The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-10-19
6olfn T. Beasley of Terre
Haute, Counsel for the
Corporation, Calls on City
gAttorney and Mayor.
ZIMMERMAN STANDS
FOR LOWER RATES
!Beasley lntimates that This
Is Acceptable to Company
present Franchise Ex-
pires in 1915.


tby Mayor Zimmerman. He says that he
can secure lower rates for consumers
in this city and that he is going to do
it.
The Light. Heat and Power company
Us ready and willing to confer with the
city ofIicials in regard to the matter
of readjusting gas rates. John T. Beas-
ley. member Of the firm of Lamb and
Beasley. of Terre Haute, which has
charge OF the legal business OF the cor
poration which controls the Light.
Heat and Power company. was in the
city last evening and conferred with
Mayor Zimmerman and A. NJ. Gardner.
city attorney. Mr.. Beasley said that his
company was willing to discuss the
matter at any time the city saw fit.
Mr.. Beasley discussed the question
OF a new franchise as the company's
present franchise expires April 20.
1915. The mayor informed him that
there was but one method by which
the company could secure a new fran
chise and that was by the reduction in
gas rates. Mr.. Beasley talked favora-
bly, and said that. although he did not
have the authority to state what the
reduction would be, he believed the
company would be willing to make
concessions to the city.
Expects Lower Rate.
Mavor Zino roorno n uodo tho p,ot+or
public at the meeting of the board
OF public works today.
t "Ive always fought the gas com.
pGny for lower rates and have talked
with itsa onicials apparently with no
result but now firmly believe that the
consumers Of gas in Richmond will
have lower rates." the mayor averred.
II can't say just what the reduction
viii be, but know it will be better
rate than the present one"
Attorney Gardner informed Mr..
Beasley that the city was ready last
year to take the matter up with the
company but the company was not will
ling to do So Mr.. Gardner says that
from Beasley's statement he gathers
that there will be no trouble in secur-
ing a reduction.
City officials will discuss the matter
some time in the immediate future and
arrangements will be made for meet
ing with the oficials Of the company
when the readjustment of rates may
be discussed.
1t ID the general opinion that tha
present gas rates are exhorbitant, and
the city officials believe now that they
have q "club' which they can hold
over the company. To operate here it
must have franchise and the time is
drawing near when the present fran
chise expires.
Rate SCARED 50 per cent.
The rate asked by the old gas com.
pany was fifty cents per one thou.
sand cubic feet with ten per cent dis
count for payment before the tenth Of
the month. The price maintained by
the Light, Heat and Power company
In an effort to enjoin 1t from using
the pipes Of the defunct Richmond
Natural Gas company Is still pending
In the Wayne circuit court. The I'll.
company claimed that the city was
Obliged to file a 100000 bond to re-
pay the company in case the verdict
was given to the company. An agree
ment was reached that the company
could use the pipes until the suit was
heard.
Prior to the filing Of the suit con-
siderable trouble was encountered by
the city officials with the company.
The company employed q gang Of
workmen to connect the two pipe
lines at Second and Main street. A
squad Of patrolmen headed by Mayor
Zimmerman. arrested the workmen
and placed them in the city Jail. Then
sfolioWed "sQuabble" between the
mayor and Attorney John Robbins.
representing the Light. Heat and Pow.
or company. which took place in the
private office Of Police Chief. Cor.
mon. pet" names were exchanged
between the two. it is said. and finally
the legal department of the city and
Attorney Robbins agreed that the
company should connect its pipes with
those of the old company until the
court had given q decision on the in
y junction suit.
The Richmond Natural Gas com.
many, when asking for q new fran.
chise, offered to sell gas at ninety
cents Der thousand cubic feet with a
discount Of ten per cent in case con-
sumers paid their bills before the
tenth Of each month. This would be
equivalent to eighty-one-cent gas.
However, council refused to confirm
the proposal. ~ 1t desired to bind the
company to IN agreement not to sell
70 competing company. In the mean.
time. the Richmond Natural Gas com
4 Sany sold 70 the Z. II. q p. Co,