The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-18
rHIRTY YFARs. GAs.

are telling what they expect to do, even
before the franchise mas been proposed
Here are a few facts which it would
be worth the while of the city council
to investigate and weigh carefully.
What the gas company is after, as is
disputed by no one, is a new franchise |
to take the place OF their present fran
chise which will expire in about seven |
years. They want this new franchise
now because the Bale Waggener |
franchise law, passed by the last legls-
Iature is drawn up for the purpose Of
giving the earth to the corporation,andl
leaving the city with the fence and no
place to put it. It not only provides
| for 30-year franchise instead of 20
year, but it protects the corporation in
every possible way, without due re-
gard to city and consumer.
But the gas company seems to be
willing to pay for a new franchise of
the Bale Waggener pattern. 1t offers
to reduce gas rates from $1.35, $1.50 and
81 65, to a fiat rate of SIPS. It also Of
fers to extend it's gas mains to those
portions of the town which have no
gas. and enlarge its plant, the estimat-
ed cost of the improvements to be $780,
OOO
The question for the city to decide is
merely whether the company offers a
sufficient price for 3O-year gilt edge
franchise.
There is no doubt that a Bale Wag-
gener franchise is a mighty valuable
piece of property, and is worth paying
for. If the city barriers away its cor
porate soul it ought to get a good price
for the same. Chances are very good
for the repeal of the Bale Waggener
lot nd the
. corporations are afraid that the legis-
= Iature will go to the other extreme and
; fix up a bad dose Of medicine for the
( corporations. Hence their anxiety to
5 get into the corral while the bars are
? down. So much for the value of the
5 Bale Waggener franchise.
The gas company offers two specific
: considerations. or inducements, to the
city as the price of this choice brand of
franchise. The first is a reduction in
rates. The second is an extension of
mains.
It is a well known fact that several
years ago, before the city commenced
to litigate with the company for a dol
j lar rate, the gas company practically
offered to make a. fat rate of SIPS.
When the city chose to go to law, the
t company maintained its old rates, and
: | lHuS uldQG the CITY pay TIE 6dS SOlAA-
pany's attorney fees. The present offer
to reduce the rates to s1.25 is practically
u a renewal of an old offer. It is not an
It extraordinary burst Of generosity in
spired by a passionate love of Topeka.
The gas company well knows that if it
: does not make a reduction in rates, the
= city will pass an ordinance compelling
reduction. The information which the
city has obtained in it's gas rate liti-
- cation, though it has cost probably
= $1,000, is not without it's value to the
city. The next gas rate ordinance will
be drawn so that it will stand the test
IS The second part of the gas com
le pany's proposition is an extension OF
Is the gas mains to those portions of the
city which have no gas. This would
be a good thing for the people of To-
% peka- It would be a still better thing
4, for the gas company. There is plenty
lie of good territory in Topeka which the
gas company has never attempted t.
invade. The extension of the main.
n. to this unoccupied territory mean,
N more revenue to the gas company
lie Not only that, but the more gas the
company can SELL the cheaper be-
comes the cost of making per 1000
IS feet If it costs 80 cents a Thousand
Of feet to make 100000 cubic feet {
Id year, it will cost only rs cents pc
h thousand feet to make 50,OOO,OOl
cubic feet a year. Hence the eviden
willingness of the gas company t,
y spend 100000 in charging its facili
- ties for making gas.
% Are these inducements sufficient t.
- warrant the city voting away one 0
these extra choice Bale Waggene
franchises?
The court of appeals will shortl
- give its decision in the pending ga
~ cases. The outlook for dollar ga
~ right now is not bright, but the SIP
rate for lighting purposes and a lowe
one for fuel and manufacturing pur
he poses should be put in now. Mr.. Hol
ad liday, for the gas company. has prac
r. tically promised the 1925 rate withou
be any thirty years Of renewed life bein
ot offered by the city as a consideration
n If the gas company does not car
tn to invest 100000 in extending its ga
mains with only seven years more 70
its franchise to live the city can prob
eef ably get along with electric light
de kerosene, gasoline and coal in the gas
tie less districts. When the Bale WAC
ed gener franchise law is wiped off tn
lie books. and a better one substitute,
he the city will be in better shape to tai
'ge about extending the franchise. TIL
he closer the gas company runs to tn
on expiration of its franchise, the MOI
le- willing it will be to make reasonab
he concessions. The city council shoul
be very careful in the present crisi
1t is much easier to tie the city han
ay and foot for thirty long years with
ras franchise ordinance than it is to Ct
lat those cords five or ten years later.