The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-14
But It Is Known That Natural
Gas Company "FeIt Out"
Board of Works on Fran
chise Proposition.
FAILED TO RECEIVE
ANY ENCOURAGEMENT 7
But There Is a Possibility That
The Matter Will Be Revived
When New Board Comes
Into Office.

It is generally regarded that the
action of the Light, Heat & Power
company, in it's reduction of rates-a
benefit to a small class, but of no real
advantage to the average consumer
is an effort to ward off blow that
the corporation expects from the Rich
mond Natural Gas company.
Although the latter company enters
a denial. 1t is a current report that it
intends to enter the artificial gas field,
and in the near future, providing the
incoming board of works and council
are kinder to the company than the
present board OF works proved to be.
The entrance into the artificial gas
field by the Natural Gas company
would, it is generally admitted. be a
blow to the Light, Heat & Power COM
pany, almost rs effectual as the one
delivered by the city when it refused
to sell the Municipal Light Plant to
it's competitor
What tho Purpose Is.
II a well founded report can be be-
lieved it Is the purpose of the Natural
Gas company-providing, as remarked
before, the municipal powers-that-be
are kind-to use it's supply of natural
gas as fuel in the manufacture of the
artificial product. 1t is estimated that
by such method the company's fuel
bills would be S100 per month less
than those of the Light, Heat & Power
company. which has to use coal.
For this reason it is contended, the
Natural Gas company could offer a
rate even less than the new Light.
Heat & Power company rate. which
goes in effect the first of next year.
6roached Proposition.
1t is known that this year. and not
SO very long ago. the Natural Gas
company felt out" the board of works
in regard to obtaining a franchise for
the manufacture of artificial gas, but,
it Is understood. the board did not
show great cordiality to the PROPOSE
tion, so. for the time being. it was
dropped by the company. However. it
would occasion no surprise if. when
the new city administration goes into
power, the proposition would be re-
vived by the Natural Gas company.
The principal reason advanced for
the Natural Gas company's reported
intention of stepping into the artificial
gas field is the fact that it's natural
gas supply has been decreasing so
steadily that it fears an absolute ex-
haustion within short time. This
winter. especially during the recent
cold snap, the supply was extremely
low and there were many complaints
made by the consumers.
Denial by Hibberd.
The reported action of the Rich.
mond Natural Gas company was de-
MED in emphatic terms by Elgar Hib-
berd. president of the company, when
interviewed this morning in regard to
the matter. Mr.. Hibberd stated that
there was absolutely no truth in the
report. He declared that he had not
even heard the rumor and that if it
was the intention of the company to
manufacture artificial gas he was in
blissful ignorance of the fact. He
stated that as president of the com
pany he would certainly know better
than any one else what the proposed
plans Of the company were.
When told that it was understood
that the intended reduction in rates
Of the Richmond Light, Heat & Power
company, the first Of the year. was
partially responsible to the alleged
proposed change of the Richmond Nat.
ural Gas company, Mr.. Hibberd laugh
ed and stated that the opposition of
fered in that particular was OF NO
consequence.
Denies Any Benefit.
He asserted that many small con.
sumorA who burned artificial gas oi