The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-12-25
SOME; MORE GAS
P!L4 l. ANT .()RAT0RYy
lie Editor TiInes-Eac0rd::

10 the Editor .Gimes-Recocd::
In your issue of Dec. 18th, gas
consumer asks for information on the
proposed gas plant purchase. He seems
to &c q little sassy about it, and yet, it
must be admitted he is not far out of
the way. You, Mr.. Editor, in your
issue CT Dec. 18th, take a stab at the
City Fathers, and as ! read the same,
! felt like saying: Thou too, my son
Brutus." thought also, that while it
was sort Of unkind Of you to give US
this druboirg, that perhaps, after all,
We might deserve it. AS Peer Gynt
says: "The guitlless will suffer said
the Devil, his mother gave him spank
because MS father was drunk"
~ = ..l-:...oeI cf t?1c committee ap-
pointed to investigate the feasibility
Of the purchase of the gas plant, /,
for one, would be glad to let the pub
lie share in all the information, that
~.-ry ----v, )! .-eli3 Cpo.. t.!c :,uv .ec. ;.:.l
enable the people and particularly the
gas consumer to form an intelligent
opinion. | think, l might state, with
out violating the unWrltten law Of Sc
cret diplomacy, that to certain eX-
tent obtains, even among city ccun-
ellis, that the main reason for the in
activity IS the fact that there has been
no demand or interest shown in this
matter by the gas consumers. There
is the rub Of the whole affair. Why
this lack Of interest? 1t should seem
that in . matter Of this kind, touch
ing as it does the pocketbcok, the sor-
est and tenIerest spot Of a person, and
q y1
month, it should seem, that among
some six hundred gas consumers so af-
fected, there would be at least a dozen
or two Of them sufficiently hard up
to show on interest. Net so that yoA
could notice it. This lack of interest,
orr lack Of showing any interest can
be attributed only to one Of two
things. Either these gas consumer3
are SO flush, that money is no con
Germ Of t2ci"s, cr they have absolute
confidence IN the unerring Judgment
Of tie city council. The first is hard
iy brl:svuJlu, and the secc1d is still
less b2lic;Hblc. The reason, ti2en, for
this clan? Ike silence and tnis apathy
Of interest vii ivay3 to Others Ior
s{ccul"tti3s' AID conjecture.
Il tac 90 r!ant IS TO be taken o|cC
by the cit H." deal :;:v@t D. consl;>-
erc,!! u= c:. c:.tlr.iTcly t1I the BENG
fit Of tae .2a> cunsulners, present and
pr~srecti.,. Considered IA that Highs.
the rtty's administration w,il} act cUly
as a trustc@ -. tie benefit and on be-
half OF thl l,>s consumers. Considered
question +ha3 shuu.d stir tnc gas ccr
sunl2r into acmc activity Is this;
Would il It q Gu" advantage or dis
advantage, j, Tie plant WAS taken
over by the city? Could we save any
thing OF cur ga bills?
The members OF the Council IS well
as the members Of the committee aye
in possession Of facts 24i figures,
showing the valuation OF the plant:
the price for which it is offered for
sale, it's earnings over Il sufficient long
nericd TO determine fairly accur2taly
its earning capacity, and other facts
that may throw light uuon the mat
ter. ! cun net Give GUY conclusions
on these facts for the reason that we
raay differ IN our co2cIusvHs.
might Give my own and my reason for
tie same, bu3 I'M net authcr.zeu to
sDcxlz fer the others, who might en-
+elta.n I. different conclusion, "nJ
whose roasons for TIE same might
lli:-3*a!c OF 1lisc3:lStrl!c. ne facts.
i7ovc,er. think should be accessible
TO 2ny ore WHO desires to knew Unc:i?
a2't il my opinion should not be WITH
held from tho public. ! dun't believe
that any member on th% committee CT
council nor the gas plant will have
any serious objection to Iult puo''c
airing CT these iacts, if an earnest de-
Inand is shown for the publication OF
the same. l think it is up to the gas
consumers by SO organized and con,
,erted effort to get at these facts and
form their own conclusions, ard when
50 formed, make it known.
Fl. A. OLSBERG.