The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-22
BOARD. WILL CONSIDER
GAS LEASE TOMORROW
Representatives Of the Southern Gas
and Electric Corporation win
BE Present.
MIR. KNOWLES ON PROPOSAL
Richmond Has Better Gas Than Is
Supplied In Other Cities BY Com
pany Offering To Lease Plant
Here.

ne Administrative board Will take
Zip tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock
the question Of leasing the municipal
gas plant. Representatives of the
Southern Gas and Electric Corpora
ton will be present to present their
proposition, while representatives OF
the city will appear in opposition to
the proposed lease
President Francis Homer. Of the
Southern Company, will speak In be-
half OF the plan as presented by his
company. and will seek to show that
the company can give better and
cheaper gas than the city Is now
furnishing. while Superintendent
Knowles will endeavor to show that
the city can supply gas at lower rates
and with some additions and improve
ments at the works produce as good
gas as any other corporation or city.
MIR. knowles In Reply.
In his recent statement to the
Council committee. Mr.. Homer point
ed to the excellent service given by
the Henrico Gas Company. controlled
by the Southern. In reply to this Mr..
Knowles yesterday said:
las to the comparison of complaints
OF Henrico Gas Company and Rich
m6nd Cl.y Gas Works. this is not n
fair comparison, as the territory sup
piIFu ny lftt fttUE1Go 1dk company is
built up with modern houses which
class of citizens. These houses were
piped according to we'll established
rules. using the proper size pipe 10
furnish a sufficient volume of gas for
all purposes while the majority of
the houses in certain sections of our
city from which most of the COM
plants come were piped many years
ago when the works were in their
infancy.
These houses were piped for light
ing purposes alone; and the introduce
tinn of m odern gas appliances and the
insufficient piping is the cause OF two
thirds Of our complaints This con-
dit!on, in NV opinion, will continue
10 give trouble 10 the consumer and
the city unless these houses are re-
niped and the proper fixtures installed
To ACCOMPLISH this will necessitate
the tearing up OF floors. cutting par
tition walls and practically tearing
the interiors 10 pieces, which the
property owners viii not permit.
\ tairer Comparison.
"But we have one section OF our city
which can be fairly compared as TO
complaints with the territory supplied
with The Hcurico Gas Company. and
we're ineta.led in this section Of the
city We had solicitors make house,
Toulouse canvass and explain the ad-
vantages of our product and pro-
cured two hundred ana thirty SIX
signatures Since then. we have in
creased our number 30 four hundred
and twenty-four. This section has
been supplied with gas since Novem-
her rs, 1919. ana we have never had
complaint.
we have An extra force Of gas
filters making n house-to-house cam
vasS with a thorough Inspection of
service pipes. meter connections. fix
lures aud appliances. and putting all
fixtures and appliances in order. and
irstructing the consumer In their
uses
we connect house pipes with street
mains: furnish the proper size meters
and come ctions; incase all services;
connect gas stoves on any fioor Of
house: connect tank water heaters,
Slow out house 4gpes. stoves and ser
vice pipes. renew services here an
increased supply ~ needed: change
and test meters TO satisfy consumers
instruct consumers in the use of all
gas appliances. and We have found
hundreds of said appliances giving
poor service due to lack Of proper
care.
same Company Elsewhere.
Much has been said ahott cheape
and better gas by those who advocate
leasing the gas works Richmond
makes better gas for lighting. better
gae for heating and cooking. and sells
il for less money than twenty other
cities tsone iarger and some smaller
than Richmond), where the works
are opera led by private companies;
and we scli more Of ID per capita
than eighteen of the same cities. II
would be easy to ffnd hundreds OF
cities In which we excel in quality and
eheapness. but, on account OF orr
mixed population of white and coll
ored people il liz hardly fair to conf
mare our business with thnt Of the
white populated cities In the North
ard West. vet the statement shows
that we do excel in many of them.
Very few. - any. private COM
panies can make as good a showing
on all four points. In Augusta, Ga.
the works are owned and operated
by the same people who desire 10
lease our works. We have learned
that these gentlemen ALSO own and
operate the ga works at Bluetleld.
W VA. and Sumpeter, s. G. Accord
ing to the statistics furnished Browns
Directory, we make better gas for