The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-01-14
LOOKS LIKE CITY
WILL GET GAS
Committee to Ascertain What
Amount of Money.
WILL HAVE TO BE RAISED
When Work Commences
There Will Be No Delay.

At regular meeting of the members
of the Chamber of Commerce held yes
terday afternoon at the city hall, COM
mittee of five was selected for the pur-
pose of meeting the owners of gas fields
in different parts of the state and see
what inducenent the city of Wichita will
have to offer in the way OF money to get
some of these people to take hold of a
proposition to pipe gas here Immediately
with no delay until the system is finish
ed.
c. L, Davidson, J. H. Stewart and May
or 3. f. Mclean were appointed as three
of the committee and two more will be
chosen from the Commercial club. The
committee is to act at once in the work
and make report just soon as it is
possible.
The appointing of a committee for the
purpose named in the foregoing was
brought about by the report made and
read by a committee appointed by the
directors of the Chamber of Commerce
held last week, for the purpose of formu-
iating plans for action in the matter of
piping gas to Wichita. 1t follows:
Wichita, Kan, Jan. IL, 1904
To the Chamber of Commerce.
Gentlemen:-Your committee to whom
was referred the matter Of investigating
the best method of bringing natural gas
to Wichita, have considered the same
and beg. to make the following report:
We find that under the present state of
the laws of Kansas relating to the pow
ers of cities of the first class, that Wfch-
tta cannot undertake the enterprise for
and on behalf of the city as a municipal
corporation, and for that reason We were
obliged to dismiss all consideration look
ing to the city controlling the matter.
We next considered the plan of organic
ing a company to be promoted by the
citizens of Wichita and we believe that
II the citizens of Wichita will subscribe
an amount equal to 100000 to be returned
to them in the payment of gas bills not
to exceed 20 per cent of the amount sub
scribed in any one year, or in case this
subscriber does not consume sufficient
gas to take up 20 per cent of his. subscrip-
ton that the balance Of the 20 per cent
shall be returned to him in cash each
year until the whole amount of the sub
scription has been returned, and that
In addition to the return of his money in
the manner provided above, the subscrib-
er shall receive an amount of stock in
the company to be formed, equal to the
amount of his subscription, or at his
option, instead of receiving the stock. he
shall have the right to use the amount
Of his subscription in paying gas bills
at discount of ten $40 cents per thous-
and feet below the regular price charged
to other consumers, until the amount of
his subscription has been redeemed.
Under this plan, the subscriber in con-
sideration of the advancement of. the
money by him to aid in promoting the
enterprise, would receive the full amount
OF his subscription returned to him in
the payment of gas bills or in cash with
the discount Of ten cents per thousand
feer in his favor as against consumers
who do not subscribe. or if he prefers
not to take the benefit of the discount
he may have the full amount of his
subscription used in paying his gas bills
as stated above, and in addition have is
sued to him an amount of stock equal
to the amount of his subscription We
feel certain that il a fund such as we
have mentioned, can be raised upon the
plan proposed, that it will be possible
to organize a company and secure a gas
territory with ample supply already de-
veloped sufficient to furnish Wichita with
all the gas needed for the present and
future, and that it will be possible to
have the plant fully completed and in
operation in the fall of the present year.
We. therefore, recommend that cosl-
mittee be appointed for the purpose of
preparing form of subscription and pre-
pairing a franchise to be submitted TO
the mayor ana council. and that such
franchise shall be granted to a commit
tee consisting of the following we'll
known citizens: Judge D. NJ. Dale c L.
Davidson, c. Jobes c. Z. Potts, and
c. n. Smyth. to be held by the commit
tee in trust for a company to be or
ganized. and that before the franchise
shall become valid. said company shall
be required TO put up such reasonable
guarantee-as the council may require
for the. carrying out all the terms of
said franchise.
The present plan OF the members of
the Chamber OF Commerce is to take
q subscription list just as soon as the
last committee appointed makes re-
port and the amount that il will be neces-
sary for the citizens of Wichita to sub
serbia will then be made known