The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-09-27
ACT AS ONE Man.
Gas Users of Topeka May Form
Union.
viii Refuse to Pay More Than
One Dollar.
COUNCIL FIXES RATE.
Call For a Meeting is to BE
Issued.
Concerted Plan of Action Then
to Be Discussed.

Gas users Of the city Of Topeka will
be called together in mass meeting
within a few days. probably on Mon
day night, for the purpose of uniting on
a course of action against the Topeka
Gas company.
A resolution viii likely be introduced
at this meeting giving it as an express
sion of the gas consumers Of the city
that efforts on the part OF the gas COM
pany to collect gas bills at the old rate
Of $50 and $1.65 should be resisted.
The gas users will then unitedly re-
fuse to pay the old rate gas bills Such
united action of the consumers of the
city will embarrass the gas company
much more than the litigation which
the company has inaugurated, and
which is likely to drag through the
courts for several years.
1T has not yet been decided where the
meeting will be held, but a call viii
likely be issued in case those who are
discussing the matter decide that a
meeting should be called this month.
Mayor Hughes says he is very much
in favor of the proposed meeting, as is
also Councilman W. S. Bergundthal
who was the author of the dollar gas
ordinance.
Mayor Hughes said today: II can not
see why such a meeting would not ac-
complish great deal toward the set
tlement of the question Of whether To
in favor of it. but do not think that
it would look we'll for me to act in my
official capacity as mayor and call such
a meeting. But the movement has my
most cordial sympathy. If we can get
a meeting of 1hree or four hundred OF
the several thousand gas consumers in
Topeka, we can form a nucleus SO
large that all the other gas users in
town will naturally fail in line and sup
port the movement If half a dozen, or
a dozen, men in town should refuse to
pay their gas bills, the gas company
might simply shut off their gas. But
if FIVE hundred consumers should re-
fuse to pay, the company would not
dare to shut Off the gas. If a meeting
is held, arrangements should be made
to secure the advice of attorneys in re-
gard to the exact form in which a re-
fuSal to pay should be made, and also
to protect the consumers in case the
gas company should attempt to shut
off the gas. The gas company would
certainly not attempt to sue the host of
consumers who might refuse to pay
their bills at the old rate 1t would
break them up in business.
w s. Bergundthal, author of the dol
lar gas ordinance. said. Il am heartily
in favor of such meeting believe
it could accomplish a great deal toward
solving the gas puzzle It would at
least force the gas company to seek a
speedy hearing Of the case, instead of
trying to delay the proceedings as they
would probably try to do otherwise. I
will give my support to such move
ment"
The only question now seems to be as
to whether the meeting win be held
prior to the 1st of October. when the
September gas bills are presented, or
whether the matter viii be delayed till
next month. For some reasons it is
bought that it would be better to post
p0ne the meeting till next month. This
will give an opportunity to see what
the United States court does with the
application for a temporary injunction
which has been filed by the gas COM
pany against the city This case is set
for hearing on Monday Another rea-
son for postponing the meeting is to
give time to canvass the matter more
with the gas consumers of
the city. and ascertain what would be
the safest and best course of action.