The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-06-06
GAS NEGOTIATIONS | SEEMDEADLOCKED OVER AGENT ISSUE City Commissioners Want
 Share of Net Profits
 for City CONFERENCE WILL ,, BE RESUMED TODAY Crawford States His Company Can Make No Further Reduction.
 Engineer Brown Here for the City

| and Power company gives the city al least cents per 1000 cubic feet of it's net revenue on the by-product gas which Ii proposes to distribute here, there will be no bv-product gas distributed in this city. l That seemed to be the prevailing opin- i ion upon the adjournment yesterday of the commissioners ana the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company of fcials after hours of dellberations. There is the smallest sort of chance for the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power 1 company granting the concession. 1 At first the city wanted 5 cents per 1oof cubic feet That was MT. Wards position and is the position of Judge Lane. MT. Ward wanted the company to increase the 1 rate 26 cents per 1000 feet to the peo- l pie and turn the revenue into the city treasury. Then 21s cents would be added against the company and would total ] cents for the city.
 This proposal was rejected by MT. Weatherly, because he said that it was unfair to the people In other words he assumed the position that it was mol right to the people that the agents oi the people, that is to say the commits sion, should make a higher rate thar offered and put that money into the cof. fers of the city
 1 Not Make Big Profit l The attitude of the commission ap. l peared to be that the Tennessee Coal Iron and Railroad company would mak' a big profit out of this gas, which is now l alleged to be wasted. But this is no the case, according George Gordoi Crawford, president of that company. Tn, city further apparently believes that tn, Birmingham Railway, Light and Powe company will make an extremely bis profit, which J. S. Pevear. president O that company, says is not true. And thu city believes that in the triangular ne gotiations the ''hard-up' city of Birming ham should profit In Tact, Mr. Warc said he had been advised to make al of the profit come to the city even t, the extent of denying the people any reduction in gas rates to speak of.
 The commissioners appealed to MT Pevear to make a reduction and he de clined.
 
 you in making the request that we pa, you cents?' asked MT. Pevear. staring at Commissioner weatherly What d, we get?''
 What you ask for replied MT Weatherly
 We are not asking for anything an swered MT. Pevear I've are really try ing to do something for the people o Birmingham. We immediately lose 5 pc cent when this rate goes in. We los per cent every yea. for three years and unless we create business-which i speculative-we will continue to lose. Bu if we make business we will earn som small profit. I cannot see any san grounds on which I can put this pro posal up to my people. But I will do i and let you know tomorrow
 Crawford Telephoned For
 It was hoped that sMr. Crawford fo the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Ralroa' company, would grant a concession, an he was telephoned for. He sat in tn commission room while Mir Weatherl made the 2-cent proposal. Finally, whe ' everyone stood up ready to leave an return at 10 o'clock this morning. Nil Ward explained to MT. Crawford that was hoped that he and MT. Pevear woul get together and make the 2-cent conces sion.
 That Is impossible. replied MT. Craw ford. Our company made the Birmine ham Railway, Light and Power compan the best possible price,"
 MT. Crawford explained that his ga was not wasted. He said that on Sur days and sometimes on Saturday whe the steel works were closed down ther was some gas wasted. He added, how ever that it would cost a great de; more to erect holders and store the ga } than it was worth for the small amour ] or waste and at this time 1t was nt commercially nor economically possib] to attempt such storage. He said ths on week days the smah amount of gs that Is seen burning results not frol waste but from the difference in adjus ment at the plants, which renders if a most impossible to retain all of the ra and therefore some of 1t is burned MT Crawford explained that the gs when the plants were in operation wa used for boilers, in furnaces and in 'otbe portions of the Ensley and Fairfield ope1 } ations.
 Treasury Should Participate ] MT Weatherly insists that the cit treasury should participate in the ra profits although MT. Brown, the city . expert, the committee of the Chambe of Commerce and Board of Trade res commended that the contract be af cepted.
 The recommendations of the commit tee follow:
 Birmingham, Ala, June 5, 1914.
 "To the City Commissioners-Th committees of the Chamber of Con merce and the Board of Trade hay authorized the undersigned to respect fully report that after hearing full re lports concerning the use of by-produc lcoke oven gas, as manufactured at tn coke ovens of the Tennessee Coal. Iro