The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1925-10-30

The Hamilton Evening Journal
says, After good deal of useless
talk and discussion council finally de-
cided to ask for bids from all gas
companies" And then the Journal
said, NOTHING COULD BE FAIR
ER than this" There could have
been whole lot FAIRER THAN
THIS. When the Hamilton Furnace
Company had previously submitted a
proposal to furnish the city gas for a
period of ten years at certain prices
that company was submitting bid.
And when the Columbia Gas Supply
Company, knowing the other COM
pany's proposal and almost sure that
the other company would not submit
a further bid, submitted it's bid it
was taking an unfair advantage.
And when more than 5000 citizens
signed a petition in less than 80 hours
initiating an ordinance granting the
Hamilton Furnace Company a ten
wear contract at their bid, to be voted
on in November, the people should
have been given a chance to express
their will in the matter, that is what
thev wanted and the FIVE members of
council knew it, yet they jammed the
Columbia Company's proposition
down the throats of the people and
expect them to like it and take it
with smile. And they further ex-
pect the people to accept the version
of the two Hamilton dailies thatl 'the
contract is a good thing for Hamil-
ton"
And that is where the real unfair
ness of the whole transaction of coun-
Gil comes in. The offer of the Column
bia Gas Company did not come in in
the nature of a bid 1t came in in
the nature of an ordinance, all pre-
pared for council to vote through,
without a moments consideration or
discussion. Why? So that it could
be rushed through and become effect
i've before election day, depriving the
people of a choice in the matter. Do
you call that fair, Mr.. Journal? If
so. then the Press does not know the
meaning of fairness-and neither
does the Journal.
The Journal further said, ''Foul
members of council refused to give the
people chance to get bids; THEY
PREFERRED TO HAND OUT 4
TEN-YEAR CONTRACT WORTH
) THREE AND A HALF MILLION
: DOLLARS WITHOUT ANY BID
DING" The Press will not say tn
foregoing is just mis- statement
I but that it is stronger than that an,
that we are surprised at the attemp
of the Journal to make the peopl
believe it is right in the stand it ha
taken when it declares that the dea
just closed is good one for Hamil
ton and that Hamilton people ar
pleased, especially when we know tha
: the Journal knows that it is wrong
Either the Journal must admit that i
} has been wrong in it's contention o
: admit that it is ignorant of publ
sentiment on the gas question when
as real up-to-date daily paper
should know every pulse beat of pub
=, lie sentiment on every vital publ
question. And one must agree tha
the gas question Is, one of vital impor
: tance to the public. The four mem
bers of council were only trying t
protect the wishes and desires of tn
: public, as expressed in a petition sign
} ed by more than 5000 people; tryins
to protect their mandate. They wer
] fighting. bunch of human hyena
who were doing everything possible
to eat up, in literal sense, ever,
right and privilege due the people b,
recessing to morning, noon and night
a procedure unheard of in the annals
of the city's legislative body, or an,
other acting city body, and action
that would have been condemned b,
the Journal in language that woul.
have caused the stinging of the ear
of Mayor Kelly and his five hench
men in council the rest of their days
Ihdl 10, Inc JouILdi Wouiu nave con
demned the action in this manner hat
the boot been on the other leg" Al
it is, the Journal is very much pleas
ed and contented.
7 The Journal goes on down the lin,
and tells what lovely thing the ga.