Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-08
VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO
REJECT Gas LEASE OFFER
Public Utilities Committee Receives
Boards Report and Adopts Its
Recommendation.
BOARD RECITEs IT'S REASONS
Says City Can Furnish Gas mt 80
Cents Protitably, and Will Give as
Good Service as Anybody If Given
Full Authority.


The Administrative Board Yesterday
afternoon returned Its complete an
swer to the Council Committee on Pub
lie Buildings. Properties and Utilities,
giving all its reasons for recommend
Ing the rejection of the application OF
the Southern Gas and Electric Corpo-
ration to lease the Gas Works. The
committee, after hearing the report,
recommended to the Council the rejec-
ton of the leasing offer
There was little debate ATTORNEY A
II. Sands. counsel for the gas company,
asked for time in which to file an
answer to the statements in the boards
reports, saying that ii was due the
company that it be enabled to make
categorical reply Councilman Il. u.
Pitcher said. however, that the .ues-
tion was one of HoIicy purely. and
moved the rejection of the petition.
which followed unanimously
REPORT GOES INTO
ARGUMENT At LENGTH
In its report the Administrative
Board goes into the proposition Of
the southern Gas and Electric Cor
poration at length. and answers each
of the company's arguments. The
board declares that the city can fur
nish gas at so cents. readily and profit
ably. If il be deemed wise policy to
do so, and that gas can I've furnished
even for 20 cents. To the arcumcnt
that the lease Of The Gas Works would
iurnlSh revenue to the city. il is re-
plied that the city can make the same
revenue. and would receive both the
direct revenue and the profts which
the company would pocket. AS to the
inI
furnish better gas it is answered that
i; cannot. by any known method. make
any better sas than the city is now
making.
Recently, however" the rcport con-
tinues. the parties who proposed the
lease of the Gas Works have aban
doned their assertion that they would
make cheaper gas. and based their
claims for possession of the Gas
Works on promise to give better
service.
CAN FURNISH GOOD SERVICE
If GIVEN AUTHORITY
This proposition is unworthy of
consideration, because the city officials
provided the Council invest them with
sufficient authority. can and will fur
nish as good service as any city i'm
TINS country now receives The only
Justihcation for the lease of the Gas
works to the Southern Gas and EIec-
tfic Corporation is their desire to pos
seSs a plant Of undoubtcd stable and
constant value. which has been a protit-
earning success for about sixty wears
Any established business with an ab-
Solutely secure patronage. Welding
such satisfactory and continuous
profit. would he readily and promptly
leased or bought by any capitalist who
ascertained that the possessors were
foolish enough to part with it,"
The board urges that IL il were in
vested with the necessary authority TO
exercise the percmptory methods and
free handling of the Gas Works and
the service which the company would
exercise. 1t could give service equal 10
any in the world. and charges that the
city Council has quietly refused to AL
low the. authorities in charge of the
Gas Works to exercise authority in the
houses and on the premises OF gas
consumers.
GAS WORKS HAVE
PROVED REVENUE MAKER
Considered as revenue maker, the
board says further. that il the Gas
Continued on Third PapaS