The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-04
OFFICIAL PAPER OF ALLEN COUNTY,
THE LESSONS OF EXPERIENCE.


Oil City pal Derrick, Nov. 2, 1897.
II the people of Neodesha out In
Kansas are wise. and fully alive to
heir own interests, they will vote
down any proposition for bonding the
town to supply themselves with nat
ural gas. No one in this part of the
oil country, acquainted with the gas
business or having any experience
with the volatile product, would con-
slider such project worthy of mo-
ment's consideration. The fact that a
thorough acquaintance with the pre-
seriousness of the supply, and the ex-
ample of numerous towns in Ohio and
Indiana that made a faithful attempt
to run municipal gas plants on the
same lines that, accordlngt to the west
ern papers, are being discussed in Ne
odesha, have thoroughly satisfied our
people that there is only one result for
such projects and that is failure.
One of the most conspicuous ex-
amples of bonding a town for securing
a supply of natural gas is furnished
by the city of Toledo, which started IN
rather moderately on aninvestment OF
$50 900, which was subsequently, in
creased to $3.50, 900. Gas territory was
\ purchased, line thirty miles IN
length constructed, and fifty or more
gas wells were drilled with the pro-
ceeds Of $3.50, 600 worth of bonds. by
this time the line was completed, tho
$3.50, 900 had grown to 81, 300 600, ano
sufficient gas has not been secured t.
supply a tenth part of the city's de
mand. All this happened as far bach
as 1892, and the people have already
learned that the cheap gas they were II
search of has been the most expensive
commodity q municipality could in
dulge in. The few patrons of thu
municipal line are not getting gas any
cheaper than their neighbors, who SO
cure their supply from other lines, and
furthermore, in severe weather, the,
find the municipal service absolutel,
inadequate to furnish the amount o
gas they desire. But:besides all thi
not year has passed that the munich
pal gas plant has paid the interest OF
the investment. The bonds were ia
sued with long term to run, and b,
the time they are paid of, the gas in
debtedness of the city will increased
O over three million dollars, and tn
city has no: natural gas worth. men
tioniDg.
Findlay's experience with natura
gas bonds was not quite so bad a
that OF Toledo, but it teaches tn
same lesson. She did not have TO g
40 far to secure the gaseous product a
her sister city in Ohio, consequent.
her plant was not quite so expensive
indianapolis is another city whose ex
perience might be studied with prof
by the people of Neodesha. Thi
thriving Hoosier town caught tn
bond craze and was eager that tn
municipality supply its citizens will
natural gas. The people are not get
ting the gas they hoped to secure, bu
they are paying for an expensive pip
line and natural gas plant just thu
same.
The experience of these three cities
Toledo, Findlay and indianapolis
with the natural gas business are mat
ters OF history, and 1t Is to be hoped
that the reports AZ to Neodesha's de,
sire to initiate their example have
been greatly exaggerated. Needle.
sha mas great future before 1t and il
should not seek to iDjure itself by put
ting first mortgage on all the prop
erty IL contaius and discouragiug out
side capitalists from making further
investments in the place.