Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-04-01
REASONS FOR THE GAS PLANT
DELAY. ...-.

REASONS FOR THE GAS PLANT
DELAY.
In a political circular issued Satur-
day an attempt was made to deceive
the voters and taxpayers relative TO
the delay in acting on the Lair fran
chise, which Is now pending before
the city commission, by making a
brazen inference that the rates quot.
ed for the use of gas are those now
appearing in the franchise which rs
before the city commission, when In
fact they are the rates given by Mr..
Lair in the franchise asked for in
July, 1912. the conditions OF winch
franchise, besides the rates is entirely
different than the n now pending
before the commission, mt 'which is
the main reason why the commission
has failed to approve the present fran
chise. Quoting from the circular as
to rates, "On July 18th, 1912. he
n4ahr) submitted a proposed gas fran
chise to the city commission, this gas
franchise carried the very low rates
Of $l.05. Sl.lO and $l.15 per thousand
cubic feet Of gas These rates vary.
ing according to the amount consum-
ed per month. The Northwestern Dis
! tillation e Power company met these
rates and gave by far more liberal
concessions to the city In other mat.
ters than the Lair franchise, among
them being 2 per cent to be-paid the
city on the total amount OF gas con-
sumed within the city of Bismarck.
The present franchise asked for by
, Mr.. Lair carries the following rates
to consumers: $40 per one thous-
and cubic feet, and w~heretIthe con.
sumption Of gas by the city amount
to ten million cubic feet the1price to
customers shall be $l.65 per- thousand
cubic feet, and where the total con.
sumption reaches twenty million GU
bic feet the rate shall be SLIGO per
thousand. and where the consumption
reaches thirty million the rate shall
be $1.50 per thousand cubic feet. Thus
it will be seen that the lowest rate
in the present franchise under the
most stringent conditions will be $1.oO
per thousand cubic feet. In connec-
ton with the matter of~the rate alone
the city commission is certainly justi-
fed in weighing the matter carefully
when you consider the wide difference
in rates as proposed by Mr.. Lair In
July, 1912, and in January, 1913.
In Mr.. Lahr's July franchise there
was no provision asking for a mini
mum rate, but in the present one he
asks a minimum rate Of $500 per
month from each consumer, whether
any gas is used during the month or
not. Mr.. Lair in the present fran.
chise asks that he be permitted to de-
lay the commencement of construc.
ton of the plant until April lst, 1914.
Fhe commission can see no good rea-
son why the construction of the plant
should not commence within a reason
able time after the granting Of the
franchise. ~.
These, together with other condi-
tons of the, franhise now before the
commission, certainly justify them in
going slow beore binding the city to
a 30-year contract. .t
In September, 1912, the commission
passed an ordinance granting the
Northwestern Distillation & Power
company a gas franchise, the condl-
tons were favorable to the city, the
rates we're, as low or lower than the
franchise introduced by Mr.. Lair IN
July, but the company refused to &C
cept same for the reason that chapter
II of the laws of North Dakota for
1911 provides that the rates and
charges fixed in said franchise may be
altered by the municipality every five
years upon giving notice, and after a
reasonable opportunity to be heard.
1t was no fault OF the city copmis-
sion hat this franchise was not ac'
cepted.
The ideas of the promulgators Of the
political circulator appear to be that
IA franchise should be granted to sup
ply the city and its inhabitants with
gas, no matter what kind Of a robbery
is committed with regard to the rates
charged, but the city commission
thinks otherwise and we believe after
this explanation Of the situation that
the citizens will approve Of the &C
ton of the city commission in its de-
lay with reference to this particular
franchise. ~