The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-16
THIRTY-CENT GAS
1t Was Available Last Year. But
Not Now.

Kansas City, Sept. 16.-Rumors
that Governor Capper is now willing
to grant a go cent rate for natural
gas, have cuased much interest among
officials of the Kansas Natural Gas
company now assent Ied for CONFER
ence in this city 1t is Lot that these
officials have any intention of accept
ing such rate even If proposed as
II is now clearly impossible for the
Kansas Natural Gas company TO IN
vest millions 4, + new capital in extern
SionS and Improvements under less
than a So cent rate But the rumors
recall somewhat interesting ana
lamentable incident which prevented
the installation of a so cent rate a
year and a half ago. and which would
have been satisfactory to the gas COM
pany and consumers alike at that
time.
Early in the spring of 1915 Receiv-
ers John NJ Landon and the late r.
: Litchfield of the Kansas Natural
Gas company. with Senator John F.
Overffeld. receiver for the Kansas
City Pipe Line company. under the
sanction of Judge Thomas j. FlanneI-
" of the Montgomery county district
court, called upon Governor Capper
and presented i plan under whcI,
80 cent gas could have been secured
and an adequate supply guaranteed
Mr.. Landon had made tentative ar
engagements whereby he could secure
a large quantity of gas in OklahoInd
from fields located some sixty miles
south Of the southern terminus OF
the Kansas Natural's pipe line
Mr. LandOn lid not have sufflclent
funds to build this sixty miles of pipe
lines which would have cost approx
mateIy 100000. But he and senator
Overfield had made specla5.l tlip ~ ~
Chicago where they had enlisted tne
interest of Mr.. ]. NJ Cudahy MI
Cudahy had some gas wells IN the
new fields and he agreed after con-
siderable persuasion on the part u
kIr. Landon and Senator OvertieId' 20
build the sixty miles of pipe llne re
quired to connect up the new territory
with the Kansas Natural line.
Mr. Cudahy was to receive the very
nominal price of cents a thousand
fae+ for his gas and was to have in
addition 3 cents thousand feet Tor
all gas pumped through the sixty
miles of his pipe lines. This compen-
sation would have paid for the sixty
miles of new pipe line within three
wears. after which it was TO become
the property of the Kansas Natural
Gas company without reservation
Mr.. Landon land this proposition
before Governor Capper in the spring
of 1915 and urged that it be accepted
He pointed out that it was rare OPP
portunity to get cheap gas in album
dance and that if this gas was not inn
mediately secured for domestic con-
sumption it would be grabbed up by
several big smelters that were waiting
to locate in the field Mr.. Landon
also pointed out that with a 30-cent
rate authorized by the Kansas public
utilities commission, all this gas in the
new field could be conserved for the
patrons of the Kansas Natural
For some reason that was never
made clear Governor Capper declined
to give his approval to this plan by
which Kansas would have secured
cheap gas for years to come. 1t was
a providential opportunity that will
never come again SHELTERS and other
large industrial plants have encroach-
ed on the new fields and that is the
reason why the Kansas Natural Gas
company will now have to extend its
costly mains for many miles further
to still newer fields. This will mean
an investment of probably more than
S2.0O0,0O0 to get gas that could have
been had in abundance a year and a
half ago at a cost of about 100000,
had Governor Capper consented then
to rate it is now rumored he ap-
proves. And this is the reason officials
of the Kansas Natural Gas company
and Receiver Landon express such
keen interest in the rumors that come
from TODeka