The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-03-06
five cents for gas than coal at pres
err prices.

en- prices
The Topeka Capital and the State
Journal have been unable to secure
sufficient gas to melt the metal in
the little pots in the type setting ma
chimes or inotypes.
What was Governor Capper COM
PEELED to do in connection with his
paper? What was the State Journal
compelled to do to protect itself?
In order to get. gas. Governor Cap
per some time ago put in suction
pump and sucked the gas out of the
mains about him. He got some of the
gas that the State Journal should
have had, SO this office had to put in
| pump and try to get some of it
back.
Natural gas at so cents thousand
is cheap for the Topeka Capital and
the State Journal if they cannot get
it at all and are compelled to sub
stitute gasoline or coal or wood with
which substitutions this office for
weeks this year has been confronted
On Saturday last the gas, with even
the suction pump was so low that
seven out of eight of our linotypes
were out of commission big part of
the time Saturday afternoon, delay
ing the paper. The only machine
which was in operation for time out
of the eight was the machine installed
a few weeks ago which fortunately
! was put in with the newly devised
electric pot and was Independent of
gas. Resort was also made to old
time hand composition. Even with
! the best the paper could do it was
seriously delayed for delivery to sub
scribers Saturday evening. The State
| Journal was driven for weeks to use
gasoline torches in its mechanical de-
/ partment.
Those of our readers who have
bought coal, wood or oil stoves for
cooking this winter really should
send the bills for the stoves to the
public utilities commission, because
the commission is responsible for the
deplorable and unnecessary condition
now staring Topeka and Kansas in the
face and depriving them of the ordi-
nary necessities and comforts in the
way of gas for cooking, compelling
them to use higher priced fuel than
even so cent gas.
The public utilities commission
costs the tax payers of Kansas 5000
a year. 1t was created six years ago
and on that basis has represented an
expense to Kansas of 100000. with
out esta blishing a single principle or
rule for government and regulation of
public utilities and common carriers.
1t has not decided one important case.
1t has been freely charged that, except
| for interference by the public utilities
commission, the Kansas Natural Gas
company receivership would never
have been brought about.
1t is asserted on seemingly high auth
GRITTY that franchise agreements by the
| gas company would have automatical-
| ly produced rate which would have
allowed the gas company to furnish an
, adequate supply of gas at a reason
able rate. 1t was the public utilities
commission which interfered with the
| enforcement of these franchise agree
ments and brought about the expen-
sive and long-drawn-out litigation
which cost thousands of dollars. af
forded no relief
| Governor Capper is to be commend
ed for the good business judgment he
|
state under his control or supervision,
but in connection with the utilities
commission instead of SO per cent
business and per cent politics, It
seems to be per cent business and
SO per cent politics, or inefficiency: a
determination to pursue continuous
litigation and rule or ruin anyone who
has the temerity to enter the business
of securing and distributing gas.
/, AS an example of the failure of the
public utilities commission to get ac-
ton on important subjects, what was
known as the railway rate case has
been in the courts for two years and
nothing yet done. The commission is
busy, of course, hearing complaints
about railroad crossings, about sta
ton buildings at little crossroads,
about the lettering of freight cars, the
failure to provide door mats and mud
scrapers at stations in Stevens county,
where it seldoms rains, in disputes
i over the colors of railroad lanterns,
in the size of railway spikes, and a
hundred and one other trivial affairs
which take up the time of people
holding fat jobs under the state.
Governor Capper is to be congrat-
ulated in just vetoing a measure which
went thru the legislature and would
have given further laughing stock
about the public utilities commission
and rendered it still more a body of
bunglers. 1t is to be hoped that the
! governor, now that he has an oppor-
tunity, win clean house on this COM
mission.
The Sixty-fourth congress will not