The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-27
Local Gas Company Unable To
Meet Excess Charges.
1t Would Take $253,664 OF
$4,000 More Than Income.
TRELEAVEN fUTS IT UP TO YOU
Cheap Rate or Good Service
Which Do You Choose!
Company Would Have To Pay
More Than 1t Gets.

Following suggestions that the Con-
sumers Light, Heat & Power company
refund to consumers what has been
collected in excess of % cents per
thousand cubic feet on the business of
1917 and 1918, L. G. Treleaven, re-
ceiver, asserted this morning in a
signed statement that it would take
$253,664S6. This amount, says Ire
leaven, is $4,000 more than the total
income of the company after paying
the Kansas Natural Gas company for
gas, or almost five times the amount
left after paying taxes and operating
expenses without applying a dollar to
the payment of bond interest or divi-
dends.
I'VE have been able" said Ire
leaven, ito give good service during
all of the past winter because the
price prohibited the use of gas for
heating. We could not have given
good service had the rate been IS
cents.
which would you prefer" the re-
ceiver asked. "a cheap rate or good
service? The experience of the past
few years has taught us all that the
| time has passed when you can have
| both. We would rather sell gas at rs
r
| all the gas we needed to supply the
| demand at the lower rate. The only
| time our company ever paid a divi-
| dend was when gas sold at 25 cents
J But that can never happen again, be-
cause the quantity of gas is not now
to be had and never will again. The
| present supply is not more thar
enough to properly take care of the
| lighting and cooking demand and used
for those purposes it is worth ever
| M ~ he .
when compared with the cost of Other
| light and fuel"
Local Concerns Business
A sworn statement taken from the
books of the Consumers Light Heal
and Power compaL., indicates tina
during 1917 and 1918 the company
| sold 1,012, 81.700 cubic feet of natura
gas for which s537,1S7.74 was charged
For this they paid the Kansas Natura
Gas company s2eS. 1855. 1t left thu
tc+al income. from the sale of ga:
s23S, 969.0S. For operating expenses
such as meter, main and repair serv
ice, S172,214.55; salaries Coffee EN-
ployes), S29.569.41. Other operatIn.
expenses. s47,374.2S. or a total o
s94, 1924. Taxes were paid as fol
lows: City license. $1,000: stat,
CO.. ration, fee $1,000; federal i-~om,
tax. s2.27S.45; to the treasurer o
Shawnee county. s59.463.59, a total o
| 800, ava, bringing the total "opens
up to 57,9"0.eS. Subtracting tn
expense from the income. ,..ere wa
left a total net revenue from the sal
of g amounting - $S1,066.SO.
Out of 1,O66.S0 there should b.
deducted a depreciation charge of a
least $4,000 per year, about 1 Y pc
cent of the assessed valuation, which
leaves $41,066.8 available for bon
interest and dividends
The company has a bonded indebt
edness, says Treleaven, of S1,000.000
which is s3S0,O00 less than the valua
ton on which it pays taxes and there
fore cannot be considered excessive
The bonds bear per cent. which il
two years amounts to 100000. Thi
leaves a shortage of sufficient revenu
from the sale of gas with which to pa
bond interest, amounting to S58.931. 2C
And not one cent, says Treleaven, t
be applied to dividends. SO just hoy
can the company pay back more tina
they have ever received, he asks.