The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-08-09
Or. CHAMBERS ASKS
FOR new FRANCHISE
He Has Disposed Of His Interests in
the Yakima Improvement
Company.

| in the city Monday and on Monday
evening appeared before the city
council and applied for a franchise
to install gas plant, manu-
facture and distribute gas for
cooking, heating and illuminat-
| ing purposes. The franchise
was presented and read and re-
ferred to the city attorney for ex-
animation. 1t is expected that re-
port will be made at the next regular
meeting Of the council and that all
seven members Of that body will be
present; in this event decisive action
will probably be taken at the next
meeting.
1T may seem a little surprising"
the doctor said to The Herald, Mon
day, that l am before the council
with a second request for fran
chise to furnish the city with gas,
but the circumstances warrant the
action. | have sold my interest in
the Yakima improvement company,
for whom l secured the former fran
chise. do not care to discuss the
events that led up to the sale, but
am free to say that my former asso-
ciates and myself did not agree upon
certain important details of the in
stallation of the plant and I consid-
cred the best thing could do was to
withdraw. You understand, there is
no disposition or desire on my part
to fight the Yakima Improvement
company. ! am out of it, and pro-
pose to install plant. If granted a
franchise. that will give the city
service more satisfactory and better
adapted to it's present and future
needs than the one the Yakima I'M
prOvement company cOntemplates.
Our greatest contention was over
the kind OF gas to be made. The
others in the company have decided
to haev an acetylene plant, and I
oppose this. AS a large bundle of
letters which | have with me from
the leading acetylene gas plant
manufacturers in the country prove
by their own admissions and state
ments, this gas is not the proper
thing for heating and cooking. 1t is
a good illuminator, but il you install
this system you have only one light
plant against another, and the bene-
fit to the city will not be what 1t
would be If the new plant supplied
fuel for heating and cooking, as well
as gas for lighting. The ordi-
nance granting us the franchise did
not contemplate this kind of gas, and
an injunction might be served at
any stage and not only stop the work
but cause serious losses. The city
gave us a good and favorable ordi-
nance, and 1t is my intention to carry
out my original ideas at all cost, If
a franchise Is granted to me. /
would never consent to acetylene for
other than lighting purposes. 1t
will cost, when used as fuel, nearly
three times as much as coal gas, ac-
cording to the statement of the old
est and largest firm of acetylene
plants in the United States, and is
far less satisfactory for the reason
that the pipes will fill and clog.
IF | am given franchise, j and
the few well-known business men
and financiers who are associated
with me, will put in at the earliest
possible date a plant that will be
capable of supplying much larger
city than North Yakima with first
rate quality of Illuminating and fuel
gas at a reasonable rate. Within
five days after the passage of the
granting ordinance | will deposit
with the citya sum equal to the cost
of publication or ordinances, ETC.,
and the further sum of 500 as a
guarantee of good faith. none of
which will ever be returned to us, or
asked for Ana for every month,
| beginning at once, that We fail to ex-
pend in the city of North Yakima the
sum of 81 900, or fail to deliver sup
plies and equipment to the amount
of 81 600. we will forfeit the sum OF
500. 1t would be but few
months until we would be ready to
| supply the city with the product.
Il am anxious to make this in
vestment here, for look upon North
| Yakima as one of the best towns in
| the Northwest. | lived here for
three years, and was elected one of
the first two councilmen of the town
after Washington became state,
and afterward was elected coroner
of the county. The city will never
get any other than square deal
from any company in which I am con-
cerned, for its representatives have
treated me fairly in all that l have
| asked for"