The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1922-03-16
REGARDING THE
GAS FRANCHISE

other members OF the council the re-
quest is granted.
This paper first of all desires to be
fair in the matter, and while we have
come out openly and expressed an
opinion adverse to the city council, we
are willing to grant any member the
privilege of using the columns of the
paper, regardless of the facts that we
cannot agree with them.
Mr.. Vickers says:
"Inasmuch as the question of a gas
franchise for the City has been called
to the attention of the people at large,
it is well that the matter be considered
seriously by all the people SO that the
Council may be guided by their de-
sire"
"The last meeting of the Council at
which the request for the franchise
was refused was the third time the
council had been requested to consider
the privilege. The first time the
price asked was 81 per thousand feet.
The second time the price was eighty
cents per thousand feet. The third
and last time the price was sixty-five
cents per thousand feet"
"At no instance has the parties re-
questing the franchise given satisfac-
tory evidence to the council that they
could and were ready to Immediately
furnish the city with gas.'
my personal opinion formed by
conversation with the other council
men is that any party or parties who
can furnish the following two REQUESTS
will have an immediate and favorable
consideration of the council"
First: The Gas
Second: Rates and conditions OF
franchise acceptable to council.
"The council has made much inves'
tigation, has on hand voluminouh cor
respondence concerning franchises anC
has had many meetings to discuss the
same"
To make an issue on this matter a
gainst councilman who is up for elec
stion at this time would hardly be fair
because even tho an opponet were leet
ted, he would, by his oath of office, be
compelled to consider the vital fact.
which result in the best interest of the
community at large"
"The following letter from the serce
tary of the Chamber of Commerce OF
Enid, Oklahoma, gives you one cities
perplexing problem. In considering
it you should take into consideration
that the requests for franchise SO
far have been made by parties who
were not producers of gas but who had
formed separate company to distri-
butte the gas and who could at will sci
their rights to others.
Enid Oklahoma
March 10, 1922
Mr.. w. H. Vickers
Liberal, Kansas
Dear Sir:
Inquiry has been, made of me con-
cerning the matter of the gas fran
,chise of the city of Enid and the stu
uation generally concerning the fur
nishing of gas to private consumers
within the city, under and pursuant to
to that franchise, and particularly
whether or not the price fixed in the
franchise still governs in the matter
of the furnishing to such private con-
sumers.
In reply thereto | desire to say that
our franchise was granted in 1916.
The price to be charged the private
consumer was fixed in the francrise at
thirty-fve cents per thousand feet,
shortly thereafter it was by order of
the corporation commission raised to
forty cents per thousand feet. Since
that time we have had it raised to 45
cents then to 48 cents to SO cents to
SO and now there is an application
pending before the commission to al
low the company to charge 75 cents
per thousand feet. The city has re-
peatedly opposed these raises but to
no effect. The result is that the peo-
pie having prepared to use gas and
having built their homes and bought
equipment with that end in view are
as matter Of self protection obliged to
arrange for other fuel. Many Of our
citizens turned to coal when the last
raise was made and if the new raise
is allowed l expect to see many more
of them use other fuel. The situation
is not at all satisfactory.
/ do not know how the franchise
could have been improved on so as to
obviate these Objectionable features,
but it has occurred to me that if the
franchise was directly with a person
or companv who was producing the