The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-02-21
E. M. Campfield Company Is
Not Out of the Race For
Water Franchise, Local
Agent Declares Today.
AWAITS ACTION ON
UTILITIES MEASURE
Ayers Price of Gas Is Exorbi-
tant-and New Company
May Bid on Gas Fran
chise.

The f. NJ. Campfield company is not
out of the race for the water works
franchise and will submit a bid on the
next date they are advertised, accord
ing TO E. NJ. Campfield who is the local
agent of the company.
Mr.. Campfield said that there was no
use 20 bid until the state Legislature
had settled the question as to whether
a public utilities commission were to
be appointed. He said that if he had
placed a bid at the lime the r. G. c.
w. put in it's last bio that he would
have merely exposed his hand" and
that when bids were asked again the
present company would know his
plans and his proposed rates. He said
that there is no doubt but that the
city will call for bids again.
Clause Objectionable.
"The reason we did not submit q bid
when they were advertised for was
because learned from H. U. Johnson,
representing the city, that the :ran-
chise would not be given out until af-
ter the legislature had adjourned or
lie utilities bill,'' he said. Another OBJ
jectionable feature was the five-year
assignment clause. While l do not be,
lieve the city officials would assign
the franchise, when a company is
backing any one the reading of a
clause like that one does not sound ia
vorable. 1 had bid ready to submit
to the board of works which was low
er than the one received by the board
from the Richmond City Water Works
company.
II believe the board will re-advertise
for bids when let them know that
intend to bid against the present COM
pany. My bid will be lower than the
one which was recently submitted.
Corporations Want Law.
''In regard to the public utilities bill.
it will be just what the large corpora
tions want, and they will benefit by
lit rather than the people for whom it
was instituted. The bill allows the
company to make eight per cent profit
and the Richmond City Water Works
has never made more than that. Now
every time the price of coal goes up
the company can invite the commits
sion to step in and investigate their
books and will show them that they
cannot make eight per cent ard the
commission will permit them to raise
the price of water. 1t practically gives
the corporations perpetual fran
chise and is just what they want
The price of water is not high in
Richmond and the quality of the wa
ter is excellent. 1t is wrong concep-
ton The people have when they be-
lieve cur water is higher than in other
cities.
Just as soon as the water franchise
is given out a gas franchise will prob
ably be advertised The price of gas in
Richmond is exhorbitant. l intend to
submit bid for that franchise and if
don't get the franchise the company
which under bids me will have to
make a much lower bid than the one
the company has which now holds the
franchise. My bid for the gas fran
chise will give gas at twenty per cent
less per thousand feet than the the
people are paying now.
IF l get the franchise I intend to
put in all new mains. The Light. Heat
and Power company is using ali the
old natural gas mains which have been
used for years and are worn out. When
eevr there is a cold spell they have
to build fires and thaw out the ground
to get at their leaky pipes. The pipes
were made of steel and should have
been made of cast iron. The sulphur
in natural gas has eaten into the pipes
The laying of the new pipes would not
necessitate tearing up the streets as
the pipes can be placed in the alleys