South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1916-01-27
HERE is TO MAYOR KELLER IN HIS
FIGHT on THE GAS "OCTOPUS.

More strength to Mayor Keller his fight for less
expensive South Bend. The reduction in cleo
ricity rates seem to have made the mayor raven
Gus in this campaign for cheaper light all-around
but remember the case is not "a new one. The petit
with the Public Service commission to settle the
local gas question filed about the time as
that for adjustment of the electricity case The
mayor apparently. has upon the principle of one
case at time being enough the administration
TO handle.
The gas situation here is even more aggravating
than the electricity We have been getting
very cheapest quality of the cheapest kind
Of service when il comes settling the bills,
and this rates seldom equaled in magnitude any
where in the country. The Philadelphia gentlemen
have literally cutting South Bend that they might
indulge bets Of 100000 $4,000 OF golf
We cannot afford longer put up money for such
Injuries And after the case hope 10 the
street railway octopus put through similar course
of sprouts. which end proceedings ought to be M
stituted without delay have them past the
hminares when its time comes.
OF course. as in the case of the Indiana Michigan
Electric Co. Northern Indiana Electric Co.
has the city licked TO a FRAGILE that is hear it's
representative tell it, Maybe they rather
anticipate that by this time they have least
eve open the fact that the public service commission
is asleep. South Bend should have at so cents
the very most. Ninety cents is the highest price
paid anywhere else in the state We pay $11O. We
have been robbed long enough at this high rate The
city pleaded for the reductions provided in
the gas franchise but has received the Mephisto-
phelean laugh evidencing apparent determination
TO keep up the robbery TO the very minute-now
hope. not far of
A roar OF protest from the political and financial
interests league with the gas industry be
pected The Will be of playing politics
but the people dumb. II charge of
municipal affairs play politics. and they all
To do it-with Mayor Keller eNcepton.-the people
are perfectly willing that such politics should be
played in "a while in their favor we'll al
wars against them. The public utilities have had
soiitios played in their South quite long
enough We feel like encoura gins Mayor Keller in
this matter than for any other reason, be-
cause his course is SO eNcepuonal-so void of
formity 20 the established order. When manor
public ofciagets out Of the beaten path; the good
old way" Of doing things. he needs support. and be-
sides. Mayor Keller is only doing what he elected
10 do With kis whole public utility propaganda
Regulation OF public utilities conformity with
public justice is something that Mayor Keller
elected elected for anything. There was
ten words this subject every about the sup
preston of law enforcement. citizens
party platform. Mayor Keller dwelt upon it even
more extensively In his campaign utterances The
utility and vice united against in that
campaign Their interests then seemed mutual. bat
since interesting they try
make each other the goat" IL has been the prize
lrrowI element that they were being perse-
cuted the exclusion OF the utilities and now the
utilities insisting that the is Ueing
overlooked and thar they being unduy pursued.
Politics strange bed-felloWs' they agree
the division Of the bed.
looks TO us very much though Mayor Keller
reasonably neutraL-perhaps. like col. Roose
sslt in his attitude toward Pres't Wilson aud Former