The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-07-09
CITY COUNSEL
APPROVES GAS
PLANT PROJECT
Special Attorneys Say
Municipal Purchase
Won't Be Hindered.
KNEW PLAN FOR MONTH
But Mayor Was Not Told of
Move to Spend $4,000
for New Ovens.

iOt nCW OfCilos
having known for a month Of the
Citizsns Gas Company's intent to
build forty new coke ovens cost
ing approximately $779,OOO, John w.
Hoffman and Fred c. Cause, coun-
sci for the city, did not regard the
propect as an mpediment to the
cityS acquisition and operation of
the property and told Mayor L. Ert
Slack nothing about it, it was
learned today.
That the ovens are desperately
needed if gas production is to keep
pace with increasing consumption,
was the information given Holtz-
man and Cause a month ago and
repeated today by n. H. Hornbrook,
a director and counsel for directors
Of the gas company.
Gas consumption has been in
sreasing rapidly" Hornbrook said,
and We are face TO face with the
necessity of increasing production
or. if the increased demand con-
tinues as We think it will, being
forced to turn down demands for
service next January.
Consumption Way Up
May consumption was about Is
per cent greater than for May last
wear. and each month this year has
shown an increase OF from II 70 10
. per cent.
We have been croWding the plant
to meet current demands. 1t will
take six months to make this i'm
provement and the ovens will be
ready for operation no sooner than
they are absolutely needed.
mot one cent of Citizens Gas
Company bonds will need to be sold
to finance the improvement, and
the Indebtedness of the Citizens Gas
Company will not be increased. The
project can be financed from IN
dianapolis"GaS Company bonds ana
from depreciation and other funds
which have accrued.
Mayor Slack today said:
ST never had heard of the coke
oven program before. I had. OF
course. gained a general understand
ing from our conference with the
gas company officials that the usual
and ordinary improvements. neces-
sarv in the normal enlargement of
the plant to meet the city's increas-
ing growth. would be continued. but
7 had no knowledge of anything 50
extensive as this"
Complications Feared
n vas thought IN some quarters
the project might complicate plans
Tor refunding approximately $4,000
900 Of bonds for which the property
is mortgaged.
Hoffman stated that Hornbrook
explained the need for the new
ovens to Cause and himself. esti-
mating they would cost about
s76O00o.
Il don't know whether he talked
10 the mayor and I didn't Holtz-
man said.
We recognized that the gas COM
ranv had the right II 60 ahead and
that the bond issue wouldn't affect
plans for taking over the property.
7 didn't see how the city would
Re justified in hiring experts to
make an investigation Of the needs
when it would take lots of time and
cost maybe s25. 900 or more"
Forcing its way into the utility's
Improvement picture on the eve
Of the city's acquisition Of the prop
ertv. was the S65,0O0 extension now
under construction on West Wash
ington street.
Extension Refused
More than q year sgo, residents
said. they sought extension Of gas
service west from Tibbs avenue TO
Ivndhurst drive and were told by
he gas company that the project
couldn't be started until 300 resi-
dents petitioned the service. COM
bined efforts Of residents and the
company nettad less than $50 pc
titionerS and the company reluSep
70 undertake the Improvement, ac-
cording to residents.
But last year, the company began
Isving a sixteen-inch high pressure
main from Tibbs avenue TO Rock
VILE road and now is laying q four
inch and a twelve-inch line along
Washington street TO Glen Arm
road, in Ben Davis. although that
long an extension was not petit
toned.
Gas company officials admitted
the extension will not have enough
patrons TO make it a paying propo-
sitior az the start. but said 1t was
started so as 10 be completed be-
fore washington street is widened
and in anticipation of rapid growth
in the west section of the city.
Hornbrook added that better CO.
operation" is being obtained from
the revamped highway commission
than was possible year ago.