The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-02
TIED TO IT.
Mr.. Holiday Puts Through Gas
Ordinance.
Topeka Rates 45 Cents-Other
Cities 80 and 35.
VOTE WAS ONE SIDED.
Only Two Members VOtedAgainst
Ordinance.
VOTE WAS ONE SIDED
Mr.. Holiday Told Members
They Should Be Proud.

The city council of Topeka last night
bound the citizens of this city to a 80
cent manufacturers rate for natural
gas and a 5 cent rate for domestic
consumption for the next twenty years
to come. Though the franchise was
already granted a full year and a half
ago by passing the ordinance last night
permitting the Consumers Heat, Light
& Power company to utilize the mains
of the Excelsior Coke & Gas company
for the distribution of natural gas, the
city council gave a practical monop-
oily of the natural gas business to the
Consumers Heat, Light & Power
company at the high rate specified.
Councilmen Ryder, Griley, Nipps,
Rice, Swendson, Hughes, Sinner and
Horn voted in favor of the ordinance.
Councilmen Howe and Simms voted
against. Councilman Holiday did not
vote. Councilman Green was absent.
Holiday did not vote because of his
connection as president of the Excel
sior Coke & Gas company and because
of the presence of a state statute
which makes it unlawful for a coun-
Gilman, interested in a contract or
franchise, to vote upon the same.
To the general surprise of those who
| had come to witness a probable fight
/ there was not the slightest objection
! filed to the passage of the ordinance.
/ COuncilmen Sinner. Nipps and SWend-
4 son who had been counted on to GER
! tain degree to offer some obstruction
/ to the passage of the ordinance tamely
submitted and the matter was sent
through in a very few minutes. The
majority of the councilmen had been
visited since Saturday and Councilman
4 Holiday had succeeded in convincing
/ them that to vote in favor of the or
dinance would be a step towards the
best interests of the city. Former City
Attorney Spencer dug up a statute and
/ persuaded the councilmen that it was
entirely within the power of the city
| to secure a change in the rates at its
will
This was what stuck to the council
men and which primarily made them
/ give over the fight The fact that Coun-
/ Gilman Holiday had guaranteed to put
/ up a $1,000 forfeit that natural gas
/ would be in the mains by January /,
| next, and that free connections and
| meters would be furnished were also
! two powerful levers which worked to
/ the welfare of the Consumers Heat,
| Light and Power company.
The whole matter was cut and dried
| in advance Monday morning. Pressure
/ was brought to bear on the Kansas
Natural Gas company to withdraw its
/ application for a franchise to keep 1t
from embarrassing the passage OF Ine
/ ordinance. With this Withdrawn there
/ was not any other franchise of any
1 worth pending before the council; moth
/ ing which had any considerable back
! ing behind it to insure that the parties
/ were capable Of carrying out the terms
/ of their franchise. With this out OF
! the way the council was given to be-
/ lieVe that the only franchise of worth
was the Continental franchise already
/ granted.
A Monopoly of High Rates.
The councilmen will have the salts
! faction of knowing that they have
made it possible to establish monopoly
| of the natural gas business in the city
on the basis of the most liberal fran
chise to the company extant in the state
! The Continental Oil and Gas franchise
| is a model of what a franchise should
be for the possession of corporate
! body The whole franchise is COuched
in the most general terms, there is
| scarcely a specific statement in the
whole body of the franchise and If It
ever comes to a question of a law suit
| in which the terms of the franchise are
! involved the city will be badly handi-
/ capped upon that phase of the situation
A more pertinent statement could
/ scarcely have been made than that of
I former City Attorney Spencer when he
said of the franchise, That's good
franchise. A good franchise for the
/ company owning it. Mr. Spencer
made the statement while appearing
before the streets and walks commit
fee of the city council last Friday
night and when he was appearing in
behalf of the natural gas people.
The city does not secure free light
ing and heating for its city buildings
under the franchise, but the surround
ing cities of Lawrence, Kansas City,
Kan. and Kansas City, No, do
| Topeka does not secure per cent
Der annum tax upon the gross receipts
! of the natural gas company. Lawrence.
Kansas City. Kan, and Kansas City,
No. do, however
Topeka's franchise is general the
franchises of Lawrence, Kansas CITY
| Kan. and Kansas City, No, are
Topeka's franchise states a 80 cent
manufa curing rate, the rates at Law
renee. Kansas City. Kan, and Kansas
/ City No. are either 3 cents, 10 cents
or special rates dependent upon the
amount consumed
Topeka's domestic rate is IS cents;
Lawrence, Kansas City, kas., and
Kansas City, Mo-. have rates, respec-
lively. of 35 cents, 35 cents, and 80
/ cents.
Councilman Holiday arose after the
ordinance had passed, and said:
Gentlemen, you have done thing
tonight of which you should be proud;
4 something which you will always re-
member in future years and congratu-
! late yourselves that you had the wis
dom to act I will promise you that
the rates here will be as low as kan
/ sas City or any other town.
Topeka is to be the favored child
of the Kansas Natural Gas company.
Factories will TEEN over here in these
railroad yards, and we will grow
stand here tonight as a councilman
of the Second ward. as a citizen, not as
president of the Excelsior Coke and
Gas company. I have never owned
one dollars worth of stock in the Eix-
! ceIsior Coke and Gas company; I
| have never owned one dollars worth
of stock in the Consumers Heat, Light
and Power company; have never
owned one dollars worth Of stock in