The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1926-06-04
THE GAS QUESTION

supply is settled for at least one year.
We are to continue burning natural
gas for at least that period of time.
Council, at it's meeting Wednesday
night, contracted with the Columbia
Gas Supply Company to furnish gas
another year at the old price. This
was necessary because the Hamilton
Furnace Company is not ready to fur
nish artificial gas and this, because
of the suit of s. M. Goodman to pre-
vent the city entering into contract
with the artificial company.
H. C. Blackwell, vice president of
the Columbia Company, before eau
Gus of council members and city
officials last week, admitted that his
company had very little hope of Mr..
Goodman winning his suit in a higher
court, the same having been turned
down by the county common pleas
court and the court of appeals. Mr..
Blackwell said that his company de-
sired to cooperate with the city of
Hamilton, and stated it was willing
to furnish gas to the city at the ex-
isting price until such time as the
Hamilton Furnace Company is in
position to furnish gas, incidentally
mentioning that it would be very
much appreciated if council and off
cials would withdraw opposition to the
Hamilton Service Company extending
its electric line so as to supply the
Champion Coated Paper Company
with additional power.
Not to be outdone in generosity
council members, unoffcially, and be-
cause they believed they were doing
the best thing for all the Hamilton
people, assented and agreed to Mr..
Blackwell's request. 1t seems that
big companies and big corporations
know just when to act. They can see
through a big hole in the wall with
out X-ray and know just when t.
look. They didn't know sure last
week that the supreme court was
about ready to hand down its de.
cision approving the right of the
Hamilton Service Company to extend
it's lines to all parts of the city, but
it did not know that Goodman's suit
hadn't leg to stand one, and figuring
the time was ripe to get the best o1
bad bargain, offered to trade in {
lost case of gas for a sure thin,
electrically. And what was the cit.
dads to do but asquiesce And tn,
people, as whole, are glad the ques
ton is settled for the time being an,
some are breathing easier, though tn
Press gave assurance all along tha
there was nothing to worry about S
| far as a gas supply was concerned
despite the scarehead articles appear
ing in the daily papers that the ga
question was serious.
| However, one of the dailies want
the people to know how generous
the gas company is to them in Civ
ing them gas at the same old rate
and keeps rubbing it in that wher
| the company might have forced it
opposition of four years at the ex
isting rate or driven a hard bargain
for short time contract, it readil,
/, agreed to furnish the gas for one
two or three years at the old rate.
1t is mighty nice that the Columbi
Gas Company acted as it did, that
true. But how about the compan,
getting something out of it as we:
as the citizens of Hamilton? Woul,
the daily say merchant selling
naked man suit of clothes or a bake
selling starving man a loaf of bread
at regular profits, are generous sim
ply because they sold to the man jus
when he needed the goods the most
Didn't the merchant and the bake
get theirs? Is there no obligation Of
their part?
And SO it is with the gas compan,
in this instance. 1t isn't a case O
generosity at all. 1t is plain cas-
of business. There is no sentiment i
it whatever. The company has ga
to sell and the people need it. Las
year the amount of gas purchase
from the company totaled nearI
100000, and there is every reaso
to believe it will run that much thi
%R F%Y