CITY COUNCIL & GAS COMPANY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 94, 18 October 1909, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL & GAS COMPANY.

TO THE EDITOK. Sir,— l thank you for your article appearing m the Evening Post on the 9th, commenting on the completion of negotiations between the City Council and Gas Company. I, with others, was surprised to find that the council had agreed to surrender certain undoubted privileges of great future value to the Gas Company for twenty-one years for the paltry sum of #50 a year, and a payment of 2i per cf nfc - on the supply, with a minimum of 4»loO a year. We were inclined to enter a strong public protest against signing the agreement, but after due consideration and enquiry, I must admit that, taking all the circumstances connected with the concession into consideration, the council oould not have done much better, unless they were prepared to at once ask Parliament and get clause Z5 annulled, the said clause being the biff stick the Gas Company brandished over the heads of the oouncil. To get the clause annulled should not present any great difficulty considering the manner in which it was originally passed the only alternative being to buy out the Ga« Company at a fair valuation, with compensation, borrowing the money under the Premier's new scheme at 3J per cent, and as the Gas Company is paying 2(J per cent, it ought to be one of the most payable investments the council could possibly make for the city, and I am decidedly of the opinion that the purchase'ought to be done at once. Whilst On this subject I would urge the ratepayers and citizens to form a strong association of practical men to deal with this and other vital matters affecfcing the interests of the city, to uphold and strengthen the oouncil in matters vriiere it requires great moral courage to combat powerful vested in-, terests and influences, and to check illadvised bylaws.— l am, etc. 15th October, 1909. * JENSEN '