The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-07
Insistence on Two Cents "Rake Off" Costs Citizens
 S1,449,O00 in Six Years
COMPANY FIRM IN
 REFUSAL TO TRADE
Orders Will Be Given at Once to En- large Present Plant and Continue Charging 90 Cents Per
 Thousand

The commissioners of Birmingham, by Insisting on a 2-cent "rake-off' for the citv in the gas receipts of the Birming- ham Railway. Light and Power company denied the people of Birmingham lower gas rates when all negotiations were broken off yesterday. The officials of the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company, after the negotiations were concluded yesterday morning, gave up the ghost. It was subsequently, ex- plained by J. $. Pevear, president of the company, that there was little ghost to give up, but what there was the com pany had given up.
 The further announcement was made by MT Pevear that his company had al ready requested bids on the necessary machinery to add to the local gas plant in order to increase the output for which the charge will be 90 cents under the present contract. He said the contract would be let before the latter part of next week and that the work of re- modelling the plant would start at ohce ; He said that about Si0O0O would be spent in adding to the local plant ana that the increase in gas would be sufficient to take care of the city for a snort eiiile'
 Turned Down by Bullock
 The ultimatum of Commissioner Wealth. erly that the empty city treasury should receive cents from the gas sales Is what "threw the fat in the fire" MT. Pevear. when he received the ultimatum, wired George Bullock, president of the United Gas and Electric company, and tha tias rp piled in one word:
 No"
 He went to the city hall to deliver the answer of his commander in chief, but when he arrived with J. H. r. De- Windt, local general manager. 1t was apparent that President George Ward was inclined to vote for cents but want ed that sum divided between the peo- pie and the company. MT. Weatherly was willing to vote for cents, all to be paid by the company and none by the people. Judge Lane modified his posi- tion from cents to the 2-cent rate
 After MT. Pevear, MT. DeWindt and the commissioners met for short space of five minutes it was apparent that they would not get together so it was even- tually announced that the negotiations were off. That eventual act was pre- dicted yesterday morning as it was not believed that the officials of the Br- mingham Railway, Light and Power company would recede from their pro- posal which they have always main- tained, even weeks ago, to be the rock bottom price the gas.
 Ward Issues Statement
 President George B. Ward issued a statement after the whole thing was over. He said the commission made a mistake in not accepting the last offer. He said the people were not taxed, MT. Wealth erly maintained. in the matter of the 2 cents distributed between the company and the people, for Mir Ward said the money which represented the people S part went into their own treasury and was given back to them in a different channel but none the less effectively and accurately. He demonstrated that the ? cents demanded by MT. Weather1y was secured by his compromise plan in diff ferent way.
 In reference to the contract, President