The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-12-10
COMPL Amt AGAINST
GAS DEPOSIT RULE
BEFORE COMMISSION
City Attorney Bond Files In
strument With Public
Service Board.
II CITIZENS SIGN
RELIEF MEASURE
Comrany's Action Describec
AS Unjust, Discrimina-
ting and Unreasonable

Asserting that the action OF the
Richmond Light, Heat and Power com
pany in inforcing a rule requiring non
property holding patrons TO file d
guaranty or make a cash deposit be
fore securing natural gas service, was
unjust, unreasonable. oppressive and
unjustly discriminatory" twelve Citi-
Gems of Richmond. representing the
city, sled a complaint with the pub
lie service commission of Indiana to-
day
The complaint was drawn up and
filed by City Attorney William \.
Bond The commission IS petitionC d
to prohibit the Light, Heat and Power
company from "exacttng, demanding
or requiring any deposit of money, or
any other thing of value, or any Sc
curity OF any kind whatsoever from
i any bona fide inhabitant OF
Richmond except that said
respondent may be allowed to demand
and receive reasonable and proper
deposit of money, or other security,
| for furnishing such gas to transient
| persons sOjOurning temporarily within
i said city of Richmond, or such other
| persons who are not bona fide inhab-
itants of said city,
| = Signers of Petition.
| I The citizens making this petition on
! behalf of the city are Charles Harris.
Harvey A Geager. Philip NJ. Murray
| Frank Meyer. Gustave F. Pfafflin. vii
| liam H Hoeffcr, Gilvie l.. COddington,
! James w. Runnels, Clayton W. Claw
| son, Frank Scott Webb, Fred Hatfield
and Charles B. Beck.
! 1t is described in the complaint that
! these citizens have for some time re-
sided in Richmond, but are not prop.
! erty owners; that they had used arti
! fetal gas, formerly supplied by the
company, for many months, and in
some cases many years, and were
/ not required to make deposit or file
a guaranty for the same: that they
are now asked to make deposit or
file guarantees for natural gas sery
ice, although they have always paid
! their bills for artificial gas promptly;
! that they have good credit in the city
and have hitherto always paid all bills
and accounts contracted by them, ard
are now able to pay for all necessi
ties furnished them and their fam
lilies.
No City Approval.
1t is pointed out in the complaint
that the rules under which the com
pany is now demanding deposits OF
guarantees were never approved b!
the board of public works. as provided
| in the franchise, and that recently the
city council passed an ordinance max
ing it unlawful for gas companies tC
demand such securities from any class
of citizens
-F ,I,,I, 1r.
That it is humiliating and degrading
to these petitioners to be required tC
furnish surety or guaranty for the pay
ment of their gas bills. as provided II
said purported rules and regulations
and the construction and interpreta
tion thereof as given by the respond
ent, and that it is a hardship upor
said petitioners, and oppressive, un
reasonable and unjustly discrimina
tory against these petitioners and al
persons situated like them, to reQuir;
deposit of at least $500 for service
of gas to them"
Company to Fight.
The Light, Heat and Power company
will energetically oppose the action o
the city in attempting to set aside il,
deposit rule, and will in its answer Il
the complaint charge that the city a.
torney himself drafted the rule which
is now being objected to and tina
when the local company took over tht
franchise granted the Allegheny Gas
company it believed such rule was sat
isfactory to the city and had been ap
proved by the board OF public works
1t will further charge that the com
pany has a right to protect itself from
any possibility of being defrauded anc
will q ha fs- ON
forcing is discriminatory.
What action the commission viii
take on the complaint cannot be fore
told. but in the past it has given it
approval to regulations of public ser
! vice corporations which require depos
) its or guarantees for service.