The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1918-08-30
GAS RATE QUESI.
REMAINS UNSETTLED
HELD UP IN COUNCIL BY
I. ONE MEMBERS VOTE
Difference of Opinion as to Gas
Company's Claim Of
No Profits


Fuel Co. the privilege Of increasing
its rates to consumers in this village
one thing is certain, that it did not do
so at its meeting Tuesday night, al
belt il came within a hair Of doing SO,
and gray hair, as it were, at that.
It was confidently expected that
council would determine the matter
Tuesday night, as it had had week
to deliberate over the gas company's
audit submitted by the company pur-
porting to show that the company was
supplying gas in Medina at the pres
ent time at a loss. As stated in the
Sentinel last week, the gas company
had been requested to submit an an
alysis of a disbursement item of
100000 appearing in the audit for
the year 1918, as further evidence to
council that the company is actually
up against it financially.
AT the meeting Tuesday night Supt.
Fenwick Ewing and the company's
chief bookkeeper were present and
gave an explanation which apparently
was accepted by a majority of the
members present. Mr.. Pallent of
Ernst & Ernst, certified accountants,
Cleveland, was present and conducted
the discussion with the. gas company's
representatives, bringing out the state
rnent that up to a little over year
ago the company had been content to
operate with lease acreage. of about
$4,000 acres, with a capitalization of
100000 and a surplus Of $668, 900.
Asked why, if the company had been
running on close margin with the
$4,000 acres, it should assume such an
additional heavy burden by the ex-
penditure of 100000 for new leases,
Supt. Ewing replied that it was done
to safeguard the present patronage for
years to come, and to forestall COM
peting gas companies from gobbling
up the territory, which, according to
4 Ewing, is now confined solely to the
southern field.
In reply to a question asked by one
\ Of the council Mr.. Ewing stated that
even tho his company should not be
granted the privilege Of increasing
rates here, the conapany would not be
a szE @ feta lixte isl h y III VII
end of Its present franchise. u ss 4
AT this juncture Councilman Mason
presented to council the ordinance
covering the proposed privilege asked
by the gas company and moved for its
adoption, which motion was seconded
by Councilman Nichols. And then
the fun began. The balloting was as
follows: Mason, aye, Warner aye, Boy
don, aye, Nichols, aye, Shaw, no
Councilman Bigelow and Mayor Dim
\ mock escaped the wrangle. by being
absent.
Before entertaining a motion for the
ordinance to be put upon its secone
reading, Acting Mayor Warner gave
opportunity for discussion of which
several councilmen availed themselves
Councilman Boydon declared en-
phatically that he discredits the com
pany's assertion that it is and has beer
running business at loss under the
present rates, but excused his aye vote
for the adoption of the ordinance
granting the privilege of a higher ratt
s by stating that he believed the com
pany was in a position and would b
disposed to So cripple service in cas|
it was not accorded what it asked, tina
in his opinion the question resolved
itself to choosing between two evils
and by voting in favor of the ordinance
he believed he was accepting the lesse
evil. "A
Councilman Warner voiced lik
opinion.
Councilman Mason came out flat
foot for the ordinance.
ia The ordinance did not look especial
" good to Councilman Nichols, bu
the latter's impatience at attending S
many council meetings without cominl
= to some definite decision, constraine
him, he said to cast favorable ballot
in the hope that by so doing it woul
tend to speed result for the ga
company, which he thought would b
! the ultimate end Of the question any
how.
Councilman Shaw was adamant !
his disfavor of the ordinance. and az
parently was Indifferent as to who Q
how many knew Of his attitude. Sha'
believes that contracts should be II
violate, and like Shylock, declared ths
in its present contract with the ga
company the village may justly an
should be insistent for it's "pound
4 flesh" Therefore he refused to moy
/ for suspension of rules to place II
ordinance upon its second reading, ar
as there was not enough members
put the thing across without SHAY
there was nothing left to do but
atable" it until the next regular NEE
ing.
However, this action was not alt
\, gether unsatisfactory to the 9TH
members, who were 10th to allo
Councilman Bigelow to so easily pla'
himself beyond the pale Of future Al
4 athena BY merely absenting himse
from the meeting,
If all members of council are pre-
ent at the next regular meeting
September, it seems probable that Il
gas question will be settled once al
for all. If the same lineup is pr
sented at the next meeting the orr
nance will die a natural death.
I
-Litchfeld and Medina base b