The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-05-10
GAS ITS VARIOUS FORMS.

consumers or Iulsa IN particular ana OhIh-
homa In general that there are various kinds
Of gas. The natural commodity, which we have
come to consider necessity is but ono kind.
There is the othcr--tho gas used by the gas
company attorneys. which Is suspicIousiy sim
liar TO tho gaseous product of the corporation
commission.
when the corporation commission Issues an
order giving to the gas company several thou
sands Of dollars on so flimsy a protext as Judge
Cotterars personal opinion voiced without due
consideration, 1t is high time that Tulsa and
its citizenship undertake seriously to bring the
gas company to terms. There was as much
reason for the corporation commission to act
on the personal opinion OF Judge cotteral. that
tho gas company should be allowed to collect
its April bills on the 62-cent rate. there
would he for It to act on the mere opinion OF
the chief counsel for the gas company, and no
more.
II should be understood clearly that the
Question at Issue In tho case pending In the
federal court was not, primarily what tho gas
company should charge for gas, but what It
should be permitted to COLLECT for gas The
amount to be collected was the crux of the
entire controversy.
In effect the federal court refused to take
JuIlSulCtloH OF tne case n uftlSlon winch pp~
Grated to restrain tho gas company from coll
lecing the 6e-cent rate. For anyone to hold
that 1t has the right to collect at the 62.cen,
rate subsequent to the hour that decision was
rendered is for such one to undertake a doc.
trine absurd In as 1t la bercft of equl.s
in equity.
Let II be understood that no court so held. II
Is true that Judge Coterai, in reply TO the legal
.to
after especially dlsclaImlng any official re-
sponslbiIliy for his words after particularly
stating that the question was not before tho
court did venture the opinion that probably
the correct solution would be to permit the gas
company to collect on the 69-cent rate for gas
consumed prior to April a. THIS WAS MERE
OPINION BY COURT THAT HAD RE
FUSED TO TAKE JURISDICTION.
why. then, did tho corporation commission
seize such pretoxt to rescind its previous
order and issue another favorng the gas COM
pany? why did it not at least stand pat and
put the burden on the gas company, forcing
It to take the issue into the state courts for de-
termination after a fun hearing?
Here are two questions which the corpora
tion commission may take all the time II desires
to answer but It should understand that the
burden. a tremendous burden. is on its shoul-
ders; d burden which seriously reflects on the
problty of the membership and the intelligence
and efficiency Of its legal advisers
We say the time has come when Tulsa should
go TO the supreme court for an order directing
the corporation commiSsIon to make a new
finding of facts in this case, at the same time
asking for separation os tho Tulsa case from
all other pending cases Then with new
hearing before the commission, Tulsa should set
about ascertaining precisely what the invest
ment, the honest investment OF the local gas
company is.
The World believes that the gas company
has issued It's stock with an abandon that beg
gars description. 1t believes that stock bonuses
have been paid for various properties that war;
valuations OF plant and equipment have been
moro than absorbed In stock increases, and
that it has adopted the usual plan Of asking
that the people he forced to pay a rate that will
show an earning upon all this vast sea Of in
flation.
We are unwilling 10 submit tamcly 20 this
thing. We unwilling that Tulsa citizens
should be forced to help pay for service rom
dered other gas-consuming communities, when
through benefits OF generous nature and sound
judgment In selecting their place of residence
they are ehutled 10 a less faie' III tNe matter
is undertaken in the right way we believe that
Tulsa get It's case heard on rs merits, and
by thorough preparation for presenting that
case, secure a permanent rate not in excess
of ~ cents
Before anything in the nature OF justice can
be secured by the public there must be defla-
tion of the gas company. Its wartime valua.
tions must be cut down to eomport with pres
thus vastly decreased II losses occur and they
will. those losses should be borne by the stock
holders OF the gas company and not by the
public. which has established every value the
gas company seeks to set up the hasl:
for figuring rates.
1t probably is true that with the right kind
OF action the gas company will be thrown into
the hands Of a receiver. We have reached th'