Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-15

The contract also provides that IN case
Of gas shortage at any time up to July
/, 1921, the company shall provide gas
to consumers in the following order:
1. Consumers who use gas for cook
ing, lighting and water heating in
homes, hospitals, hotels and restau-
rants.
2. Consumers who use gas for IN
dustrial and commercial purposes.
3. Consumers who use gas In stoves,
CRATES or other heating appliances for
heating purposes.
RATIFYING MEASURE
TO COUNCIL TONIGHT
An ordinance ratifying the contract
viii be presented to the city council
tonight. according TO Samuel A. Ashby,
corporation counsel.
A program Of definite improvements
which the company agrees to make by
Dec. 81, 1921. is given in the contract
as follows:
Gas storage holder Of 100000 cubic
feet capacity; improvement Of existing
water gas apparatus; two additional boil
ers Of 500 horse power each, with auto
matte stokers and fuel handling equip
ment and crushed coke handling equip
ment; water pump and cooling equip
ment to replace equipment destroyed by
fire in September and TO enlarge coke
handling capacity.
The agreement to make these improvs-
ments is subject, however, to the COM
pany's ability TO dispose Of stocks or
bonds. or both, which must be issued to
finance them. The contract on this point
says:
'Its (the company's) agreement to
make such Improvements Is conditioned
upon its ability to dispose Of such Sc
curttes on terms and conditions to be
approved by the Public Service Commits
sion Of Indiana, and the company agrees
to be diligent and use it's best efforts In
endeavoring to sell such securities"
The clause providing for plant i'm
proYements has been discussed for more
than month in a number Of conferences
between the board Of works, the council,
Mr.. Ash5y and officials Of the company,
following an informal statement by mem
bers Of the public service commission that
the city has the right to order such ex-
tensions as well as the extension of mains
provided for IN the franchise.
Termination Of the present contract is
hxed at July 1, 1921, because the mem
bers Of the council did not desire the
company to have the permanent right to
ration gas because 1t was feared this
would be taken as an excuse for not
making earnest efforts to make shortages
impossible in the future, it is said.
CLAUSES PREFACED
BX REASONS.
are prefaced by statements Of reasons
for the amendments to the franchise as
follows:
l. The consumption Of gas has steadily
increased. so that the entire production
mas proved insufficient az times to ade-
quately supply all consumers.
?. Gas for cooking lighting and water
heating purposes is now used in prac-
hcally every household, hospital, hotel
and restaurant in the city and such use
has become vital to the comfort, well
fare and life OF all the people of SAID
city, so that in case of a shortage or in
sufficient supply Of gas from any cause
gas for cooking, lighting and water heat
ing should be supplied first in pref
erence to gas for other purposes
3, Because OF the present high price Of
coal as compared with the low price OF
gas there is an abnormal disposition to
resort to the use of gas for heating Rur-
poses.
In the event there is a shortage &c
serious that the company realizes it can
not supply all consumers the contract
makes it the duty of the company to
notify Immediately the board Of works
in writing and the public through pub
lication of a notice in the three daily
new spapers of greatest circulation. The
company also shall notify the publ
that it will give preference to consumer
In the order sts ted above.
RESPONSIBILITY ALSO
ON CONSUMER.
When such publication is made noticc
to the board of works given and priority
established 1t is made unlawful for any
consumer to use gas for any of the pro
hibited purposes during the period OF
shortage. In the event any consumer
violates the order the company is given
the right to inspect his premises and
turn of his gas. The consumer only can
Continued on Page Eleven.)