The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-15

"Why hasn't Mayor Cox called the cleo
tion to vote bonds for oil. gas and coal ex-
perimentsf" is the question put to the
EAGLE fifty times day during the past
week
1t was a conundrum that could not be
solved till yesterday when reporter for
the EAGLE called on Mr. Cox at his bust
ness Office.
why don't call the election" he said
with careful deliberation. "Ill tell you.
] know from my own personal knowledge
as well as by reading the EAGLE that at
present a great many of the heaviest tax
payers are out Of the city and will be alb
sent during the most of next month. L
am a firm believer in the principle of Civ
ing people who pay for thing a chance to
vote upon it. Besides that fact ] must
postpone calling the election till after the
next meeting of the council on account of
a slight irregularity in the proceedings"
by the way" said Mr.. Cox, the city
attorney and myself have been investigaG-
ing matters and we believe that five wear
bonds Instead Of ten should be voted. One
Of the objects of city government is to do
that which is of the most interest to the
people who pay the taxes and a saving
should be made In everything these hard
tines. We found that the original sewer
bonds amounted to S255, 600 divided into
ten equal annual payments. At the end
of five years there viii be only one-teuth of
these remaining. Main street paving bonds
amount to 500 400 and the Market street
paving bonds to So, 400. \ { the end of five
years only oue-tenth of these will remain
unpaid. Douglas avenue paving bonds
amount to SIS, 900 and at the end of five
years only four-tenths of these will remain
end of five years our Indebtedness will be
nominal if, in the meantime, no other
bends are voted in large amounts. That
would be an excellent time to pay the gas
and oil bonds. 1t they were paid then in
stead of at the end of ten years we would
save interest TO the amount of s, 200
or nearly one-third OF the entire
sum. Three thousand dollars is not, ap-
parently, big sum but it is not good
policy TO waste money unnecessarily, no
matter how much or how little il is y
Concerning gas. o. r. Simmons, who has
recently returned from Indiana, said yes
terday:
Natural gas, which has played such an
important part in the manufacturing
business of PENNSYLVANIA, Ohio and In
diana In the last few years, has again been
the subject of very close investigation with
reference TO the continuance of the supply.
And notwithstanding the fact that gas is
being plped into adjacent territory out
side of the limits of the state, last year
the gas from the Indiana fields brought
S. us, 600 as against 81, 7I6, OO9 in 1892 and
during the year $4,000 feet of gas pipe
were laid"
Thus it is seen that the supply is not
playing out" as some seem to think
This week | visited the Kansas Gas fields
and In the one small city of Coffeyvlle |
find three Wells furnishing light aud fuel
10 over three hundred homes, churches
and factories at an expense of about one
fifth the price of coal. These wells have
been In operation fifteen months aud the
pressure IS the same as when the well was
first turned on. 1t does seem with these
facts before us that there should be no de-
lay or objections to our boring for gas in
Wichita, so as to know the facts before in
yesJing In our winter coal supply. If We
do not find it, then let it be "piped inn
and thus save our people some money the
coming winter.