The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-04-12

the ldnSle ana To smooth ruf1ed feelings.
Again the flow Of speech was started with
comparative smoothness, although the ice
was thin and every now and again some
one who felt so deeply that expression was
necessary burst out
a GAS-COMPkNY MAN
d. NJ. Huey did not make the best in
PRODUCTION for himself when he prefaced
his remarks with the statement that he
was an employee of the Consumers COM
pany; it led to many interruptions, but he
waded valiantly through what he had TO
say. The question comes up every day
he said, why do the companies want
meters? People ask, if they have plenty of
gas why don't they give it to us without
making the use of meters compulsory?
! Because meters are the only way to equal
ize the gas supply and TO give the poor man
| as much Tor mis- money as the rich man.
Other cities are trying the meter system
with success; it seems TO me that Indian
/ apohs might give it a trial wisely"
| scott Wherry declared that figures do
not show that meters would make gas
/ cheaper for the small consumer Il think.
! ne said, that If the companies would blow
out their old wells and build a reservoir in
Indianapolis with a big suction pump at
tached there would be plenty of gas
The next talker evidently struck the note
that appealed to the majority of the crowd.
lie, 100, was interrupted. but only by yells
OF approval and cries Of Go on, SO on
Peter Gall said: The Consumers Gas
]
/ III OF the people. Why does il not deal just
/ ~ by the people? Why don't they pay off
/ Their old stock and turn the property over
10 the three superior judges, as il was Tin
derstood in the first place was to be done?
! why don't they spend all the money they
say they have in drilling new wells? |
want to say here that if MIR. Negley has
i any regard for his political future he viii
/ vote against meters. [Applause.l Why,
look at their proposition as expressed in
the ordinance. They intend to charge you
81 month for gas, no matter whether you
purn 400 feet or not. They are trying to
make the Door old WaSherWomen nav for
all this so the rich man who sits in his par
/ Tors On North Meridian street can have a
/ little more gas. We have a street-car cor
porauon that is giving Brightwood rotten
service, but their service on the North Side
4 streets is all right. IAN insistent voice:
How about the COllege-avenue kickers?'l
fnere Is nothing in this meter proposition
i for the workingman''
Floyd Thompsonssaid: II had some ex-
perlence with meters in Springfield, o. l
never found there that they were a good
/ thing for poor people. One time l went TO
some friends to ask them what to do about
paying an exorbitant charge for meter
rent, and they said: why, what do you
/ come 10 US for? We are poor men. We
don't use gas. Gas is for rich people in
/ Springfield. "
THE MINORITY.
The strongest arguments for meters were
made by L. ID. Bruentling. He said: 1--WE
are confronted by condition, not a theory.
l used to believe myself that both gas com
panies were great octopuses. choking the
lives out of the people, grasping, mercenary
and heartless. have changed my views in
the light of hard facts and figures. / was
as strong against meters as any OF you, but
l have changed my mind because the evil
| dence does not support opposition to the
meter system. 1t has come to this-either
| meters or no gas. On that point there
should be discussion 1t is fruitless to talk
on any other lines. Some of you say, why
don't they blow out their wells? Don't you
| know that these companies have spent
about a million dollars building costly
pumping stations? Do you think for one
have spent all that money for pumps and
machinery If there had been a chance of
getting an increased supply by boring new
wells or cleaning old ones? Let's reason as
men. Let's not have knife up our sleeves
for the gas companies because they are
corporations"
Newton Wilmington said: 1.-The question
is how are We going to keep people from
/ wasting what little gas there is? As to the
| meter question, simply want to call your
attention to the fact that people don t sell
potatoes by contract, or by a system that
consists of the purchaser paying yearly
sum and taking all the potatoes he can use
/ Not very much. They sell potatoes by the
/ bushel. Why can't people buy natural gas
! on the same sensible plan, by the foot, as
1t should be sold? am not IN favor OF
meters, because believe that with gen.
eral use of meters thre will be enough for
| all; neither am for meters at the 25-cent
rate, but the fact remains that we must do
/ the best we can with what we have"
Ira NJ. Holmes, who spoke for meters.
aroused storm by the assertion that
everybody in the hall who was opposed TO
| meters took his attitude either because he
/ was prejudiced against the gas companies
! or because he had plenty of gas So many
Kisses pierced the air that Holiness voice
/ could not be heard until the gavel of the
chairman and Mr.. Negley's Gentlemen.
gentlemen" oiled the waters. L have
bored mixers like everybody else, said
Holmes. "All of you here in this hall are
using bored mixers. "a voice, I'm not;
you're wrong there.O The companies say
are sensible men, that they would let their
subscribers melt away if they had a supply
! to give them. Not much. Men do not do
/ business that way" Here he made his as
sertion about reasons for opposing meters,
and number cried: Don't let him go on;
ne is getting personal. I am interested
I'm this question" continued Holmes (some
one in the rear of the hall sarcastically,
so we see') land 1 believe meters would
be the thing. If they will give me 1900
feet of gas per month for dollar 1 want
1T looks to me-" said Hoffbauer, who in
troduced the resolution, that the gas COM
tonight who are interested in this ques-
ton" Loud cheers followed.
IN THE GAS BELT.
Another friend of meters, NJ l.. Clawson,
said: 1.-The main point is we have no gas.
One of two things is true. The companies
are either pumping their supply to Chica-
CO. or else they are not getting it out of
the earth. 1 think the latter is true 1
used to live in Alexandria, the king city
of the gas belt, near where the farmers
used to burn fiambeaus on every chicken
coop to keep burglars away. and 1 notice
that they are not using any fambeaus now.
They simply have not got the gas The
supply is gone. The gas belt towns have
found that only with the meter system is
there any hope of getting natural fuel for
cooking even, and in most of them the
meter system is being tried with success.
1t should be given trial in this city,"
Peter Gall. who was given another turn
by the chair, declared that the previous
he said, that the gas companies have
adopted a policy Of freezing people into
submission to meters wherever they could.
They should not be allowed 20 do that in
indianapolis"
w. H Holl declared that he wanted a
meters because he has no gas as it is 81
do not favor meters at a rate of % cents -
he said. but IL we can secure a 15-cent
rate think meters should be given a fair
trial
Sheridan Williamson said he was against
meters because he had plenty of gas "'How
close to the reduction station do you live =
some one asked him. Well, he said u
live middling close" and sat down.
w. j. Whiteside had little to say in
Edward Schmitt moved to take up the reso-
luton, and the vote followed.
| Councilman Negley said after the meet
ing that he stands, so far, against meters