The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-07-19
ASK CITIZENS TO
ATTEND A HEARING
ON GAS PROPOSAL
Public Meeting to Be Held
Monday Morning BY the
Board of Works.
DISTRIBUTING SYSTEM
Is Plan of Allegheny-May
Make Arrangements With
The l.. III. &. P.

The board OF public works and the
city council have reached the point
in the negotiations for natural gas.
where a contract will be made with
the Allegheny Gas company. IL there
are no valid objections offered at the
public hearing next Monday morning
at 9 o'clock,
The city attorney and the members
of the public service corporation COM
mittee of the Commercial club carried
on the negotiations for natural gas
and have agreed on a contract which
will give the city natural gas at 40
cents. 35 cents and 30 cents. accord
ing TO the amount used.
At the beginning of the negotiations
the Light. Heat and Power company
offered strenuous objections to allow
ing a competing company to come into
the field. but the representatives of
the company claim now. that they viii
probably not make a fight against the
granting of the franchise to the other
company.
Negotiations On.
II is known that negotiations have
been going on for sometime between
the representatives of the two gas
companies but no official statement
has been issued by either party ex-
cept that they had been unable to
arrive at an agreement.
IL the city grants the franchise to
the Allegheny company there is still
possibility that the franchise will
be turned over to the Light. Heat
and Power company or some other
company. as the primary business OF
the Allegheny company is not the
retailing of gas. In case this is done.
the representatives of the Allegheny
company claim that they will make a
contract with the distributing company
which will protect the city on the
matter of service. The city attorney
believes that the contract as drawn
will protect the city, and that in case
any trouble does arise, the public SER
vice commission OF the state has full
, authority to compel proper treatment
from any public service corporation.
Wanted Stronger Contract.
The city attorney and the CONNER
cial club committee used every en-
deavor to secure a contract that would
protect the city in all points without
submitting IL to the commission. but IL
resulted in a fat refusal on the part
of the Allegheny company to place the
power in the hands of the city. The
company claims that all power is vest
ed in the public service commission,
which also has the instruments To de-
eide questions on a scientific and fair
basis.
City attorney William A. Bond
drafted a model gas franchise which
in the main was accepted by the
company. but they refused to accept
some of the points the attorney and
the committee insisted should be in
cluded in the contract.
After the negotiation had reached
the point where the company refused
to come to Richmond with natural gas,
the committee and the city attorney
agreed that il would be better for the
city to accept the contract as drawn
and leave some of the power in the
hands of the commission than to make
er gas. The board of public works
and the city council took the
same view of it and on July the con-
\ tract was ordered advertised accord
/ ing to law.
Requires IS Days Notice.
The law requires that Is days no
tice must be given before the fran
hearing be set Is days from the date
of publication. The date set for pub
! lie hearing is next Monday at 800
o'clock at the city building. At this
/ hearing the law permits any taxpayer
TO attend and present objections to
any or all sections OF the franchise
and that the city must consider the
/ objections.
After the hearing. II there are no
valid objections, the city council will
pass a resolution authorizing the
granting of the franchise, then the
whole matter will be presented TO
the public service commission for
ratification.
Plan 10 Use Alleys.
/ The present plan OF the Allegheny
company is to construct distributing
system in Richmond. using the alleys
wherever possible. The company has
agreed 20 buy the mains of the Light,
I Heat and Power company IL they can
( be bought at the right price. but so
far the local company has refused to
| put a fair price on the distributing
system. according TO the other COM
pany's claims. However, il In be-
Iieved by some that before the con-
struction work is started the two
companies viii come to some agree
ment. II they cannot agree IL viii
mean that there will be two gas COM
uanies and that there will be some