The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-22
FOR CHEAPER GAS
Ordinance Meets Unexpected
Fight at Start.
Effort to Compel an Advance
Deposit.
EXCUSES ADVANCED.
Claim That Company Should
Show Good Faith.
Any Move For Cheaper Gas
Should Be Encouraged.
EXCUSES ADVANCED.

For a time during the council meet
ing last evening it looked as though
the chances for a new gas company
and cheaper gas in Topeka were rather
slim, if the statements made by Coun-
Gilman Roundtree, chairman of the
committee on gas and electric lights,
We're correct.
The ordinance granting a franchise
to j. W. Faulkner to put in a gas plant,
was introduced and referred to the
committee without reading. The Ordi-
nance was just as it had been prepared
for Mr.. Faulkner and sent on by him
from Chicago.
After it had been referred, Council
man Hughes said:
Il may be out of the city when this
come up, but before it is done want to
see a cash bond put up. Some time ago
we granted a franchise to a jim crow
gas company and nothing ever came of
it and the city paid the expenses. /
want to see a $4,000 cash deposit in the
bank before We give away this fran
chise.''
Mayor Drew corrected the council
man from the Sixth ward by saying that
the promoters who had asked for the
old gas franchise and failed to use it,
had paid all expenses connected with
it.
Councilman Nettels said: ct think
the suggestion made by the councilman
from the Sixth ward is a good one. I
think if we require a cash deposit put
up IN the IfSL place II VIII De a guar
antee of good faith and we viii be more
likely to secure the company. We gave
a telephone franchise not long ago,
spending considerable time with it, and
nothing ever came of it. 1t provided
that a 81, 500 bond be put up before the
provisions of the franchise could be
used, but that did no good. If we ask
for cash deposit to begin with, We
will be more likely to get this company.
I think S. 600 is too much to ask for,
and 1 will make a motion that we re-
Quire a cash deposit of 81, 900 before we
pass this franchise
Councilman Elliott lined up with
Hughes and NettelS, but moved to
amend by making the amount $4,000
Councilman Morgan favored the same
thing.
Then Councilman Burgess said: "I
don't think this question ought to come
up at this time. Wait until the ordi-
nance is before the council. It's just in
the hands of the committee now.
Councilman Nettels: That's the way
we have done before. and nothing has
come of it. These men who ask for
these franchises are promoters. They
are honest and mean business, but they
have no money of their own. Mr. Bear,
for whom we passed the telephone
franchise, tells me that the reason the
project fell through was because the
parties whom he expected to take hold
of it had spent their money elsewhere.
AS soon as he can find some one else
with money to invest, he will ask for
another franchise. If we ask for a cash
deposit it will show that they are in
good faith, and we will not be wasting
our time for nothing"
Councilman Roundtree, chairman of
the gas committee, who has been
working for cheaper gas, was out of
the council chamber when the matter
was brought up, but as soon as he en-
tered he began a fight on the cash de-}
posit proposition.
Il don't think it is fair he said ''to
compel Mr.. Faulkner to put I'D a cash
deposit until this ordinance is through
the committee and before the council.
We have been working for a long time
for cheaper gas, and we won't get it
unless We encourage another company
to come in here. We gave the old COM
pany a year and six months to give US
dollar gas and we have no proposition
from them yet"
Mr. Roundtree then read a long letter
from Mr.. Faulkner, stating that he and
the men who were behind him were
busy putting in a plant in Chicago and
for that reason they could not be pres
ent. He said furthermore that the
reason why he wanted the franchise
before he Incorporated his company
was because 1t would cost about $500 to
incorporate and he thought it cheaper
to make sure of the franchise first.
Councilman Hughes: 4 have no in
terest in the old gas company and I am
interested in getting cheaper gas. I use
it sometimes in preference to my own
coal When you have a local coal
dealer bid on coal for the city you COM
pei him to put up a certified check for
800 or such matter to show that he
makes his bid in good faith. Why
should outsiders be favored more than
people who live here. This money can
be returned to him when the company
really comes in. Mr.. Faulkner wants
this franchise to sell. If he thinks it
is a good thing, let him show his faith
by putting up a cash deposit"
Councilman Nettels: I am opposed
to making this council a laughing stock
again as it has been so many times
during the past ten years. We have
given away franchise after franchise,
and nothing has ever come of it. Mr. |
Faulkner himself has no mOney-he |
does not claim to have. He has told
r. G. Dun & Company that he was
considering a petition in bankruptcy in |
the United States district court. 1
don't want to throw cold water on this |
scheme, but I think cash deposit J
should be put up as an evidence of |
good faith
Councilman Roundtree: Gentlemen |
if you pass this motion, you throttle |
this enterprise in the beginning. You |
as good as tell this man that you are |
satisfied with the present company and |
the prices charged, and for him to keep /
fore you have even read the ordinance.
If you pass this now you kill the mat |
ter right here. I am willing to come |
here and spend time in working on this |
ordinance. If we do that we will show /
the people that We are willing to do all 1
We can to get cheaper gas for them |
Councilman Burgess; A thing of 1
this kind has never been done here be- /
fore since I have been in this council. I
I don't know whether this man is worth /
anything or not-he says ne amt, and |
guess he ain't-but the right way to |
do this is to embody what you want |
in the way of a deposit in the ordi-
nance"