The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-01-06
THE ONLY SOLUTION OF THE GAS
QUESTION.

The experts who have been taking the
pressure of the natural gas at residences
in different parts of the city have found.
gas Is utterly inadequate to furnish the
heat necessary to the comfort of those who
pay for 1t. Here, as elsewhere in or near
the gas belt, there is ample evidence that
the supply of natural gas is rapidly falling
off. Even in towns in the gas region the
supply has been so short that factories
have been shut down. All of the men who
have special information regarding the
supply of gas not only assert but show
from investigation that there will be no gas
that can be made available longer than two
or three years at most, and that the
pressure is insufficient now to furnish a
fair supply in seasons like the past week.
The investigation also shows that in a
large part of the houses either the mixers
are bored or there are no mixers, so that
If the supply was much larger than ii is
there would be sections remote from the
main lines. and where the piping is imper-
proposition that patrons pay for no more
gas than they consume involves no end of
difficulty. If a new ordinance should be
passed declaring that patrons should pay
only for the gas consumed, and it were
not in violation of a previous contract
which the city has entered into with the
companies. who could settle the thousands
Of disputes or claims of nonsupply? There
is but one solution of the difficulty, and
that is to adopt meters which will measure
the gas every one consumes. when that is
done, and not until then, will people get
the gas for which they pay. 1t is not a
popular proposition, but it is the only prac-
teal one.
1t Is said the mayor has made PROPOSE
ton to the Consumers Trust for an UNI
known party to purchase its property, give
the city a large bonus and enter into an
obligation to furnish a much larger
trustees of the Consumers Trust declare
they have no authority to sell. They are
simply trustees. and it would require a
vote of all the shareholders to enable the
corporation to make transfer of it's prop
erty. 1t is probable that Mayor Taggart
knew of this difficulty and because of it
felt safe in proclaiming proposition which
he knew the trustees of the Consumers,
Trust could not accept because they have
no authority. Only those who are willing
to continue dupes of the mayor will believe
that any shrewd capitalists would invest a
million or more of money to supply Indian
apolis with gas when the area Of gas terri
tory is rapidly contracting and the pressure
in the best Of it rapidly declining. Why
did not the mayor repeat his offer to the
Indianapolis Company? His phantom
friends must have both plants to give the
people supply. The truth is the mayor is
not sincere regarding any matter which he
thinks he can turn to political advantage
If he were he would admit the failing gas
supply and the certainty of its giving out
entirely in three or four years, and would
advise judicious action based upon such
conditions. If he desires that people now
paying for gas shall pay for no more than
they consume let him ADVISE the introduce
ton of the gas meter. With such a sys-
tenn gas will last much longer than it will
with bored mixers and no mixers whatever