The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-07
QUESTION OF GAS.
Cheap Fuel anu Lights to Be
Considered Tonight.
City Council Will Settle Fran
chise Question.

A special meeting of the city council
is to be called for this evening to take
action on the proposed natural gas
franchises. One or both of the fran
more DELAY. 1t seems that the chances
are good for the passage of both
franchises.
The impression prevails among the
members of the council that the Excel
sior Coke and Gas company has hand
in the game. but just what is the thing
no one seems to be able to say. One
member of the council said:
Il believe that If the truth were
known, it would be seen that the Excel
sior Coke and Gas company is the firm
which is asking for one of the fran
chises. The gas company has discov-
cred that it will have to reduce its
rates, and it planning to get line
from the natural gas field Perhaps
the deal between the concern and the
gas company is not fixed up yet, but it
seems TO me that the people who are
known to be friendly to the Excelsior
Coke and Gas company are taking con-
siderable interest in one of the propo-
SitiOns"
Another councilman said: THE only
thing the council can do with safety is
to grant both franchises. The old gas
company is at the bottom of one of them
= don't know which. If we grant both
franchises, then we have got the old
company where it would have to pay a
idea is that the old gas company will
try to buy the franchise. and thus keep
the line from being built into Topeka.
II the old company can pay $1,000 and
keep out natural gas competition for
from one to three years, it would make
good bargain on the DEAL
Several counc1lmen have expressed a
determination to vote for both of the
franchises, and let the two companies
fight it out afterwards The cornpanv
hr1c5 I'LL
its $1,000, and the other company will
probably drop out of the race.
Councilman Weber decided today TO
stay over for the special meeting, in
stead of leaving fer Colorado as he had
planned.
There is some prejudice against the
Rohrer franchise because some of the
councilmen hold that Mr.. Rohrer mis-
represented his position to the council
in the early part of the negotiations.
One of the leading members of the coun-
ell said today:
"Rohrer told US fatty when he intro
duced his proposed franchise that he
could not make a lower rate than so
cents and As cents without running his
company. He further declared that
under no conditions would his company
put up cash deposit. Since the Hoff-
man company came into the field,
ROhrer has not only cut his rates down
to 30 and As cents and agreed to the
81, 900 deposit clause, but he has also
met the offer of the Hoffman company
to supply the city building with heat
and light free of charge It looks as
though Rohrer was trying to drive a
sharp bargain with the council thinking
that no one would discover what good
thing he was getting"
The impression seems to prevail among
the counciln1en now that the chief thing
is to decide which of the two companies
have the best financial backing Each
company makes almost identically the
same propositions.
Even though a special meeting Of the
council should be held there is TO be Il
meeting of the ways and means commit
tee which will be attended by nearly all
the council The meeting is for the pur-
pose of discussing the gas franchises and
also to try to arrange a new tax levy for
the coming year. 1t is likely that the levy
will be raised about a mill