Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-12-13
LIBEL ON BOOSTERS
indianapolis Citizens Righteously
Indignant over Accusations OF
the Gas Company
Declare Assertion That the Whole
City Has Been Stealing is
Libel.

Company Says Loss of Revenue is
Due to the Wholesale Theft
Of Gas.
Indianapolis Dec Il. The circular OF
1.-The officers of III indianapolis Gas 'om-
,pany, saying the usual dividend of 5 per
icent can not be paid this year because
Eof alleged frauds on the company by
CONSUMERS, has taken the people of this
city completely by surprise and is gen
orally denounced is a libel on the pat
rons of the company.
The city has just filed a suit to en-
force better supply and the council
has al ordinance pending to regulate
/ the company's charges to the amount
9of gas furnished Many here regard the
charges of fraud as the result of a de-
sire to counteract the proposed step on
/ the part of the city o protect the people
iagainst What they term the co,npany's
'eNtortion
/ While it is admitted that the COM
Ipany may not have made as much mon
1 ~ as it did several years ago. it iss no.
1 torious that its patrons have paid enor-.
lsmeus gas bills and have received in re-
Tlurn an Insufficient, supply OF gas In
Ian such cases the officers have offered!
Ito discontinue the supply. but patrons
| have preferred to supplement the fuel
| With wood andsccal in bitter cold wealth
er rather than do without the gas aen-
4 tirely, for in moderate weather the sup
lliy has been ample.
II has been intiinated that the in
creased cost of gas Well territory and OF
machinery for forcing the product to
points Of consumption, especially when
the latter are distant from the gas fields.
Elnay have causedsa large outlay by the
Dcpmpaiy and reduced its profits, but ln-
ldianapolisE people assert that they have
lpaid more for gas that they did not get
e han thA company las lost thru the In
cease of the SUPPLYING boring mix
.rss''
The Charges.
New York. Dec. l2-Charges Of whole
sat. fraud on the part Of the people Of
lnaianapolis-hie and low, rich and
poor official. clerical aud lay We're
lnafae by the Indianapolis Gas Company,
the directors Of which declare that by
! q ishonorable practices hey have been
Idepriyed Of 40 much revenue that they
I have been compelled 70 defer action on
dill denass FOR an indefinite period
In general terms they say this necessi-
T " arises from the most extraordinary
sociai conditions That prevail at pres
ent IN the capital Of Hoosierslom. Spe-
ciiieally they say that churches public
Institutions, professional men and mer-
chants as Well rs the lowly cottage,
Fave by boring their mixers" secured
laore gas than they have paid for, and
that the consequent drain on the COM
paily's fluid has borne heavily upon its
finances
Boring mixers is a term peculiar 10
The natural gas belt In that region
matters are mot used, but bills are rem
cred according to the number and size
|of the burners used The gas passes
thru attachments in order that the air
may be mixed With IL. These are the
i&ers and the enlargement Of the
holes that let Tbs gas thru, which IS the
basis Of the corapans's complaint, is
said 70 have been done by boring.
These charges We're made yesterday
Fly Frank S. Hastings, president Of The
Indianapolis Gas Conlpany--b order Of
ne directors. whose Views are embodied
I'm the following statement:
In spite Of existing prohihitory stat
ELtss a large percentage Of our c,,sfo,r-
ers have unlawfully increased their s,,p-
lpiy by the practice known as boring
out their mixers.
Every effort has been made hv ,o,,r
managers 10 stop this unlawf,,l vast
age but altho the best legal talent has
secn employed. supported ~ ind;sn,ta-
lille proofs, lit has been 3found ut,e,,, !. i'm.
POSSIBLE 10 secure. CONVICTION. because
9 fine fact ,ha, ,,is ,,,asa
Ten, e gsneTslly indulgsa in rhese
Sae poor or Vicious, but include city and
county .puiif.lnes, city officials. lawyers.
'sis'irches, MINISTER'S of the gospel, physi-