The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-27
AGAINST GAS WASTE.
Call for Meeting of Mayors of Cities
Interested in the Matter.

Interested in the Matter.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
ALEXANDRIA, Ind. Nov 26.-The cam
paign against the waste of natural gas is
still being vigorously waged. meeting of
the mayors of all the cities of the gas belt
has been called to assemble in Alexandria
on next Monday. At this meeting there will
be plan of united action arranged. The
following is the call to mayors issued by the
committee:
We write you to say that your attention
has doubtless been called through the press
10 the movement started in this city look
ing to some method by which the fearful
waste of natural gas throughout the gas
belt may be successfully prevented We re-
gard this as a question which addresses
itself to every loyal citizen of the has belt
and State as well who has an interest and
pride in the great advancement in our State
since this wonderful discovery. We feel
that the officers clothed with authority have
either been Indifferent to the interests of
our people felt unable to successfully
grapple with the great Standard Oil Com
pany in the face of our present legislation
on this subject. Notwithstanding these OBJ
StacleS we know that when the public Senti-
ment is fully aroused to the Importance and
gravity Of the situation, that 1t is invinci-
BILE; and that through concerted action
by the authorities of the many cities, towns
and communities In the gas belt that the
result so much desired can be attained.
I'VE, therefore, earnestly request that you
Il
zens of your city and community to meet
on Wednesday evening, Dec ], 1897, to Sc
cure signatures to the inclosed petition and
also to appoint q committee to meet with
similar committees from every city and
town in the gas belt for the purpose of
waiting upon the Governor, and to urge
upon him the necessity of prompt action
either to enforce the present law or. if be-
ing insufficient, to convene the Legislature
in special session to enact such a measure
as will forever render it impossible for nom
residents to rob us of that which has made
our State one of the greatest in our Union.
Before the date of your meeting we Will
indicate to you either by letter or by mes
senger the exact date when this delegation
shall call upon his excellency as fixed by
him. In the meantime we invite you to
meet in this city on Monday, Nov. %. with
other executives of the different cities IN
the gas belt, to witnesS for yourself and TO
report to your people the. great danger
which overshadows our State.
This is signed by A. E. Harlan, chairman,
W. F. Edwards ]. c. Condo, A. Z. Otto and
Perry Heritage, and is accompanied by the
petition to the Governor, the purpose Of
which is set forth in the foregoing.
The editorial in the Journal to-day to the
effect that the present statute on the sub
iect had not yet been sufficiently tested
would seem to indicate that the situation is
not fully understood. 1t is true that there
is already a law regulating the management
of gas wells. but it's provisions are very
easily evaded when applied to oil wells. In
the opinion of most of the gas-belt at
torneys the law is not sufficiently explicit
to apply to wells where the gas is an ex-
tremely minor consideration. Natural gas
has added to Madison county alone $6,O00O 900
of taxable property which had never be-
fore paid revenue TO the State. Her state
taxes alone, for one year would pay the
necessary expenses of an extra session sew
eral times over. Add to this the accrued
revenues of all the other counties of the gas
belt. of which there is now danger of loss,
and the true economy of the matter can
readily be distinguished.