The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-09-11
WANT FEDERAL SUPERVISION
ceiVers File Amended Petition
in Court at independence.

Attorneys for the receivers of the
Kansas Natural Gas Company have
filed an amended petition in the Mont
gomery county circuit court setting up
claim that the business of their COM
pany is interstate commerce, and,
therefore, is not subject to the con-
troll or regulation of the state board
Of public utilities.
The petition sets forth that So per
cent of the gas used by the company
IS purchased in Oklahoma and 10 per
cent in Kansas. and that the sales
Of the company's product amount to
so per cent in Missouri and 40 per
cent in Kansas. 1t. therefore, is as
serted that the company's business
really is OF an interstate character,
over which the utilities commission
has no control
The purpose Of this move is to put
an e2d to the apparent deadlock that
has arisen between the state court
and the state commission. The for
mer charges that the commission has
ordered an advance in rates on an
impossible condition-the agreement
Of the Missouri commission to a cor
responding advance in that state,
where the rate already is higher than
right across the line.
x x X
Commission Rule Scores-The sue
cess of commission rule has been en-
phasized again in Lawrence by the
fact that the board of commissioners
lowered the 1915 tax levy for city ex-
~
shown by figures in the budget just
made public
Effingham Banker Dies.-Thomas
Bohannon, SO, president of the State
bank of Effingham, died at his home
there recently He had resided in
that vicinity ali his life. having been
born across the river in Missouri He
came to Kansas in 1870.
r X x
PIows at Night.-Persons driving
through Marion county at midnight
recently could see little will O. the
wisps moving through the fields in
dozens of places. Investigation
showed that it was farmers doing
their blowing by night as well as
by day. And another unusual fea-
ture about it is that the work is be-
ing done by the new gasoline engine
tractors. Phil Bruce, ranchman hv-
ing nine miles northwest of Peabody,
says he is running two blowing shifts,
one man operating the tractor in day
light and another at night, because
he is way behind in his blowing. The
wet weather has delayed the blowing
this season and big wheat growers
say they could not have got the usual
amount of blowing done if it had not
been for the new invention
x X
Call United States Inconsistent
Seven hundred delegates to the dis
trict Luther League meeting at Salina
declared it inconsistent for the Unit
ed States to pray for peace and at
the same time export ammunition to
the belligerent nations. The resolu-
ton will be sent to President Wilson.
x x x
Baby Drowned in Jar-The 1-year-
old son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert
Wyatt fell into a jar containing five
inches of water and drowned. Two
hours work with a pulmotor failed
to restore life. The Wyatts live at
Quinter, and were visiting Mrs wy
ats father. W. H Chrisman at Sa
lima.
x x
Their Golden Wedding Day.-Mr
and Mrs. Alfred Ziegler of Strong City
celebrated the fiftieth anniversary OF
their wedding day recently The cou
pie has lived in Kansas thirty years
Stumbled to Her Death.-Mrs. /. D
Wright, about So years old. was rur
down and killed by a Missouri Pa
cific switch train at Pittsburg. Mrs
Wright and a daughter were crossing
the track as a string of cars ap
preached. Apparently she became
confused and stumbled.
K. c. S. Agent Dies.-Francis ii
King, agent Of the Kansas City South
ern railway in Pittsburg for fiftee1
years. died at his home there recent
~. He was stricken with kedne.
trouble.