The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-03-30
WILL VOTE ON THE GAS
PROPOSITION NEXT TUESDAY
People of Liberal Will Say Whether or not the
McQuigg Franchise be Accepted Municipal
Ownership Proposition Also Up

a Stockholder in the north well w,
are asking our readers to go to tn,
polls and vote for the franchise be
ause it is step forward in the de
eelopment of Liberal.
As we have followed this PROPOSE
ton from the start we have hearc
many amusing objections, but tn,
most preposterous is the one thai
McQuigg will not use gas from hi.
own wells, but is getting this fran
chise for the purpose of selling il
interests which are going to build
nipe-line from the Amarillo field
just who originated this yarn is
doubtful, but anyone with an ounce
# reasoning power can readily see
through it. Anyone who has driven
from Amarillo to Liberal knows that
from Amarillo to Stratford, Texas,
the distance is 1902 miles, and that
there is not town on the route. Then
it is around 100 miles to Stratford
is in the neighborhood of $4,000 per
mile, and from Amarillo to Stratford
would cost 100000, with another
100000 on to Liberal. Just why
anyone would build line that way
even if they wished to build, is not
apparent, when they might follow
the Santa Fe through Canadian,
Shattuck and Woodward, and have
some good towns on the line.
However, this is just one of the
unreasonable stories being circula-
ted by the opposition in the hope of
fooling the voters into voting down
he franchise that few stockholders
Company may reap profit in the
in. the Seward County Oil and Gas
event that at some time that COM
panv should get a gas well.
Then here is another proposition
to be considered:
Should there be possibility of the
north company getting gas well and
being able to finance another. Still
we do not have the gas in Liberal be-
cause bonds must be voted and dis
tributing system built. Suppose the
bonds should not carry which can al
most be considerer certainty-where
would we be then.
I, There are a lot Of people who do
not look favorably upon the voting OF
bonds unless it absolutely necessary,
and we can get gas without bonding
the town this is the reasonable
and logical thing to do. But remem-
ber this--if you vote for municipal
ownership next Tuesday you may have
to vote again before you get gas. Your
vote may not count that time and the
proposition may be, voted down.
Readers of the Democrat, there are
too many chances-too many offs" to
this matter to risk it. When all is
said and done, there is just this much
certain. A vote for the McQugg fran
chise means gas and that right away.
A vote for municipal ownership does
not mean now, and possible never.
We understand that the north COM
pany has agreed to sell gas to the city
at Is cents at the city limits. You
know it is easy to put low price on Il
thing you haven't got. How do we
know that when they learn what it will
cost them to get the gas to Liberal
if they ever have any gas-that they
will find that it costs so much they
cannot afford to bring it here and then
where is our cheap gas?
The proposition is great deal like
this. Suppose you were in the market
for bushel of potatoes and man
,ame up to you with bushel basket
If them. While you were dickering
with him, another should step up and
say to you "don't buy his potatoes;
have some land and next year / am
going to plant some potatoes and if |
raise any | will sell them to you
cheaper than he is pricing them to
you."
This is the proposition that is being
,ut up to you in the gas situation, but
you have no agreement, no bond, no
But there is another angle
% it. If McQuigg's should go ahead
and make an oil test out of No. and
,ase off the gas in No. 2 and refuse to
monkey with the gas, and the north
company never found any gas, Liberal
would be in the position of doing with
,ut gas forever. "Oh, but some one
Use would come in and drill" says one
If the boosters. Then why have they
Tot started during the past two years
They have been drilling in other fields
,ut they have not come to the Liberal
'ield, and we can only Judge the future
~ the past.
McQuigg's seem to be the only ones
Who have the nerve to spend their mon
" in this field and had it not been for
hem there is hardly chance that
here would have ever been test
lrilled here.
Do you recall the time the north
lunch had trying to get money to
lrill their test? Do you recall that
was only after McQuigg brought in
he gas well that they were ever able
o ct sufficient money to make real
Ihowing. Don't be so sure that lot
# people are going to rush in and drill
wells here because they have never
hown the disposition to do so.
Really the matter to be settled Tues
lay is whether or not you want gas. If
-ou want gas vote for the McQuigg
and get it. If you don't
want gas vote for the city ownership
and do without it.