The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-21
HOMER COMING TAESDAY
TO ATTEND GAS MEETING
VIII Endcayor to Convince City An
thorities OF Wisdom of Leasing
Uty's Gas Works.
FOR IMPROVEMENT
Present Service Not Tn to REQUIRE
mcnts OF Situation--Gas Corpora
ton Taking Advantage of Poor Ser
vice, Presses Home Arguments for
Change.

Francis II. Homer, president of the
Southern Gas and Electric Corpora
ton. whose serious illness prevented
him from being present at the last
meeting of the Administrative Board.
which had a special meeting with the
Utilities Committee OF the Common
Council to consider the matter of
leasing the gas plant, is due TO ar
rive from New y ork or Tuesday and
Will meet with the Admin list rative
Board to again take up the matter of
the lease on the evening of that day.
Considerable interest has been
manifested in this matter and the
lengthy article issued by Mr.. Hirsch-
berg few days ago has had the eff
feet of bringing out several interviews
from various prominent people who
are DESTROYS that this matter should
be brought to the attention OF the
public in the November elections.
DIR. Mason Fayors Light.
Rev. Landon T.. Mason, of 11rac
Church, expressed himself in Scriptur-
al terms and most emphaticalIy re-
gardsng the present service.
We need light" said he, and T
most particularly refer to gas light.
We need 1t in both church and home
and | sincerely trust that this most
important question wzl be given the
due attention 1t deserves by the peo-
pie OF this city. who should be intel
ligentiy interested in all such matters
The present gas service In far from
good. In fact, ! may say that it is
absolutely bad. The feeble flicker
which ia designated a fame il OF n
dark brown color and when the pres
sure is brought to the second floor
of my home there IL no light worth
mentioning on the frs: floor / am
strongly in favor Of experts taking
over this matter and am hoping that
We can go deeply into the matter of a
satisfactory lease, which, l under
stand. will give US better and cheaper
gas
:Crfticises Municipal Ownership.
Municipal ownership Of public
utilities has generally resulted In in
efficiency and political, preferences. -
said Judge David II. T.eake local
counsel for the Chesa peake and Ohio.
at his offices In the Mutual Assurance
building. on Main Street, yesterday.
The payroll of a municipal plant
Is overloaded with pensioners. as a
rule. and efficiency is IA second con-
sideration. This alone IS sufficient
reason for a respectful hearing being
given to men of wealth and standing
when they put mp proposition 10 anv
city 10 consider a lease 1t Is only.
an evidence OF intelligence. ANYWAY.
for the citizens OF a city to look INTO
these matters and il is decidedly the
proper course for them to pursue /
trust and hope that the people OF
Richmond will lift our public utilities
out OF politics and have them run ON
business principles. ] think they
would do this If ever they would
gather and consider the proposition in
calm and reasonable light Read.
Ing any mans opinion does not give
the citizen a fair and impartial judg
ment on such questions. The people
should look into such things fairly
and squarely and not permit any
movement TO block the proposition Of
lease before 1t is well started"
On March 18th the Southern Gas
and Electric Company sent out a num-
Der OF postal cards with return card
attached. asking for a vote to SUBJ
init offer OF the company to the voters
at the November elections. From a
list of eighteen bankers. four were
non -commitai and fourteen for the
matter coming UP before the people
at the election. Out OF ffty-nine
clergymen forty-one voted for the
people TO have a say. The lawyers
run twenty-one out OF thirty-nine for
the public vote.