The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-07

said this trick was on a par with the
did not dare even vgbitewssb one Of
its members but referred the whole scandal
TO the grand jury. 1t was on a par with
building inspector that he condemned build
ings in order that his son might get a con-
tract repairing them. 1t was on a par with
the Appropriation of the $22, 600 for cam
paign fund, which was declared by an hon
est Democratic member of the Democratic
Council to be a steal. 1t was on a par with
the retiring of Ed Austin from the Board
of Public Works and the failure TO answer
Austin'S statement to Mr.. Iaggart that,
IF l am in the mud you are in the mire.'
1t was on a par with the attempts of the
park commissioners to pay Mr.. Taggart $500
an acre for fifty acres of swamp land
which was assessed a. only third as
much and which cost only $45 an acre.
Mr. Healing concluded by saying that ne
was ready any time to prove his statement
that Mr.. Taggart had worked against the
passage of the Scent fare law. Il made
that charge early in the campaign" he d,
notice now, thus late IN the campaign, that
he has entered a general denial to it. / want
to say now that on Friday night at Foun-
tain square, Will prove my charges to the
satisfaction of everyone who will go to
The tallyho containing Mr.. Harding and
his party arrived while Mr.. Healing was
speaking. The speaker was Interrupted
long enough for three cheers and again
form by the When Band and the Marion
Glee Club. There was, apparently, more
people present when Mr.. Harding began
speaking at 10 O'Clock than at any time
during the evening. He spoke as follows:
MR. HARDINGS SPEECH.
The platform upon which l am asking the
people to elect me to the responsible office
of mayor of this city declares. among other
important matters, for cheaper gas rates.
During the progress of the campaign 1
have frequently publicly declared my pur-
pose, if elected your mayor, to use every
reasonable effort to redeem the pledge. |
have said and 1 now repeat, that Indianapo-
lis ought to have an artificial gas rate not
higher than 20 cents per thousand cubic
feet.
The indianapolis Sentinel has charged me
with insincerity, and has attempted to ridi-
cule me on this matter. On the morning of
Jan. l, 1897. the Sentinel published a news
article and also an editorial, in both OF
which it stated that a proposition had
been made by the National Company to
Congress asking a franchise to furnish gas
in the city Of Washington d. c., at 70 cents
per 1000 cubic feet to private consumers
and go cents to the government.
On jan of this year the Sentinel pub
1iShed article headed For Cheaper
Cas-" which especially referred to the great
fight made by the people of Kansas City to
me for quoting literally from this article,
as by it can prove so completely the SEN
tiners knowledge of what can be done for
That article says: THE people of Kansas
City are getting 50-cent gas, with free gas
stoves and elaborate free instruction in
cookery thrown in. Prior to Sept. 1. 1895,
they paid SLIGO for gas. bought their gas
stoves at from SIS to $45 each, and it was
q long time between elaborate free lessons
in cookery Incidentally, in the dark ages
prior to Sept. 1. 1895, they paid for connect
ing their buildings with gas mains, sums
ranging from $40 to 500, put up deposits
with the gas company of from So to $25
and lven paid $3.50 for the meter connec-
lions. If they didn't pay the company for
extending mains where the gas was needed
the mains were not extended.
Now the service connections are free as
air deposits are unknown. Meter connec-
and mains are being laid without solicita-
ton where gas mains had been undreamed
of. This sudden and unparalleled transit
ton from thick darkness to light came
about as one chapter of a conflict between
corporate power and the people Of Kansas
City, which is probably the most instruct
i've and brilliant in the annals of American
cities.
'"This conflict began several years ago,
when the people rebelled against a greedy
and arrogant water monopoly. The mo-
nopoly was eager to fight. and did fight the
city's efforts to buy the plant at q, reasona-
BILE price. The litigation cost more than
last ditch, assailed the citys credit in the
money markets of the world, but last fall
the city drove the monopoly to terms and and
people taste for more of the same kind,
and they forthwith whipped the gas com
pany pitilessly, ignominiously. They. are
now after the Bell telephone monopoly"
Now listen to the editorial comment of
the Sentinel, published in the same issue.
Referring to Kansas City's fight for cheap
er gas, the editor says:
''The case is valuable as an instance of
the usefulness of competition q method
of securing justice in such matters. The
people tie their own hands when they es-
tablish and strengthen monopolies of any
kind. They put themselves at a disadvan-
foe -, he off Font Tn FOL nf1C hHy
shutting out any one who is willing to
compete. They ought rather to invite COM
petition. AS the Sentinel has said hereto
fore it is possible that competition is the
only method remaining to the people Of In
dianapolis to enforce the just demand for
a reduction Of gas rates, and now is the
time when it should be adopted The city
government should solicit competition. The
chances are that it can be easily secured,
and there can at least be no damage done
by making the effort"
TIED UP IN THE COURTS
This is just what I have been saying
should be done by the authorities of the
city to disodge the Indianapolis Gas Com
pany in it's litigation against the city. Why
have this matter tied up in the courts for
years? The Gas Company has no exclusive
franchise. 1t can't have any, Why not let
in competition? I have said from the COM
mencement of this canvass that that was
the solution of the question and would
bring an end to the litigation. The Sentinel
agreed with me last January, but it don't
now. 1t is now more interested in the
election of Thomas Taggart than 1t is in
cheap gas for the people.
Several articles have appeared in the In
dianapolis press in relation to gas rates in
Cleveland, 0.
AS an epitome of the situation in Cleve-
land l quote in part an editorial published
in the News of Sept. 2, 1897, as follows: In
the matter of gas, Cleveland, heretofore
cited, furnishes a fine example. The price
of gas in that city was reduced in 1893 from
81 to so cents thousand cubic feet, while
the city treasury gets 6l2 per cent. of the
gross receipts. This payment has been used
by Cleveland to build a new city hall. Since
1898 the gas companies (there are two of
them in Cleveland) have thus paid in $751;,
S764S. which, with accrued interest now
amounts to $3.50, 90. In 1898 they pai' $42,-
113; in 1894, $45,0449S in 1895, $50, Az ~ in
1886, $55 462. OF; in 1897 $5S3l0.97. 1t il esti-
mated that when the agreement expires in
1902 the fund will have reached the sum of
1921, COO.
In 1902 a rev contract is to be made. The
new city hall for Cleveland is to cost 81, Co.,
600, and the officers of the city think that III
of this will be paid by the gas companies
We may thus see how much better Cleve-
land orders its affairs than we order ours.
Why should it be so? What is there in
Cleveland that makes it possible for the
people to have gas at so cents and besides
that get into the city treasury in half
dozen years more than quarter of mil
lion dollars, while we of indianapolis have
not penny in our treasury from the gas
company and are paying meanwhile ST.
thousand feet for gas?
But what more, you inquire, can be said
about gas at the cheaper rate in Cleveland?
Again l refer you TO the News, to an edi-
torial which appeared therein on the 23d
day Of September, 1897. in which it is
stated that: The gas companies had yet
more to do. They had to furnish better