The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-04-08
Kansas Natural Gas Company
Makes Poor Showing in
Annual Statement.
DECLARES THE RATE TOO LOW
Report to Secretary of State Places
Resources at $16,53o, 6o7.75-
Capital Stock Reduced.

Officers OF the company contend the
deficit was caused by an enforced
rate which prohibited the earning Of a
profit on the property
In December, 1915, the Kansas pub
lie utilities commission granted the
company rate of % cents per thou
sand feet The Kansas NaturaPs case
for higher rate is now pending in
the United States district court.
In the report the gas company as
serts it has resources amounting to
sic, ,6O775 of which $5,537, 907.66 is
property used in Kansas.
Capital stock Of the Kansas Natural
has been reduced $6,O0O,000 in the last
year, the report shows. The encum-
brance on the company's real estate
and plant is given at $3.63O,65O.
Real estate owned by the company
is listed at s23,536.25, with leases
valued at $1,O92, 1858.
Personal property owned by the
company is valued at $4,421 ,599.73 with
total assets of $16,536, 6O7.75, accord
ing to the report.
A draft for $4,000, the company's
annual fee under the corporation tax
Prepare for Music FestivaI.-Prepa-
rations are being made for the enter
tainment of large crowds at the spring
music festival at the State Manual
Training Normal The festival begins
April % and ends May 3. The fea-
ture of the week will be the two rem
ditions of 1.-The Messiah" with a staff
of soloists, an orchestra or thirty-five
pieces and a chorus of three hundred
and sixty voices. Walter McCray will
be the conductor.
x
Snow Stops Motor Day.-Owing to a
heavy snowstorm, Motor Car Day in
Larned was postponed till Saturday,
April 1. The snow will be of great
benefit to the wheat, the prospect for
which is as good as ever has been
known in this county.
x x
High School for Marquette.-After
q quiet contest, Marquette recently
voted $35, 900 in bonds for a high
school building. Work on it will be
pushed with a view to using the new
building this fall.
X X
Funeral of r. S. LitchfieId.-The
funeral of R. S. Litchf1eld, late presi-
dent of the First National Bank, Kan
sas Natural Gas Company receiver
and widely known fnancier and oil
man, was held at independence re-
Gently. All business houses were
closed from to 4 o'clock. Members
Of
hundred automobiles were in the fun
eral cortege, and bankers and oil men
were there from Kansas City, Wichita,
Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Chanute, Cot
feyville and other points. A special
train brought many from Oklahoma
City.
Prairie Fire Burned Woman.-Mrs
Bert Babb, wife of a rancher near
Sharon Springs, was burned severely
in a prairie fire recently. Babb went
to the assistance of his wife in a mo-
tor car, and while extinguishing the
flames enveloping her. the machine
was burned.
X X
Bourbon to Rock Highway.-Bour-
bon county good roads boosters have
completed the work of securing valid
petitions for a rock road entirely
across the county along the route Of
the proposed Jefferson Highway. This
is the first county so far in any state
including Kansas to make the final
arrangements for a rock road for the
highway.
y x x
Bows 70 Mandamus-When o. H.
Bentley, mayor of Wichita, learned
a mandamus action against him was
being brought in the state supreme
court by the Wichita board of educa-
ton to force him to call bond cleo
ton, the mayor called the election. He
had announced that he would not call
it ,as there was not enough money in
the treasury to pay for it.
x X x
Community Tree Piantina.-Mineral
had community tree planting day re-
Gently. Residents of the town, old and
young, gathered at the town park in
the afternoon and planted trees. Prof.
D. NJ. Bowen of the state manual train
ing normal at Pittsburg, delivered the
principal address.
4 X
School Fair in Snovs.-More than
one thousand citizens OF Barton coun-
ty, school patrons and their children.
braved snowstorm to be at Great
Bend for the first annual county school
fair. Local trains were filled with
visitors from nearby towns.
X X x
Another K. u. Professor Gone
Prof. W. H. Twenhofel, state geologist
and professor Of geology at the Uni
versity of Kansa5 has resigned to &C.
cept position at the University of
Wisconsin. He has been at K. U. since
1910.
X x X
Have Community Garden.-A com.
munity garden is to be planted by boys
in Wichita. A committee of the men
of the Oak street Presbyterian church
procured an acre of good garden
ground and win back the boys in the
enterprise.
x 4 X
Shotfirer in BioWup.-A mine expio
eiOn is heliaVed 70 have killed Arnh3e