The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-03
distress for any temporary failure OF

Assurances are made that the main
to the city is ample; that the gas in the
fields is entirely sufficient. but that the
real troubles are due to the fact that
the Kansas Natural Gas company un-
dertook to supply the big city of Kan
sas City, Mo-. with gas before it had
the facilities for getting it there; that
the smaller cities are suffering there
by and that the new pumps at Scipio
are not yet doing the efficient work to
get the gas here.
that less gas was supplied to Topeka
during January of this year compared
| with January of last year. This would
| show that the company has been cut
ting off the consumption rather than
increasing 1t.
While the council should do nothing
| rash, it should certainly take measures
to see that the gas company does the
best it can under the circumstances
| and shall provide against these emer-
| gencies for the future.
| The company's franchise provides
| that in event Of failure to supply nat
| ural gas it shall return to the manu-
| facture of gas and fulfill its obligations
| now existing in that behalf. This seems
| to mean that the company cannot be
| compelled to furnish gas for heat or
manufacturing; hence the risk noted
above. In its contracts for heating
| there is a special stipulation that re-
suits are not guaranteed and that the
| company shall not be liable for dam
age by reason Of the failure of natural
gas.
With all its shortcomings for an
| occasional few days natural gas is
great boon and a great comfort and
economy to Topeka and time and
| patience, however irksome to give now,
will adjust our present troubles.
The city council will take a whack
| at the present maximum rates speci-
| fed in the franchise under which it is
operating-45 cents for illuminating
purposes and 80 cents for manufac-
turing, the highest maximum rates OF
| any franchise issued in either Law
| renee, Ottawa, Leavenworth, Kansas
| City or st. Joseph
A maximum rate of 25 cents per
thousand for illuminating and 10 cents
for heating is what the council de-
sires to see incorporated in new
| franchise
This is the action proposed as the
result of the failure of the gas COM
pany to supply its customers with
sufficient gas during the two cold
snaps which have occurred in Topeka,
once during the middle of December
| and the second time last week.
| In 1903 the city council granted to
| the Continental Oil and Gas company,
| a Topeka promotion scheme, fran
| chise for natural gas with rates that
provided a maximum of As cents for
| llIuInlQallnG
featuring. Later rnis franchise
| was peddled around and purchased
| for $2,500 and disposed of to the Ex-
| oelsior Coke and Gas company, which
incorporated the natural gas end Of
the business into a new company
called the Consumers Gas. Light and
Power company, the UHe that is now
supplying Topeka with natural gas.
The property, pipelines and everything
belonging to the Excelsior company
was leased. to the Consumers COM
pany.
The latter transaction took place
during the spring or 1905.
The natural gas franchises at Law
renee, Leavenworth, Kansas City and
surrounding towns were passed during
1905. two years later than the action
at Topeka. which accounts for the fact
that Topeka had franchise with
maximum rates which were consider
ably higher than towns one-fourth it's
size-
The fact that the gas company has
not seen fit to charge the maximum
rates but instead 25 cents for illumi-
mating and 10 cents for manufacturing
(Which latter was recently cut out)
has not been due to the franchise, but
to the gas company which held itself
in restraint. Any day, however, those
rates may be advanced to the maxi
mum, unless the council secures a new
contract.
Kansas City. Missouri, not only has
a franchise with a lower maximum
rate than Topeka, but 1t receives Q
per cent Of the gross receipts of the
company. The two per cent for the
last six months of 1907 amounted to
$8,576.S8, the receipts for the period
amounting to $42s,S44.19.
L. G. Treleaven, manager of the To-
cal company, stated recently that To
peka was consuming 5000 900 feet Of
gas per day. At the present rate this
means an income of ABOUT $1,000 a
day, for about six months during the
year. The summer months. of course,
do not represent such a high con-
sumption.
1t is very probable that these re-
ceipts net good rate of interest on
the amount of money invested. The
present state laws provide that ten
per cent of the net receipts of the
company shall be paid into the city
treasury, after running expenses and
ten per cent On the investment have
been deducted. This. of course,
means that Topeka will never get any,
thing in the way of tax on these re-
ceipts, not at least until the law is
changed and the percentage is fixed
on the gross receipts.
At the regular session of the coun-
Gil this evening Councilman J. W. F.
Hughes will introduce a resolution
calling for the annullment of the gas
franchise based upon the following
reasons:
F1rst-That the company has violated
that section OF its franchise which pro-
vides that a plat showing the location
of Its mains and pipes shall be filed
with the city clerk every six months
Second-That the company has failed
to furnish it's customers with an ade-
quate supply Of gas
That the company will con-
test the annullment in the
courts of course is very probable even
though it is proposed to grant a fran
| chise under the following conditions
which have been proposed by Council
man Hughes:
First-That the new franchise provide
| a maximum rate of % Cents ,,ar tbo,,-