4,000
J Interest on an additional capital in
/ Vcstment required to give adequate
service. amounting, in four years. 10
Sl,l53.oo0. At the city rate of 41.2 per
cent. $4,000.
I Saving In Office space. heat, light.
/ printing and other expenses. now used
10y tho Gas Department. $4,000.
Fixed annual rental, $4,000.
The | per cent on gross recoipts of
$i9S,COo, $1,000.
= Makes Strong Address.
Committeeman agreed last night
that MIR. Hcncr's exposition OF the
gas issue WAS clear and convincing
To a remarkable degree. He spoke
concisciy and without frilis. stat
Ing tho proposition in a business like
manner ana ispassionatcly. His com
pany, he said. made the offer In good
faith. and he asked that tho Council
give it the careful investigation that
, 1t mcritcd
stcnographic record was made OF
thc speakers address to the commit
tee, ana extra copies were ordered for
distribution 10 each member. Copies
Of tile reports prepared by the com
panN'.s engineers, as well rs much other
data gathered by the company were
submitted for the committees consid-
Grafton.
7 The meeting was attended 10y Supcr-
intcndcnt Knowles. of the Gas Works:
Assistant City Attorney George Wayrc
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