The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-08-30
BOND IN


erty Of the company which 1t Is now
using In serving natural gas"
The company has urged the COM
mission to establish rates with 70
cent minimum. The city attorney
vigorously opposes the incorporation
of the company's artificial gas plant
into the present value of the natural
gas property. which value is the basis
for rate making He contends the
company's legitimate present value
not to be in excess of $350,000. Op-
posing the company's plea for it's ar
tificial plant to be incorporated into
the present value Of its natural gas
plant. Mr.. Bond writes:
"The present users Of natural gas
are entitled to have the same furnish
ed at fair price based upon the value
of the property which now being
USED to serve them, and not based
upon the value of other property which
MAY be used to serve those living in
another generation, and it is reason
able to suppose. in accordance with
evidence. circumstances and condi-
tons Of the past, that natural gas will
be supplied to the city of Richmond
In sufficient quantities for all ordinary
purposes for the next fifteen years. At
the end of that time the population
may be entirely, or at least will be
largely, changed. and yet the petition
er's position is that those who are con-
sumers of natural gas today shall pay
an additional burden for the benefit
only Of this utility in order that it
may keep certain property in state
OF readiness to serve those who may
want artificial gas service at the end
of Is years."
The introduction to the city's ex-
tended brief reads as follows:
This proceeding was commenced by
the petitioner, Richmond Light, Heat
and Power company, public utility,
now engaged in serving natural gas
to the city Of Richmond its inhabi-
tants and those residing in the vicin-
ity thereof. for the purpose of obtain
ing an order Of the commission author
izing an INCREASE in the rates for
such service. Although the petition
asks authority to revise gas rates."
its sole purpose is to materially in
crease the present rates for service
of NATURAL gas. There Is no pre-
tense that any rate shall be named for
service for ARTIFICIAL gas, and not
an iota of evidence was introduced at
the hearing sought to, or in any man
ner does, throw any light upon what
rates would be fair or just for the
service Of artificial gas by the petit
toner. There is no evidence In the
oh ,ho
the unit cost to produce or to dis
tribute artificial gas-all of the evil
dence being addressed solely to the
question Of the cost Of procuring and
serving natural gas. We, therefore,
see no reason why any confusion can
arise In this proceeding as to its sole
and only purpose.
The rates under>which the petitioner
is now serving natural gas are those
named In its franchise, which it re-
ceived by the assignment from the
Allegheny Gas company. This assign
ment was voluntarily received by the
petitioner and its present weep and
wall that 1t was forced to accept the
same. should avail 1t nothing. Neither
the city of Richmond nor its inhabi-
tants were or are in any sense or to
any extent guarantors that no unfavor.
able conditions would or could arise
which might injuriously affect the Pc
titioner and necessitate It's changing
from the service of one commodity to
another in order to meet the reason
able and proper demands which the
ever.changing events Of time are
bringing about.
We are wholly unable to see that
the petitioner is helped or hurt in this
case by the fact that the city of Rich
mond acquired its electrical property
1t was paid the full value thereof as
determined by the commission, and
according to it's star witness, Samuel
S. Wyer, the only real wise man of
the twentieth century, when measur-
ed by his own self-conceit. this pur-
chase price was too large. Record
.. 90 According to his testimony in
the present case, the city was bun
coed" when it purchased the petit
toner's electrical plant, as he says,
this plant was not worth more than
one-third" of the amount paid. And
yet this same man testified under oath
in the purchase case that the electri-
cal property of the petitioner, which
the city acquired, had value Of nearly
100000 above that fixed by the COM