The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-27
In that Event He Says the Gas Com
pany Can BE Compelled to Fur
nish the Natural Fuel.
DELAY WILL BE DANGEROUS
COMMITTEE HOLDS A MEETING, BUT
TAKES NO ACTION.
John r.. Pearson Says Gas Will BE
Shut OF on October 1-Other
Municipal Affairs.
B, AS APPLIED TO

The Council committee public health
met last night to consider Councilman Hol-
liday's ordinance requiring the sale of nat
ural gas through meters at the rate of %
cents per 1000 cubic feet This ordinance
taken from the hands of the committee
on contracts and franchises two weeks ago.
1t had been in the hands of the committee
since March. The Council in taking it from
that committee indicated that prompt ac-
tion expected
The members of the public health commit
tee-McFarland, Grail and Warweg-are
much interested in the question. The two
first named favor, and have for years, the
meter system. Mr.. Warweg, who is the
Democratic member, is doubtful whether
even with meters the companies could give
an adequate supply of gas. The committee
did not consider a report last night, but
left this open for another meeting Friday
night.
CounciImen Wynne and Wheeler urged
the committee to report favorably on the
ordinance, expressing their belief that it
was the only proper system by which to
sell gas and also to conserve the remaining
supply. Mr.. Wheeler said he thought the
passage of the ordinance would mean that
the Indianapolis company would remain in
business. Mr.. Wynne said it did not mat
ter if the Indianapolis company did dis
continue the natural gas business. the
Consumers Company is to continue and
meters would enable it to sell what gas it
has properly.
MR.. POTTS'S COMMUNICATION.
Mr.. A. F. Potts was the only person not
q member of the Council TO address the
committee. He read a communication on
the meter question, in which he said:
"If the meter ordinance is not passed
when this question (the city's suit for an
Injunction is before the court the injunc-
ton will fail upon the abundant proof that
gas under the present methods means loss
and bankruptcy.
1T seems to most important. upon
this ground alone, TO pass the ordinance at
once before such action is instituted.
The city can then show that only a few
weeks ago the gas company was asking
for the passage of this ordinance as the
means which would enable ii to continue
service TO the people. Pass the ordinance
and out of its own mouth you prove that
the company can furnish the gas and the
court will compel il to do That the
company may have made some other ar
rangement more to its advantage has moth
ing TO do with the question. 1t Is bound
to Indiana polls unless it can show that
Indianapolis asks something unreasonable
and its own ordinance promptly settles
that question.
The plea that it cannot supply meters
in time has no value. They could be put on
rapidly as secured and l think we should
find carloads of them coming by express
if there was the inducement between meter
rates and the present dishonest method OF
bored mixers. Everybody would not have
gas at once, but we would have gas by
some means while they were being served.
The passage of the ordinance il seems to
me, completely disarms the company in the
proposed litigation and leaves it without
either legal or moral standing"
FAILURE WITHOUT 1T.
Mr.. Potts ampIiied this statement by
saying that he was firm in the belief that.
without the ordinance, the Indianapolis
company would withdraw and the city's in
junction suit would be failure. The or
dinance removed all responsibility from the