El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-05-16
SWEENEY GOES
AFTER Gas CD.
Before Council Accuses the
Corporation of Tax Dodg-
ing; Asks Lower Rates.

The conviction that gas rates in
the city Of FL Paso should be reduced
/ Instead Of increased, as requested by
the gas company. was expressed in
Ia brief address delivered by former
mayor J. L. Sweeney at the regular
meeting Of the city council Thurs
I day morning. Judge Sweeney took
I occasion to accuse the gas company
/ Of under assessments and tax dodg-
! ing both in city and county, and Of
violating corporation laws. the PEN
atty of which IS forfeiture Of charter
and franchise.
4 feel the council should 90 into
I this matter closely and with q view,
/ if the facts Justify il, Of reducing in
stead OF increasing the rates ] am
l basing my conclusions on the sword
reports Of the gas company, filed IN
I the city and county in accordance
Z with the law.
Says Have Excess Bonds.
I Their report shows, under sworn
/ statement, a capital stock of $780,
/ 600. with bonded debt at SI373.0O0
+ In other words. there is q violation
I Of the state law fOrbidding issuance
I Of bonds in excess Of capital stock
I This subjects them to forfeiture OF
franchise and loss Of charter. I am
/ informed that their bonds sold at an
/ average Of 81 cents. incidentally.
/ The relation OF their capital stock
I to their tangible property indicates
watered stock on which the people
have been paying dividends that the
gas company should even be made 70
refund.
says Show $4,000 Earnings.
Their sworn report also shows for
[ 1917 net earnings Of $4,000.
As TO taxes. their statement shows
[ the value OF their tangible property
which compared with their renditiOns
| IN 1915 and 1917. shows that they paid
a total Of s15.434 too little in county
and city taxes. and this while the
county is in debt and increasing the
assessment on the homes OF every
widow and washerw0man"
says Renditions Are Low.
Citing that the city valuation basis
is 90 per cent and the county about
the same, judge Sweeney said the gas
company rendered in the city in 1916
at S55s,0O0 when IL should have been
St-2-Ouu. according 10 their sworn
statement; the same year in the
county, at S245,0o0 as against S60f.-
600; in 1917. in the city. they rendered
at S60S,000, as against SS9S,S61. and
In the county that year. $500. 900,
round figures. as against $4,000.
Judge Sweeney suggested that
complete inventory Of the company's
property should be taken. but alder
man j. p O'Connor suggested this
would cost between $1,000 and 100000.
Mayor Davis asked city attorney
J. r. McBrOOm If the city had a
right TO reduce the rate and the re-
ply was in the affirmative
Audit Complete by Saturday.
1t was stated by the mayor that the
audit of the gas compauy's books
would be completed about Saturday
and thereafter q date would be set
for public hearing in the matter.
after which the council would con-
slider all data carefully before COM
ing 10 a decision.
The figures presented by Judge
Sweeney were made in collaboration
with his partner. r B. Rawlins, who
was also present
Says Owned IN New York.
Judge Sweeney was asked who the
replied that his Information was the
Electric Bond & Share Co.. New York.
was the owners.
Wants to Raise Pigs.
The everybody raise a pig move
ment has reached Dr. F. w. Warren.
1911 Wyoming street. who filed a Pc
uuon with the city council as fol-
we notice that IIr. Hoover advo-
Gates the raising Of a pig in the back
yard Of our home. Now we have a
pig. ordinance covering this matter
which prohibits this in the city lin
its have talked with many Of our
citizens regarding the matter and we
are OF UNAl4o4 iuaL THIS law should
be repealed FOR the duration of the
war so that we may raise one pig 70
each family This can be done under
absolutely sanitary conditions and
VIII mean great saving, for there
are many waste which cannot be
used in any other way which can be
saved in this way Hope you viii
assist US I'm Hooverizing"
The petition was referred to the
public welfare committee
Deaths. 30; Births. -.
Inere were so deaths and So births
during the week ending Wednesday
the health department report showed.
The deaths were Is Americans. 30
MeNicans and two negroes and the
births were Is Americans. q Mexi-
cans and one negro. Contagious dis
ease cases remaining totalled 45, as
follows; u measles. five scarlet fe- [
yer. two smallpox. two diphtheria I
five chickenpoX and 19 whooping
cough Food condemned included $50
pounds meat and one hog.
The weekly report OF sanitary com
missioner L D. HullUm showed his
department handled 616.200 pounds Of
garbage. $4,000 pounds ashes and 20
600 pounds manure
Corral Petitions Received.
Petitions for permits TO conduct
corrals were received as follows Fl
Paso Ice & Refrigerator Co 21OI
Texas street; J. II. Nations Meat &
supply Co. san Antonio and Cotton.
Galhraith- FONworth company. 1000
block Mills street
Mrs J. NJ. McGrath petitioned for
permit 10 lay a pine line on Ravner
street al the intersection Of Central
avenue for piping water from the
canal 70 irrigate petitioners war gar
den. The matter was referred TO the
public works committee.