The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-01
Commercial Club Will Consider
This Question.
Crusade to Be Commenced on
December Is.
TO BUILD UP TOPEKA.
Only Way to Encourage New
Industries.
Would Have Topeka People as
Promoters.

At the next meeting of the Topeka
Commercial club, on December 10, Sec
rotary Anderson will read a paper on
Piping Gas to Topeka" That will
be the opening shell in the crusade
which the major proposes to start for
the usage of Kansas gas in Topeka for
fuel purposes. The topic will be the
principal one for discussion during the
evening.
Secretary Anderson proposes to or
ganize company of capitalists in this
city to take hold of the thing. At least
a million dollars will be necessary to
carry out the plan.
1T is a settled fact said the major
this morning, that Kansas City will
get the gas. That simply means that
the big Missouri metropolis will knock
the tar out OF our industries. Manu-
featuring establishments here will be
fearfully handicapped if they have to
compete against cheap gas fuel in
Kansas City. We have to get right in
to the game and there must not be
particle of delay. 1 shall appoint with
the consent of the club the strongest
committee which can be obtained from
among Topeka'S business men, and
have them take up this matter. A reg
ular crusade will be started to pipe
the gas into the city. We need it here.
We have needed cheaper fuel here for
a long time. This is our opportunity
| to get it Kansas City is making the
effort of it's life to secure gas from the
Kansas belt. and apparently has sue
ceeded. Topeka can not afford to stand
back I wish that the newspapers
would say that the next meeting of the
Commercial club will take up this mat
ter and discuss it thoroughly and will
appoint competent committee to see
what can be done. If other cities can
have the gas, Topeka also can. There
has been a good deal of talk on the
subject, but nothing actual and tangi-
BILE has ever been accomplished. Def
mite steps will now be taken and some
| thing will be done
There are a number of good wells
near Leroy in Coffey county. Just re-
Gently several promoters from that
city were in Topeka to look over the
situation to see if gas piped here would
be popular and paying venture. They
spent several days in Topeka but left
without making their findings known
to anyone.
1t is Secretary Anderson's plan to
make the company as far as possible a
Topeka Institution which will look af-
ter the interests of this city. He will
urge at the Commercial club meeting
that Topeka men take charge of the
plans and carry them out.
1T is the only way that We can build
up Topeka industries continued the
! major. The piping of natural gas to
hold out. Gas for fuel purposes. for
manufacturing purposes, has come to
stay. Towns about US, which compete
| with us, are taking advantage of the
opportunity. There is scarcely a city
4 around here where the question is not
being agitated and where some definite
action is not being taken. The thing
4 for us to do is to get in on the ground
floor. If Topeka men and Topeka mon
/ ey back up the scheme then we know
that it will be done for the interests of
this town. If we can then go to pros
pecttve manufacturing institutions
/ which consider Topeka as a location
and show them how cheaply they can
get fuel to run their wheels, we will
have an argument that they cannot
Withstand. The price of fuel is always
1 the first question asked by any man
who comes here with a concern to look
over this city for a location. He in
Quires into rates on shipping coal. He
vents to know the prices for the year
round. He investigates back into the
| important item to manufacturers.
Cheap gas fuel would be a wonderful
thing They are getting ready to pipe
it into Kansas City. We have to pro-
tect Topeka. We must keep on an equal
basis with our competitors"
Secretary Anderson has not yet in
| quired specifically into the situation, SO
far as the best route for pipe line, or
| its cost. He proposes that this should
| be done by the strongest committee of
| Topeka men which can be gathered to-
gether. 1t is his plan to provoke in the
! city a spirit of patriotism in regard TO
/ Topeka's welfare-arguing that the
! latter win depend upon growth, and
ers-