The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-20
Ascertain True Condition to
New Pumping Station.
WILLREPORTTONIGHT
City Council Delivers an Ulti-
matum to Gas Company.
G. X. Holiday Defends Company
Before City Council.

is located and discover whether To-
peka is to have a better supply of nat
| ural gas soon was the intent of COM
mittee, representing the city council
which left this morning. The COM
mittee consisted of Councilman c. w
Horn, John Rogers, city engineer and
Charles Moeser, waterworks commits
sioner, who is an authority on en-
gines. A representative of the State
Journal accompanied the party and
acting on it's own initiative the Con-
, sumer's Gas company sent repre-
sentative.
The committee was appointed by
Mayor VIM. Green at special meet
ing of the council held last evening
which instructed the mayor to make
| the selection of the committee under
| resolution which read as follows:
Resolved by the mayor and coun-
| Gil OF the city of Topeka that the may
or is hereby authorized and directed
to appoint a committee to visit the
! town or station of Scipio to investi-
gate the question of the date when the
pumping plant will be completed and
| In operation affording the relief need
ed from a lack of sufficient pressure
the Consumers, Light, Heat and Pow
er company adequate to light and
heat the homes and business houses
| of the city of Topeka"
Santa Fe eighteen miles south of OF
| tawa, Kan, and about 100 miles south
east of Topeka. The committee will
probably return this evening and If
which adjourned until this evening.
If not able to return in time the
council meeting will not be held.
This, however, was not all the ac-
ton A drastic resolution was intro
duced right at the opening of the ses-
sion of the council, first defeated and
then at the last minute reconsidered
and adopted.
This resolution provides for the in
stitution of legal action to revoke the
Excelsior Gas companies franchises if
by January 1, 1908, adequate supply
Of gas is not furnished to the city.
The resolution follows:
BE it resolved by the mayor and
council of the city of Topeka that the
mayor be and he is hereby directed to
notify the Consumers Heat, Light and
Power company and the Excelsior
they furnish sufficient natural gas or
manufacturing or artificial gas to sup
ply the inhabitants of the city of To-
peka with gas for fuel and lighting
legal proceedings will be begun
against them to forfeit their respec-
tive franchises.
The double jointed action of the
council was only taken after war
of words had blown away, and tenn
pers clashed in a way that made
sparks of anger fly fast and furious.
Alterations between aldermen and
citizens alike enlivened the proceed
ings.
The first resolution was presented
by Councilman Blakely, the second by
Hughes. Councilman
Hughes offered his to the council first |
but on a motion to substitute that of
T0Io
by, by a vote of seven to five. The first |
vote stood ayes: Councilmen B1akely, |
Lannan, Stanley. Holiday. Montgom- |
cry, Van Ness and Howard. Noes: |
Councilmen Horne, Tandy, Hughes, |
Jordan and KutZ.
The measure to select a committee
was then accepted unanimously with
out any further fight. Later just be-
fore adjournment Councilman Hughes
succeeded in getting his resolution
again before the council and in the
succeeding vote 1t carried by the fol-
lowing vote: Ayes: Councilmen Ho1-
iday. Lannan, Howard. Blakely and
Noes: Councilmen
Hughes, Horne, Jordan, Kutz, STAN
ley, Tandy and Van Ness.
Attacked Hughes Resolution.
When Councilman Hughes tossed
his resolution over to the city clerk
FOR reading and it's contents had been
presented to the members of the coun-
-. n.
he Second ward, secured recognition
and opened up the evenings war of
words.
He attacked the resolution. "I
hink this act of the committee is to
say the least a little hasty" said he
is Hughes explained that the resolu-
ion embodied the expression of the
yas and electric light committee of
he council. 81 am opposed to that
'esolution In the first place it is a
summary act. Here is a company that
las spent a great many thousand dol
ars in the city of Topeka, that has
pent more for labor than any other.
That has furnished you with free
meters and I might almost say free !
-as 1t is safe to say, to presume that
f ANYTHING could be done to save this !
title furry they would have done il .
With all of this money invested Here
omes a summary action. 1 hate to
ee this council go on record, you are
other cities are in similar situation. |
t does not seem when natural gas {
hould come into Topeka and push its
vav in here without any Inconvenience
O us that when we do suffer a lit
lie Inconvenience that this is the
roper action to take. have tried to
make the gas company the friends of
he city and then when something
oes happen that they haven't any
don't think it's fair. I don't think
IS nice I don't think it's decent"
Holiday Calls Drenning a Liar. 1
Holiday then picked up a State g
ournal and read off an interview of {
he citv attorney in which the latter !
famed the present gas franchise to