The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-09-04
ANOTHER GAS Juror.

cover any of the milk.
And such observations seem to be
applicable to the present frenzy in GER
tain quarters hereabouts over the new
schedule of rates that has been put in
force by the receivers for the Kansas
Natural Gas company and its subsid-
larry distributing concern.
Possibly this action of these receiv-
ers is as 'insolent'' as the proposed
rates are held to be Outrageous"
but the important fact yet remains
that this 'insolence' and these tout
RACES probably never would have
teen heard of if the question of rails
irg the natural gas rates, that has been
hanging fire for some three years now,
had been handled in a practical and
pusiness-ike manner by public au-
thority in Kansas. which in this in
stance is the states public utilities
commission, and at the head of which
and whose guiding genius seems to be
Joseph L. Bristow, of Salina, and who
was appointed to this position by Gov
ernor Arthur Capper.
| If memory serves, and during the
earlier stages of this gas rate con-
]
Quently it's receivers would have been
satisfied had the public utilities COM
mission granted it a net ratae of IS
cents per thousand.
The gas company, or its receivers
asked for this rate in order that the
company might be put on a sound
financial basis, on a dividend paying
basis and which would have restored
its credit and permitted it to raise the
money necessary to extend it's mains to
new gas fields and thereby increase
the supply of gas for the winter
months. and when reasonably good
supply of gas is so desirable.
But the public utilities commission
knew better, or possibly it thought it
would be popular political move for
it to take the stand that the gas COM
pany wanted to get-rich-quick, and
that the rate it asked was excessive
and especially when the utilities COM
missioners were able to figure it out
that ascent rate would be suffi-
cient for all the purposes of the gas
company, including the expenditures
necessary to add materially to the vol
ume of the gas supply.
This was the rate, anyhow. that the
public utilities commission granted
anc then only after many, many
months of deIiberation and during
which period the affairs of the gas
company were kicked hither and yon
in this court and that one. and much
to the pecuniary pleasure of a large
company of lawyers on both sides of
the case. and who obtained fat fees
for varying services from the tottering
exchequer of the gas company.
The announcement of this ascent
rate decision by the public utilities
commission was the signal for the gas
company to show its teeth. There is
always a last straw for every cameFs
back.
The FEDERAL courts were appealed to
and with the results that are current
gas history and well known to every
body, namely, that anything under 80
cents would be confiscatory Isn't the
2s-cent talk by politicians absurd?
And the new rates that are an
nounced by the local gas company
for the immediate future are addi-
ticnal fruits of this federal court pro-
cedure, as well as of the short-sishted
manner in which this gas question has
been handled from its very beginning
by state authority.
1nasmuch as hundreds of families in
Topeka use only 1000 feet or less for
cooking. they are not affected by the
new rate.
Coincident with the announcement
of these new local rates comes the
ether announcement that the Kansas
Natural Gas company cannot hope to
have much better gas supply for this
winter than it did for last winter
But was anything else to be expect
; cd? Certainly it has been pointed out
, repeatedly in these columns that the
, state officials. who may have been
playing political football with this gas
rate question. appeared to he working
along the same lines this summer that
} they did last summer and the summer
before; namely, that they would so de-
lay, in one way or another, a final
) that there would not be sufficient time
) left for the gas company to extend its
mains to newly leased gas fields and
l increase the gas supply for this winter,
t even if it were able to obtain the
means to do so.
REVISING COMMANDMENTS.