The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1925-10-02

ting more at the present rate OF 70
cents thousand feet. That is the
thing in a nutshell so far as the rates
are concerned.
One of the evening papers said the
purpose of the injunction is delay-to
prevent council from awarding con-
tract until after the initiative refer
endum has been voted upon at the
November election. Maybe so. And
why shouldn't it be? The more than
5000 petitioners to initiate an ordi-
nance giving another company the
contract were on the ground first, and
the injunction issued, if it acts that
way, is only protecting the rights to
which they are entitled. The bam-
boozling is on the other leg.
The other evening paper, in scare
head type, makes big how-dye-do
over 'four city councilmen delay final
action on gas contract" 1t goes on
to say, "In the face of the opportunity
to pay off all the city's gas bond debt,
in the face of the opportunity to save
the people 100000 year on leak
age, in the face of the opportunity to
save the people in ten years fully
S125.OOO on repairs and losses on col
lections, four members of council per-
sist in voting against business prop
osition that is for the best interests
of the city. and the taxpayers The
evening paper says it is as though the
| four members of council have commit
| ted some heinous crime and should be
hamstrung and haltered.
And there is the rub. If, as 1T is
claimed, that we are losing 100000
year through leakage, that would
mean 81 100000 in ten years, and if,
as Mayor Kelly has stated, that we
can prevent this enormous leak by
the expenditure of $4,000 and save
the S1,OO0000, and since the gas de-
partment is holding its own finan-
/ rhxy
not hold that S1,000,000 for our
selves? Why give it to some big
corporation that has no other use for
our city other than what it can get
out of it? AS stated in the Press
last week, quoting these same figures,
we could pay the indebtedness of
$500 900, and the $4,000 to repair
leaks, leaving a balance of $650,000.
| This, together with the additional
price. the smaller consumers must
pay for gas under the rate proposed
by the Columbia Gas Supply Com
pany, would net the city million
dollars or more. Again, why not keep
| that million for ourselves? The four
members of council opposing the
ordinance are standing firm in the
protection of the peoples best inter-
ests. They are but doing their duty,
doing just what is expected of them
| by their constituents.
One of the evening papers further
said that the council chamber was
crowded with friends of the Hamilton
Furnace Company, intimating that it
was a packed" affair. That is not
true. The room was crowded with in
terested persons. Not, however, with
friends of the Hamilton Furnace Com
pany, but with people friendly to the
proposition of that company They
| were IlGIe III an dIlcHlpC w SCC q
fair deal, which five members of coun-
Gil would deny them. Council cham
Der was not crowded with friends OF
the Columbia Companys proposal be-
cause it hasn't any but just a very
few friends throughout the city.
/ The scheme of the five council mem.
bers fighting to award the contract to
the Columbia Gas & Supply Company
is very plain to anyone who can see
| through hole in fence. 1t is to
| deprive the people of the privilege OF
making their own choice, but the peo-
pie, big majority of them, are be-
| coming aroused to the situation and
l unless the Press misses it's guess
Mayor Kelly, the five councilmen, and
a few others, are going to find before
the finish of the thing that they have
a real fight on their hands.
The upshot of the whole thing is
this: The Union Gas & Electric Com
pany, through it's parent organization
the Columbia Gas & Supply Company