The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-12-21
co SLOW BUT SURE
Council Refers Gas Question to
City Attorney.
With Authority to Take Legal
Action for More Gas.
CALLS THEM NAMES.
J. w. f. Hughes De-
nOunces Gas Company.
Matter of Leaking Mains to Be
Investigated.


one move to put the officials behind
the bars.
But they did take the conservative
and sane action that has been de-
manded by the people of the city and
the poor man who is the real sufferer
from a lack of gas during cold wealth
er and a happy gamer when the gas
is burning The council has referred
the matter to City Attorney Ralston
and given him instructions to take
whatever legal action is necessary to
compel the gas company to furnish
more gas in extremely cold weather
and to repair and replace leaking and
defective mains.
1t is q well known fact that the
city attorney will embody the conserv-
ative sentiment of the mayor and the
city officials in doing whatever is pos
| sible to get gas. That he will instf-
| tute a suit 10 GUST the company, take
/ over the franchise and appoint re-
ceiver, is unlikely. But he will do all
| city.
The gas meeting last night came up
| to advance notices. The two stars of
| the play were Councilman Hughes and
! Councilman Blakely. Colonel Hughes
condemned the gas company and
called 1t mean names. Mr.. Blakely
sneered at all unnecessary noise con-
nected with the condemnation and
|
the legal action taken.
! ]. w. F. Hughes made the greatest
speech of his life in the council cham
/ Der last night. The general is a gifted
orator when he is touched off on GER
| tain propositions and especially in this
gas problem that he has been fighting
| for years in the city council is he
real spell binder.
For the first time since he has
launched his perpetual war against
/
made the councilmen sit up and take
notice last night. Until this year the
people of the city and the council have
! laughed at the remarks of the Sixth
| ward councilman because they thought
that there would be no gas shortage.
Since the recent prayer for more gas
| his representations have been
/ watched. Councilman Hughes is in
: favor of radical action against the
gas company, however. In the course
of his talk last night he said:
1.-The gas scoundrels pay attention to
| no one-they never have and they never
/ will They don't care about city or
dinances and they never intend to obey
/ them. They look upon the franchise a.
| a joke and care nothing for the sec
| tions therein. They have ignored the
requirements to insert cutoff valves
Let me tell you that the whole bunch
city stand on top of a volcano because
/ of their negligence and lives have been
endangered and some almost taken
! away. Gentlemen. we must put the
! screws to these VillainS-I wish that
that rooster manager was up here to-
night. The gas has been short this
month, but, gentlemen, you will
find out that the bill will be bigger
! the best in the possession of the COM
pany and there Is no fear of their
/ throwing it up. Let me tell you we
must do something and do it now. The
mains are rotten and full of pin holes,
the officials are as bad. Let's take i'm
mediate action
When the colonel had finish his hair
raiser the council chamber gallery
which was filled with citizens burst out
in applause.
4 Blakely's Answer.
Councilman Blakely answered the ar
guments of Mr. Hughes in a sarcastic
manner He made fun of the alleged
power of the "dinky" little city coun-
Gil. In part he said:
Lets not be rash-let's be calm. We
can't get more gas by all of this noise
we are making tonight We want
ample gas and we are willing to do all
in our power to get it, but there is no
sense in this sort of thing. If the peo-
pie of Topeka get only nine months Of
gas they should be glad to get it. 1t is
cheap fuel and the kind for the poor
man. Anyway I am satisfied that we
have enough gas $50 days out of the
year. This hOller1ng and yelling will
get everything but gas
Councilman Miller was of the opinion
that the council had wasted enough gas
to supply the town. He was in favor of
immediate action.
Mayor Green answered the statement
made by Councilman Hughes that the
gas company had failed to install cut
off valves. He said they were doing it
all over town according to the ordi-
nance.
Firemen's Salary Raise Delayed.
After a 15-rainute debate in which
oratorical spurts of 15-minute lengths
were given, he report of the ways and
means committee to the city council
favoring a raise in the salaries of the
firemen was adopted.
Now that the councilmen who have
been fighting for the cause of the fire.
men so long have won this point they
have but one obstacle to overcome be-
fore the decision of the council be-
comes a law. At the next meeting of
the council the ordinance for the sal
airy increase Will be presented and by
a vote of seven in favor of the plan 1t
4 will be passed.
Last night the enemies of the propo-
sition fought fl ON the drop of the hat.
Councilman Hughes gave a rousing
speech against the raise. Councilman
Stanley led the arguments and in
spite of the stories he has been telling
the firemen in which he said that he
was for them. ne fought the matter to
standstill. Alderman Blakely sur
prised the friends of the raise by Join
l ing the racks Of those who did not
want it. Councilman Drew held out
against the f1remen's increase.
! 1t is almost certain that the ordin-
ance will be passed at the next meet
ing of the council unless the enemies
of the proposition devise some new
means of defeating it.. They have
played some mighty strong hands late
ly. At one time they failed to bring
it before the committee. Then they
got out minority report of the COM
mittee over which the battle waged
last night.
Their last action was to send in a
resolution to the council asking that