Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-11-17
HNQ[R.B|LLs At OLD Rate
EI)R.CAs USED LAST MONTH
YONG for New ST. Price TO BE Seat
M to Consumers Until Next
* Month.
INSPECTOR SHELTON RULES
Thinks City Attorneys Opinion Too
ne Difficu1tsoi Practice, and Will Take
Die tilod l'aircst and Most Satisfac-
3, tory to Consumer.

as,sssssGas bills for the mex; month in each
SsStsthe four city districts will he render
d ed for So cents. owing I" ineqnitirS
Arising from lapDEg OF PERIODS At me
q soIdSrate. So cents per loco cubic feet
spTIoE- to- November /. and the new rate
SEyafter November i. Joseph NJ. Shcl-
tSonIs nnnne in which no could meet
4 assassination. bills for Districts !. ;? and
2s5haying been mailed out Illegally at
The new rate for gas consumed nefor..
8athe.f1en rate went into effect. Bills At
u pei, 1000 cubic feet were r'atied TO
ssSansnmers in, DISTRICTS l. ana or on
sfthesnumber of 10000.
eesSsEitS Attorney II. r. Pollard has
s4rendered legal onin'on. in responSe
) 70 inquiries from Gas inspector Snei,
ION November ]. rs stated i'll the ori'n-
ance. but that did not mean for bills
rendered on and after November ! t"F
BIAS consumed during october. TO do
sS1nand, pay at tho November rate. GAS
ICON sumed. according to the opinion. be
sEIore November ! must be paid Tor at
FS0scents per l.00a cubic feet. and gas
nkconsumed after November must he
Paid for at 81 per 1000 cubic feet. lie
4 then advised that hills for the lahpinG
Sipsriods, where meter measurements did
81 not distinguish between IN" amounts
used TAT the new and the old rates. be
made. out at "A fair ave,ase tai,y con
sSsnrpptfon" for the number or days in
each period.
d 49, Emitting this is the legal thing TO
sitisSsSI~ Srector shelton forrsees an in
S.{}Ss f'-h1e and disaCre"ahle task. lie
81 .'>"bforn. ECing5ito settle the QueS-
sStfs--~ - r"uivocaily in favor of the con-
sFs'fs"Ses@.s nv the plan mentioned. AS
I,,c -''.'t ~ aln-ays read several DAYS
sshcFs1'rrt'' SIS -" pre- Darhc- II is obvious
SSfJtPt4ht's n-,'he now rate rendered on
.t;Soren,ber "S'5rd s for gas that was
ssertirely cr"~-''""d while the So-ccnt
= rate was - ~e'nft. Bills rendered on
November ","~n FOR gas almost en-
ttrely consul 81 "Nnn II was but 50
cents DER wit. a"d bills rendered on
\ November Il Wee for gas OF which
"a bout three fOn~iN~ ''-as used at the old
rate. Since thesh tinE'rvcta paid ut the
new rate. tho next hN's will settle the
: matter in favor q" - consumers by
}IbetnC rendered at So c"r'" for the one
month That the s"m" incnuitv may
not have to he rec'if"'' wi.h District
shelton will r"li" the bills
to- be rendered NOvemho~ ." At 50 cents
5ner unit. although half iNis gas has
sheen. consumed since the 81 gas went
OF the 10000 bills rendered illegally.
about two-thirds OF thcrN have been
Paid. The unpaid hills will nlso stand:
and the next bills in cnch district will
be at the old rate NJ so cents.
~ In his opinion. Mr.. Pollard stated
, that consumers used the gas under tn"
provisions OF contract that could not
be varied: and that. for that reason
II w"s Illegal to charge Tho new rate
\ ~ bills rendered after 1t went into
Z effect for gas consumed before il went
into effect