The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-01-03
MAYOR AFTER EN-
Attempts to Get More Gas for
Users in Topeka.
Company Promises to Cut Out
Big Consumers.
STOP CONNECTIONS.
CONNECTIONS.
City May Prohibit Additional
Users at This Time.
A. b. QuintOn Will Sue Com
pany for Cold Damages.

| Through the efforts of Mayor Billiard
and the city commissioners, Manager
| Treleaven of the Consumers Light.
Heat & Power company has promised
| that all of the large gas consumers il
Topeka will be requested to disconnecC
their plants with the natural gas. This
will be done in order that the use of
the gas in this city can be limited to
domestic use only
The mayor has taken UP. also. a
proposition to limit the number of gas
consumers in Topeka. The plan of for
bidding tn connection of any more
houses in the city has been advised and
will be passed upon by the city COM
missioners soon. 1t is thought thai
through the refusal to grant permits
for the laying of connecting pipes, the
gas company can be prevented from
making ii further distribution of the
limited and scarce product.
1t is thought by the city's chief ex-
ecutive and others that the larger con-
sumers in the city will be glad to make
the change and to help out the suffer-
ing in the city caused by the late
shortage and by the shortage that al
ways comes with cold weather when
gas is needed the most.
1t has been discovered by the mayor
that the gas company i'll Topeka IS
connecting houses every day when it is
known at all times that in cold weather
the supply is not sufficient to meet inc
demand. A B. Quinton, local attor-
ney. asked the company last night il
they would connect his house and they
said they would as soon as they could
get at it-that they had large num-
Der of orders ahead. Mr.. Quinton made
the request in order to find out if the
company was supplying orders at the
time of the year when gas could not
be used.
| Mayor Billiard believes that it would
be possible to stop the further connec-
ton of houses or buildings until the
gas company furnishes the city with
more gas. He has taken up the matter
with W. c. Ralston. city attorney, who
will give forth an opinion on the mat
ter tomorrow. At this time Mr.. Ralston
believes that the permits to dig in the
streets can be held up by the city and
through this course the city will DE
able to stop further connection work.
Topeka ought to have double the
| supply that she is having at the pres
ent time" said Mayor Billiard. But L
| don't know what the cit or the local
gas company can do to bring it here.
If we sued them We would have t.
, fight our way through the courts two
or three years before We could get any
| satisfaction. I have requested the
| manager to cut off the larger con-
| sumers and he has promised that he
| will make that request. This is the
| only relief I can think of a this time
Will sue Gas Company.
A. 3. Quinton has struck a popular
| chord in the city. He is going to bring
| suit against the gas company soon, he
says, for damages done to him on ac-
count of the shortage of gas.
Il believe that if the gas falls off and
my water pipes freeze and I have to
hire a plumber and go to big expense
on account OF the shortage, that the
gas company is liable. The gas short
age has cost people in Topeka thou
sands of dollars in this manner and the
gas company should pay. L have hired
my attorney and will make precedent
out of this case. 1t is a case that will
interest every user and almost every
person in the city.
In reference to the fact that the gas
company is connecting up new build
| ings every day. think this is purely a
manner of obtaining money under false
pretenses. They know that they are
not able to furnish the gas and they
| have no right to prepare for it. They
| connected $50 buildings with gas last
winter right in the face of the short
age when people all over the city were
suffering.
Not only this but even when the gas
! is low the meter is buzzing and clicking
away-it means that they are pumping