The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-28

Gas Trust Company has absorbed the at
tention of the people of indianapolis to the
exclusion Of almost every other public mat
ter. AS a topic for conversation Ii has re-
placed even politics. No better indication
of the feeling aroused by the alleged at
tempt of few heavy stockholders to ma
nipulate the concern toward a receivership
for their private gain could be had than
simply listening to conversation on the
streets, in stores, hotels, wherever men
meet.
The opposition to the course of the pres
ent directorate of the company comes from
all classes of people. From the millionaire
manufacturer to the member of Central
Labor Union the feeling is the same-that
the trustees at the annual meeting Nov.
should elect a board of directors which will
manage the Consumers Gas Trust in the
interests of the people.
Expressed by thousands of tongues. the
general opinion is that with the Consumers
Gas Trust Company remaining in existence
as a manufacturer of artificial gas sold at
cost in accordance with the terms of organi-
cation of the trust, millions of dollars will
be saved to the people in future years. 1t
is pointed out that with such competition
the price of artificial fuel to every consumer
in the city would remain comparatively low;
and the loss of natural gas would not be
so great a deprivation was at first
feared
WILL BE ASKED TO ASSIST.
1t developed yesterday afternoon that the
Commercial Club and the Board Of Trade,
| both Of which organizations had much to
do with the organization and establishment
of the trust, will be asked to take def
mite stand in opposition to the course Of
| the directorate of the company. President
Frank E. Gavin, of the Commercial Club,
| and President John j. Appel, of the Board
Of Trade, are out of the city, but will re-
turn this week. 1t is stated that the matter
will be taken up at once by both organiza-
| tions.
The attitude of the members of the Board
of Trade is pretty generally known. Six
teen years ago that organization, through
it's committee on natural gas, of which
! John H. Holiday was chairman, was re-
quested to formulate plan for the organ
ization of a natural gas company, which
should have in view not the private profit
| of the stockholders, but the furnishing OF
| gas to consumers at as near cost as posi-
I BILE. A committee of five, of which John
p. Frenzel was chairman, and ]. W. Muir
ply, Eli Lilly, George w. johnson and e.
| c. Atkins the other members, drew up a
! working plan, which was approved by the
board. The belief is that the organization
will resist the wrecking of the company,
established the board intended, in the
| interests of the people rather than few
stockholders. and will bring all the influ-
ence possible, individual and collective, to
bear on the trustees. who are the absolute
| masters of the destiny of the company.
| Members of both the Board OF Trade and
| the Commercial Club stated yesterday that
directors meetings will be held within a
few days, at which communications VIII be
drawn up for presentation to the trustees
of the Gas Trust Company at the meeting
Nov. 3.
| movement which is being agitated by a
number of gentlemen interested in the
Strengthening of the affairs of the company
is for the holding of a great mass meeting
| in Tomlinson Hail. at which public senti-
ment shall find appropriate expression
| through the words of representative men.
| While the plan of holding public meeting
is yet in embryo, the idea is popular and
the arrangements may be made within a
PUBLIC OPINION.
Everybody realizes that little beyond an
| unmistakable expression of public opinion
can be made before the annual meeting OF
the trustees Tuesday, Nov. g. At that
meeting individuals and organizations who
believe that the Consumers Gas Trust
Company has still duty toward the people
will place before the trustees information
and petitions Of such nature that it is
hoped the trustees will remove all appre-
hension as to the future conduct Of the gas
trust While people generally confident
that the men who compose the board OF
trustees are not the sort who would permit
a private or public wrong TO be done, new
ertheless preparations are quietly being
made for fight in the courts II the trus-
tees fail to elect a new board satisfactory
to the people of the city
| Mr.. Alfred +. Potts. who was one or th'
original promoters of the movement TO Sc
cure natural fuel for the consumer at tn,
| lowest possible rates and who is familiar
with all phases Of the companys affairs, II
! confident that the dissolution of the ga.
trust, under the conditions surrounding TIN
property, would be Illegal, and procedure
| to which court would lend its counJe
| nance Mr.. Potts believes that the actor
| of the trustees will effectually put an enc
| to efforts being made To use the compan,
| but if the fight in the interests of the peop
has to be made in the courts Mr.. Potts i
| confident of the result. This view is takel
! by Lawson NJ. Harvey and other leading at
| torneys of the city, who hold that concern
| whose organization was for the good of III
| many instead of the few. trust compan,
| in the original pure meaning OF the term
| cannot be arbitrarily terminated If the PEG
| pie object.