The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-09-21
NATURAL GAS IS NEAR.
Fight for Franchise in Kansas City Has
Begun.

Kansas City is agitated by the fight
in progress there between rival gas
companies for a franchise to pipe nat
ural gas TO Kansas City.
Incidentally the project is of great
interest TO Topeka. because Topeka
Will get the gas about as soon as Kan
saS City will. The Kansas City Times
says:
The United Gas and Fuel com
pany. promoted by a company headed
by Frank Rockefeller and several
Kansas City and Topeka business men.
filed last night an application for a
thirty-year franchise. offering to give
the city , per cent of its gross re-
Ceipts and a rate for gas ranging from
- cents per thousand cubic feet to
70 cents according to the amount
used The company offers to begin
work in three months from the time
the franchise is granted and lay
twenty-five miles of mains in two
years. In addition, il offers free light
for the city's public buildings and a
rate of s. a lamp per year for street
lights y maintenance bond of So
600 and deposit of $500 as guar
antee for the restoration of the streets
fter The excavations are made are
also offered.
The Peoples Natural Gas and Fuel
company undertakes to supply only
fuel and power. II does not ask for the
privilege of supplying gas for illumina-
ton II is promoted largely by Kansas
City men and offers for 30-year fran
Chise to give the city the required per
cent of the gross receipts, bond of
SZo,OoO as a guarantee of performance,
"A rate not to aSceed so cents per thou
sand cubic feet. The privilege is given
the city Of regulating the rates after
period OF ten years. but the company
is not required to begin laying mains in
the city until six months after it has
piped the gas to the corporate limits.
and il stipulates that it shall have
three years in which to put its plant in
full operation. However. the company
must lay % miles of mains in one year
from the time it begins work in the
city This was the first franchise in
PRODUCED and is now in the hands Of
the upper house judiciary committee
and the lower house gas committee,
which refused to report it out for the
council meeting last night"
In the Kansas City Journal the fol-
lowing appears:
A representative of the Kansas Nat
ural Gas company observed that his
company was rushing the work, eX-
tending TO Joplin and Galena. and
would start north with q big main to
supply Lawrence, Topeka. Leaven-
worth and Atchison within two months
and they would include Kansas City.
Kan. in their calculations as soon as
pipe line could be placed. Wherever
possible. the local plants would be
used. sometimes purchased and some
times furnish natural gas to the old
company. the rate to consumer being
such to insure large consumption.
The company had gas on hand and
they were reaching out for market.
In all the towns favored by the
prospect for cheap fuel graft games
will be attempted in the usual bunco
fashion. but the old railless and pipe
less and gasless game is so we'll under
stood that they are expected to be
conbated with an intelligent public
sentiment. AS generally understood
the natural gas district is on the verge
of improved conditions for business.
The effort VIII be made to secure these