The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-15
A BURDENsOME SECTION.
The Natural-Gas Ordinance Unamended Is
Severe on the Weak Companies.

Severe on the Weak Companies.
member OF the Council on yesterday, speak
ing of the ratural-gas question, said: 81 don't
know what changes in the ordinance will be
asked for, but any business man who will care
fully read Section 13 will, 1 think, agree
with that it should DE amended, and
that any company undertaking to operate
under it as it now stands unless it has unlimit-
ed capital. will be unable to succeed. I don't
think the business men, generally, understand
the provisions of that section of the ordinance.
1t provides that any corporation. company, firm,
or individual accepting the provisions of this
ordinance, shall be compelled to furnish gas to
is .i ii. their lines & main, mains:
whenever applied for. And any such corpora
ton, company firm. individual shall COM
mence to extend its. his or their mains accord
avenue, lane, or pnbic ground contiguous 70
where its, his, or their mains are already laid,
within sixty days after being so ordered by res.
olution of the Common Council and Board of
Aldermen; provided. the same shall be
petitioned for by owners occupants
OF real estate along the line pro.
posed to be extended. and that 10 per centum of
such petitioners shall agree to be consumers OF
gas, and that in the opinion of the Common
Council and Board of Aldermen such proposed
extension is reasonable and ought to be made,
and shall continue such work and push the same
to completion as rapidly possible; and. failing
to comply with any such order, snail be fined,
as hereinafter provided and each days failure
to comply with any such order shall constitute a
separate offense
.,'You. see there is no limit to the number of
miles of mains a company may be required by
the Council and Board to lay in the streets in
any one year, If there Is petition therefor say
ing that 10 per cent of the petitioners will take
gas; and if the company fails to comply. it is
subjected to fine of 500 for each days failure.
Would anyone say 1t was sound business policy
to invest money IN any enterprise subject
to such burdens7 Everyone in the city
wants to be supplied with gas at once every
member of the Council and Board will desire
have mains laid in all the streets in his ward
and district, and the result will be that each
company will have to be prepared to comply at
once with these orders to lay mains, which any
one can see would be impossible for company
without millions of dollars at it's command, as
we'll as an unlimited supply of gas, for there
must be a limit to the capacity of pipe
line to deliver gas, and as soon as mains
laid that demand more gas than the
pipe can deliver additional pipelines from the
gas territory will have to be constructed. which
instance the Broad Ripple company, with cap
1tal stock of 500 QUO and eight-nch pipe line.
1t is easy to see what the result wouldzbe of re-
quring them to lay mains and supply gas large
y in excess of their capital the pacity of their
pipe line The ordinance requires bond that
twenty-five miles of mains shall be laid the first
year, but 1t does not limit it to twenty-five miles.
The Council and Board under the thir-
teenth section may order much more |
as is petitfoned for, 40 that no COM
pany operating under it can ever tell or |
approximate how much capital they will be com |
PEELED to invest in any one year number of |
years, and it will be i'm possible for a company |
to make provisions or calculations in advance |
TOR the amount necessary to carry its husi- |
ness. 1t will be impossible to secure money by |
loans upon the property because the ordinance |
Is such that any one investing in the bonds
Council and Board in their zeal to have the
whole city supplied with gas at once to prac-
The people should be protected but /
there should be reasonable fixed limit as to
number of miles of mains any company may be
to lay in any one year-ths will not
work a hardship upon auy company that wishes |
TO lay greater number of miles in any year
because they have the right, if they have the
the city within year-and it will protect the
smaller companies whose capital and supply of
gas is limited"
Postponement of the Gas Display
The natural-gas display of the Indianapolis
company, which was to have taken place last
right. was postponed until Monday evening, be-
ause 1t was found during the afternoon that
everything was not quite in readiness for such
! display as the company desires to give.
IN Indianapolis Company Gets a Franchise.
pecfa1 to the Indiana poIfs Journal
WABASH. Ind. JAN 14-This afternoon the
Common Council of this city granted to the
Howe Naturalgas Company. of indianapolis,
he franchise for supplying the inhabitants of
Wabash with natural gas. Six weeks ago the
}ouncil advertised for sealed proposals for
ringing gas to the city from the field at La
on tame, twelve miles south. the bids to be
pened on Jan. 4 At that date there was but
ne proposition fled that of the Indianapolis
ompany, and after thoroughly canvassing the
natter, it was decided to accept the bid, condi-
onally. and the ordinance will be presented for
assage Jan. %. Work he wells will begin
t once, and the company binds itself to have
as in by Oct. l. The rates fixed are little
igher than those at Muncie and Kokomo and
are supplied at the rate of five