South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-24
DEAF EARS HEAR
PLEAS To DELAY
/. GAS RATE PROBE
Council is 0bdurate in Response
to Promise of Compromise
Offer in Settlement of Cues
ton and Passes Resolution.

Passage OF the resolutions directing
City Atty. Seebirt 10 file complaints
before the Indiana public service COM
mission. 70 secure a lower rate Of gas
from the Northern Indiana Gas &
Electric Co. and lower rate OF cleo
tricity from the Indiana & Michigan
Electric Co. we're the chief exciting
features OF the council session Mon
day night. 3. s. Walters. general
manager of the gas company. and
John a. Yeagley. its attorney were
present with "A request 20 the council
10 withhold action temporarily as to
that institution. promising a probable
compromise rate in the course OF a
month. but without assurance as to
what the compromise would amount
10. the councilmen declined 20 wait.
General Manager Walters explained
10 the council that he had secured a
promise from leading directors Of his
company TO consider a compromise
rate at their annual meeting in Phil
adelphia next week, which he plans 10
attend lie wants 10 go thither and
plead with the directors for a friend
~ adjustment, and not be hampered
by evidence OF antagonism on the part
OF the city. such as the resolution to
refer TO the UTILITY commission would
seem TO imply. lie stated that he had
placed a proposition before his people.
hut when Councilman Goebel asked
what the proposition was, no positive
answer was forthcoming.
Atty. Yeagley, addressing the coun-
ell, explained that it would cost be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 to make
such an Investigation Of the gas com
pany as the resolution calls for, and
that the city IS taking a chance on
having the rates increased rather than
reduced. or IL reduced at all, proba-
bly, not to any such extent as the
company may be willing TO reduce
them OF its own accord He told OF
how rates had recently been increas-
ed in Toledo by the Ohio utility COM
SIS turning out unfavorable to the city
and gave a number of other instances.
1T is not to escape investigation" he
said, "but TO evade the expense Of the
action. both TO you and TO gas con-
sumers, that we are taking this
course"
Vote Is Unanimous.
Pres Lang and Councilmen Beech
ner. Seifert ard Gcebel spoke in favor
OF passage of the resolution, and the
vote was unanimous. Pres. Lang eX-
planned that the gas company made no
effort 10 no nedEu III the
meeting Tuesday night when asked to
attend Councilman Buechner called
attention TO a gas resolution that was
mp a couple years ago, eliciting some
kind of proposition from the compa-
NY. but the directors in the east fell
down on it. There was no one pres
ent TO oppose the resolution with ref
erence 10 electricity. The Indiana &
Michigan appears to have decided to
meet the question before the commits
sion without further parley. 1t will
cost about the same as the gas case.
Although Clerk Rostiser reported
from the committee in the hole" IA
voritism for the passage Of an ordi-
nance providing for a woman on the
police force, the ordinance itself when
presented was referred back to the
hole" for further consideration. The
ordinance states that the salary of the
pOHcewoman shall be $500 a year. and
the police fund to care for the bal
anCe of 1914.
Want Laboratory Ordinance.
An ordinance vas also received.
passed second reading, and referred
TO the committee. confirming a con-
tract between the board Of he lth and
the South Bend Medical Laboratory.
for the use Of the medical laboratory
in tho work of the department The
contract calls for an expenditure OF
S1,12b a year. This is an arrangement
that Secy. Charles Bosenbury has been
working for since entering office, and
the board is invited TO attend the com
nittee meeting next week for hear
ing.
The only other matter TO come Up
was City Controller Meanings report
AID a petition from John OFT, and
eight others. TO name the alley run
ming east from Carroll 81. TO Vistula
sv.. between Wayne and Division SITS
Wilson court The controllers report
shows $3.50. S69.03 on hand Feb. 1:
collections for Feb. to be S32,s67.45;
disburseme $7S,534.05, and a bal
ance OF cash on hand, $104.7O2.43.
The next council meeting Will be
held in three weeks, instead OF two
and meanwhile there viii be two ses-
sions in the "hola," where the mat
ters referred Monday night viii be
gone over. together with the forestry
ordinance, and a further hearing or