The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-02
Promises I'm Return to Supply
Gas at $I.25.
PROTESTS ARE IN VAIN
The Conservative COuncilmen
Sound a Warning.
Company Promises to Spend
Great Deal of Money.
Gas at $1.25 fiat.

NO minimum charge per IlOubL.
Company to furnish free meters and
service pipes.
Lump sum of $500 to be paid by the
gas company towards costs in dollar
gas case.
Company to deposit $4,000 cash as
guarantee that it will spend $175,0O0 in
improving plant
Franchise to run 80 years from date,
which means an extension of % years
on the existing franchise.
City to have right to buy the plant at
the end of 30 years, at value to be fix
ed by three commissioners.
Right reserved by city to fix new sched-
ule of rates in case company ever uses
natural gas instead of manufactured
gas.
The above provisions are the principal
ones in a new gas franchise which the
city council by a vote of to granted
TO the Excelsior Coke & Gas company
at its meeting Monday night
The vote on the passage of the fran
chise ordinance stood as follows.
Foe the franchise: Kutz. Ryder,
Griley, Holiday, Neil, Rice. Sinner,
Swendson and Hughes.
Against the franchise: Green, Nells,
Aowe-3.
Councilman Holiday father of the
franchise and president of the gas
company, says: II have redeemed my
election pledge, and nave given Topeka
$1.25 gas-the best gas franchise that
was ever presented to the city council.
1t is a great thing for Topeka
Mayor Bergundthal says: mo,
won't veto the ordinance. What good
would it do? The council would pass
at over my Veto"
1t was a comparatively easy victory
for the gas company. 1t conceded
practically every point asked by the
city, in the final issue. except the one
councilmen who voted against the
franchise did so on the sole ground
that more time should be given for the
consideration of the ordinance.
Considering the fact that the ordi-
nance was rushed through the coun-
Gil in such haste, which in itself con-
gtitutes a menace to the city. as finally |
passed by the council the new fran
eficial to the city of Topeka. There |
are some points in the franchise |
which should have received more |
careful attention. and those members !
of the council who fought hard for /
a delay of a few weeks did their duty. /
Time VIII no doubt develop some de- 4
fects in the ordinance, which Il little 1
less haste would have overcome.
There is also the great question of 1
the rate. There is reason to believe /
the rate could have been made still I
lower than SIPS. The gas company |
however, at the last minute waived 1
entirely their demand for rate of /
S1.35 with a 1O-eent rebate for |
those who paid their bills within ten |
days. The rate is $1.25 flat for all I
purposes light. fuel and power. This I
will. it is claimed. save the citizens I
of Topeka about $4,000 year on |
their gas bills.
Another very important concession !
of the company, made however only /
when ii was imperatively demanded 1
by the members of the council. was
the elimination of that provision of |
franchise he /
pany the right TO charge customers a /
minimum of so cents a month, wheth- /
er any gas was used or not. Under
the franchise people will pay for ex-
Rctly what they use, and no more
The gas company will continue its
practice of furnishing all service
pipes and meters free.
A third concession, which was really
the trump card which the gas com
pany had up it's sleeve, and played
just at the proper time. was the agree
piled on the payment of the remaining
costs in the dollar gas case. This will
pay nearly all the remaining costs in
that expensive lawsuit. This very
important concession was made by A
n. Brady, of New York, owner of the l.
plant. in a telegram received by Mr.
Holiday late Monday afternoon. 1t
came in response to an urgent teIe-
gram of hundred words sent by Mr..
Holiday earlier in the day.
Thus ends one of the longest and l.
hardest battles in which the city of To-
peka has ever engaged. Next to the
hgnt for city ownership of the water
works. the question of cheap gas has !
been the chief hope of the city for
many years past Under the old fran
chise of the Excelsior Coke & Gas com
pany. which had seven more years to
run, the city has been paying from 81 50
Tor its gas used to run gas engines to
$L65 for Illuminating gas. The gas
company's equipment of mains has been
very Inadequate. and many portions of
the city are entirely destitute of gas.
Under the new franch&Se, the gas com
pany is pledged to ar once begin the
construction of p miles of new mains.
and the re-equipment of its plant the
total cost of which improvements the
company estimates to be $269, 900. The
amount fixed as d minimum in the fran