The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-18
MISLEADING THE PUBLIC
Statements by the News That Are Pro-
nounced UnfOunded and Malicious.
Why the Indianapolis and Capital City Nat
ural-Gas Companies PetitEoned the Coun-
Gil to Change the Gas Ordinance

1.-THE News is widely misleading in its editor
ial statement concerning the changes the In
dianapols Natural gas Company will ask in the
gas ordinance" said Allen NJ. Fletcher to
Journal reporter. last evening I'm fact. its
allegations positively false in nearly every
respect 1t says, for instance that among the
minor changes will ask is a change in calling
for standard quality and improved pattern of
pipe that will enable the Indianapolis company
to csc without supervision its fifteen miles of
old pipe laid years ago for artif-
cial gas. That is absolutely false. We
do not ask anything of the kind, but on the con-
trary we have proposed that the pipes now in
the ground be subjected to pressure five times
greater than the maximum pressure to be al
lowed upon them. The fitness of this pipe for
the purpose should be determined by positive
test and experiment. and not by blind state
ts. based upon prejudice and self-interest.
In This connection it may be said that there are
hundreds of miles of this same pipe now in use
in Pttsburg. Allegheny, Marion. Muncie,
Findlay and other Cities all of it performing sat
isfactory and safe service.
.'The News says ALSO that purpose asking
an amendment that will relieve of tax We
ask nothing of the kind. We do not ask, as they
state, any change that will impair the city's or
citizens rights.
What do ask is, first, that the Council will
place some reasonable, fair and just limit upon
the amount of pipe to be laid annually; such an
amount as any company could reasonably hope
to comply with. AS it now stands the ordinance
makes it possible for the Council to demand
utter impossbities from the company
from financial standpoint As
the ordinance now reads, the company might be
required to. in year, expend a sum of
money that it wou1d be utterly impossible for
them to raise. In fact, under the existing ordi-
nance. it would be impossible for any company
to borrow money its property to further its
interests. We will also ask that the
meter clause be amended so. as to provide
he shall put it in at his own ex-
pense, or if furnished by the company
that ne be required to keep it for some de-
terminate length of time. Under this ordi-
nance a consumer could demand a meter to-day,
and to morrow order it out. Of the thirty-eght
cities and towns in the United States now burn
ing natur al gas not one has made this demand
on the COMPANIES for meters. We are willing
to put in meters, if the consumers prefer, under
such amendment as indicated. or under any
other fair and reasonable provisions to cover
cases where meter is necessary. These are
the only alterations that will ask. OF that we
deem essential There may be other changes
that other companies might desire.
GAS to the insinuation that the Indianapolis
and Capital City companies have merged inter-
ests there is not bit of foundation for. or truth
in it. The two companies are in no way con-
nected with each other, and there is not a
probability of their ever being consolidated
What we have done we have done for ourselves.
and presume, of course, that the same can be
said Of them"
When asked. last evening, what he thought of
the illusions in the News concerning his COM
pany, the Capital City, D. III. Wiles said: cit
is most infamous. do not know why that pa
per should take unto itself the guardianship of
interests which are proving aEtagonistic to the
peoples desires. No, sir; the Indianapolis
company has never paid Us, and does not intend
to pay us cent for there is no collusion what
ever between the two companies. We have no
connection. directly or indirectly. remotely or
otherwise Our company on Its own mo-
ton requested the Council to change
that section of the ordinance which will
not be merely burdensome, but disastrous to
those who have not millions of dollars to sustain
them. All we ask for is to be placed on foot
ing with manufacturers. and left to extend our
business see fit. Under that section there
would be no limit for the demand for pipe to
serve districts where not moro than half dozen
consumers could be obtained. We trying to
interest capitalists in our enterprise, but can
not DO it SO long that section remains in the
ordinance. No small company, or large one
either, for any length of time exist when it is
liable to ne called upon to extend its pipes at
the demand of everybody"