Sewickley Herald

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Fear no man, and do justice to all men.
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Vol. IV
SEWICKLEY, PA., SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1906
No. 12
PEOPLEOBJECT
To Being Robbed by the Natural Gas Octopus and
Will Stand Up and Fight for their Rights.
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PUBLIC MEETING IN AUDITORIUM
MONDAY EVENING AT 8 O'CLOCK
The Manufacturers Light and Heat Company, by ignoring all moral and legal, obligations, concerning their
franchise with our borough has created a furor of public sentiment against it. that will in all probability mean a
righting, through the courts, of some of the injustice perpetrated against our citizens.
This company acpuired a contract by way of merger, which lays down certain terms upon which the franchise
was granted and these terms were accepted by the predecessors of the Manufacturers Light and Heat Company, but
the Gas Octopus waxed strong and started in to do as it pleased and trample on the rights of the people. This will
be resented in a vigorous manner by the consumers and justice will be demanded.
The consumer is taxed $5 for setting a meter, which operation costs the company about $1; on top of this they
have established a minimum rate charge of $1 which you pay even should you burn but thirty cents worth of gas—
the Octopus has no law to back this "hold-up" game. It is naturally perpetrated on those who can ill afford to" pay,
and could not take the matter to court.
Another grivance of the people of our valley is the discrimination in picking out certain territory in which
they propose to raise the price of gas while the old rate is to prevail outside of this particular zone. The raise is to
be made in the valley irrespective of an existing contract that at no time shall the price of gas exceed Twenty Per
Cent LESS Than the Price of Coal. It takes 19,600 cubic feet of gas to epual the heat units of one ton of the
best Pittsburg coal—the coal costs about $3 and the gas $5—is the gas then within the "twenty per cent less" clause
of their contract with our borough? %■
The Sewickley Valley Business Men's Association, members of Council, and many prominent citizens, are determined in their stand against the injustice of the gas company and every consumer is urged to attend the meeting
next Monday evening, in the School Auditorium. The meeting will be presided over by one of our most prominent
and public spirited citizens and he will be ably assisted by the committee in charge. Two leading and efficient members of the Allegheny County Bar have been retained—and a general assurance prevails that this stand for right by
the people against the greed of a corporation, will be successful.
Indifference has killed many a good and just issue*. If you are a gas consumer, this is your fight too—and you
should give momentum to the movement which is now well under way, by your presence at the meeting. Talk to
your neighbor about it and bring him along. . •
The Sewickley Valley Business Men's Association will hold a special meeting this (Saturday evening) at 8
o'clock, at their headquarters on Broad street, and all members who possibly can are urged to attend; 'y;.. y
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