Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 41, Number 244, 30 August 1916 — Page 8

rPAGE EIGHT

THE RICHMOND PALLADIUM AND SUN-TELEGRAM, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 30, 1915

SHOOTS MAN WHO STARTED TO STEAL CALF

Somewhere In Richmond or its vicinity today is a man who will, for some time to come, eat his meals off a mantle at bis home, providing, of course, he succeeds in eluding the police. This unknown man attempted to steal a calf on the farm of James Snedlker, on the National road, east of the city, Just west of the traction viaduct, about 1 o'clock but the thief was driven off by John Turner, the farm tenant, who used a shotgun with great effect. Turner reported the affair at police headquarters this morning, frankly announcing he had wounded the stock thief and inquiring whether any charge was to be preferred against him. "I'd hang a medal on you if I had one," said Prosecutor Reller. "If anyone tries to steal anything on your farm again do as you did last night." "About 1 o'clock this morning my wife heard two men talking in the lane In front of our house," Turner said. "One of the men said, 'we will take the calf.' Then he started to climb the fence. My wife woke me and I got my shotgun and went into the yard. To be sure it was not a friend I called, 'who is there!' The fellow In the pasture started to run for the fence. Let Htm Have Bullets. "Just as he was half over I let him have one barrel and it knocked him clear into the lane. He yelled like a wolf and he and the other fellow started down the lane toward the National road as hard as they could run. I shot at the second man but I guess I missed him. They outran me and got away. Until they got out of my hearing I could hear the fellow I shot yelling at the top of his lungs."

BOND IN

Continued From Page One. erty of the company which it is now using in serving natural gas." The company has urged the commission to establish rates with a 70 cent minimum. The city attorney vigorously opposes the incorporation of the company's artificial gas plant into the present value of the natural gas property, which value is the basis for rate making. He contends the company's legitimate present value not to be in excess of $350,000. Opposing the company's plea for its artificial plant to be incorporated into the present value of its natural gas plant, Mr. Bond writes: "The present users of natural gas are entitled to have the same furnished at a fair price based upon the value of the property which now being USED to serve them, and not based upon the value of other property which MAY be used to serve those living In another generation, and it is reasonable to suppose, in accordance with evidence, circumstances and conditions of the past, that natural gas will be supplied to the city of Richmond in sufficient quantities for all ordinary purposes for the next fifteen years. At the end of that time the population may be entirely, or at least will be largely, changed, and yet the petitioner's position is that those who are consumers of natural gas today shall Day

an additional burden for the benefit only of this utility in order that it may keep a certain property in a state of readiness to serve those who may want artificial gas service at the end of 15 years." The introduction to the city's extended brief reads as follows: This proceeding was commenced by the petitioner, Richmgnd Light, Heat and Power company, a public utility, now engaged in serving natural gas to the city of Richmond, its Inhabitants and those residing in the vicinity thereof, for the purpose of obtaining an order of the commission authorizing an INCREASE in the rates for such service. Although the petition asks "authority to "revise gas rates," its sole purpose Is to materially increase the present rates for service of NATURAL gas. There is no pretense that any rate shall be named for service for ARTIFICIAL gas, and not an iota of evidence was introduced at the hearing sought to, or in any manner does, throw any light upon what rates would be fair or just for the service of artificial gas by the petitioner. There Is no evidence in the record that shows or tends to show the unit cost to produce or to distribute artificial gas all of the evidence being addressed solely to the question of the cost of procuring and serving natural gas. We, therefore, see no reason why any confusion can arise in this proceeding as to its sole and only purpose. The rates under which the petitioner is now serving natural gas are those named In its franchise, which it received by the assignment from the Allegheny Gas company. This assignment was voluntarily received by the petitioner and its present weep and wall that it was forced to accept the same, should avail it nothing. Neither the city of Richmond nor its inhabitants were or are in any sense or to any extent guarantors that no unfavorable conditions would or could arise which might injuriously affect the petitioner and necessitate Us changing from the service of one commodity to another in order to meet the reasonable and proper demands which the ever-changing events of time are bringing about. We are wholly unable to see that the petitioner is helped or hurt in this case by the fact that the city of Richmond acquired its electrical property. It was paid the full value thereof as determined by the commission, and according to its star witness, Samuel S. Wyer, the only real wise man of the twentieth century, when measured by his own self-conceit, this purchase price was too large. Record p. 29. According to his testimony in the present case, the city was "buncoed" when it purchased the peti

tioner's electrical plant, as he says, this plant "was not worth more than one-third" of the amount paid. And yet this same man testified under oath in the purchase case that the electrical property of the petitioner, which ; the city acquired, had a value of nearly ..1100.000 above that fixed by the com

mission. How consistent in his statements! What credence can be placed upon the testimony of such a witness? Absolutely none. We are at a loss to understand how it is possible for the commission to consider the testimony of such an egotistical sophist one, who by his manner and method regards all others as fools or idiots, and he the sole possessor of knowledge and wisdom. In our opinion he is un

worthy of belief, as it seems plain he does not care for the truth but 'only

desires to be sensational and to test!

fy according to the pecuniary compen

sation received. - We do not regard it as necessary to analyze the testimony of this wit

ness in order to determine its utter unreliability, as the record will no doubt be carefully considered by the commission before rendering Its de

cision. Historical Statement. We do not regard that any facts which may be stated, giving the history of this plant adds anything to its value in serving the public, and yet the petitioner has evidently attempted to Immpress the commission with the hardships through which this plant ahs passed and is now passing, and its great desire to serve the public- as ele, ments to be considered in arriving at the value of its property for ratemaking purposes. We insist, however, that if history is to be written it shall state the truth and not delve into the realm of speculation and conjecture. It is true that this utility, when it commenced to operate its artificial gas plant, was without any competitor in this city. Afterward, about the vear IRRfi. It hail a competitor, the

Richmond Natural Gas company, which

served natural gas until tne year iiu, but we understand that during all this period was not . operating at a loss, but was making a reason able Income upon . the money which it had invested in its property. Afterward and in the year about 1902, the city of Richmond became a competitor of the petitioner in this case in the service of electrical energy. This, however, was no fault of the city but solely on account of the arbitrary action of the utility itself. Prior to that time the utility had n contract, with the City to light

its streets and other public places, and

prior to the time that this contract expired the city endeavored to renew the same upon better terms, but the utility, acting as though the city would n com npllpH to take its electrical en

ergy at any price which it might name, refused to make what the city deemed to be a fair and just contract. Besides, the petitioner at that time was charging as high as fourteen cents per kilowatt for private lighting, and Its general schedule of rates being, in the opinion of the city and its inhabitants, excessive and exorbitant and the same greatly in excess of the same kind of service that was being furnished in and to cities of similar size and situation. Besides, the petitioner, during the days when it had a monoply of the gas and electrical business in the city, absolutely and positively in a great many instances refused to furnish electrical energy for lighting, but instead, demanded that its artificial gas should be used for that purpose, thus compelling many of the business men of our city to use artificial gas for lighting instead of furnishing them with the more modern electric lighting privileges. These and many other considerations which need not be now mentioned, caused such a prejudice to arise against this utility that sentiment became almost unanimous that the city should build and own an electric lighting and power plant itself, and the question of the city entering into the electrical business was submitted to a vote of the people and the same carried nearly six to one, and the .city afterward built and equipped Its i j unkt anil nnwAr nlnnt and

thereafter until it purchased the elec-l

trlcal property of this utinir. competition therewith. At times this competition was fierce and furious, each plant striving to obtain and retain all the business possible. But it is undoubtedly true that the city had a legal right to build its electric light plant for the purpose of lighting its streets and furnishing electrical energy to its inhabitants, and we can see no reason why any added value should now be given to the natural gas property of this utility because, by its high-handed methods, it compelled the city, for its own self-protection to enter into competition with it in the electrical business. On the other hand, during all the time that this utility was in competition with the Richmond Natural Gas company, so far as we know, not a single objection was made thereto, and in view of the fact that It passed through those years in successful competition with the natural gas plant, it surely ought to have been able to pass through the present years successfully In competition with the natural gas service. In the purchase by the city of the electrical property of this utility it was paid every dollar which the commission fixed as the fair value thereof, as well as taking into consideration

the severance of the electric and gas

business, and we are absolutely at a loss to understand how it is possible for the commission again to give extra

value on account of the fact that the city bought and paid for its electrical property. It having received the full value there of, It surely can not now, even though it weep and wail, again come forward and ask that it shall have an additional value added to its gas plant by reason of the taking of its electrical property, and whatever may have been the vicissitudes through wjiich the petitioner has passed, they are not such as to justify or even permit under the law, this commission to add anything to the fair prent value of the physical property of its natural gas plant on account thereof; and if this utility has been unable to obtain a, fair return upon an honest investment through the past, it can not now be permitted to recoup this loss from the present users of its product, any more than it could be required to repay to the present consumers any excess over a fair return which It may have received through the years that are past and gone. We do not understand that it is possible in a rate-making case to adjust the past accounts between the public and the utility. Whether the utility has received more than a fair return or less than it should receive can not be taken into consideration in fixing a rate. On the other hand, it is too well settled to need the citation of authorities, that the amount of the outstanding stock, whether the same be common or preferred, and the amount of outstanding mortgage indebtedness against the utility do not add anything to the value of the property devoted to a public use, and the city of Richmond and its inhabitants are under no obligation, legal or moral, to pay a rate for natural gas service which will insure the utility a sufficient return to pay interest upon its mortgage indebtedness or returns upon its preferred stock, demand notes, or common stock. If so, then the community becomes a guarantor for the wild speculations of those who manage utilities, and the burdens which in many instances pow rest upon the public by reason of over-capitalization and excessive bond issues could never be removed. There is no doubt in our mind but that this utility has passed throught many years of wild financing and speculative investments until now its mortgage indebtedness and preferred stock are more than double the fair present value of the property which it is devoting to the public use in serving natural gas; but all that we are interested in is that the fair present value of the property of this utility which it is NOW using in serving the public with natural gas shall be ascertained and that a fair and reasonable rate of return upon this value shall be given, and when this is done the utility can legally and justly ask no more. Hence, we earnestly Insist that the commission in arriving

at this value Shall not take into consideration the mortgage indebtedness thereon nor the common or outstanding preferred stock. If, on the other hand, the utility has . been compelled, on account of the competitive conditions' through which it has passed, to change from artificial to natural gas and from natural to artificial gas, and again from artificial to natural gas, or whatever changes it has been required to make on account of the ever-changing conditions 'which are liable to arise in such matters, it must "stand the loss, if any, and inconveniences of such changes, and they can avail it nothing so far as this proceeding is concerned. The owners of this property took chances when' they commenced to operate an artificial gas plant that, natural gas might be supplied and the city and its inhabitants without question have an absolute right to the service of natural gas under reasonable and fair rates therefor the same being

a fuel than can be furnished at less

than can artificial gas. If a fair rate

of . return upon the fair and honest vaule of the property which the petitioner, is now devoting to the public use is not sufficient to meet the inter

est charges on its outstanding bonds

and notes, it is not the fault of this city nor its inhabitants, but it means that the utility is bankrupt, and that such , proceedings ought to be had as will place it upon a sounder financial basis; but as above stated, neither the city nor its inhabitants are under any obligation, legal or moral, to pay an exorbitant price for the service of natural gas in order that the utility may meet these interest charges.

FOULKE THANKS

Continued From Page One. what I thought when we addressed you. How ungrateful for any of us to criticise you when you were so good as to listen at all. According to such logic a court ought never to be censured for an iniquitous decision if it has been so good and "courteous" as to listen to the case. Listening is Part of Duty In answer to such notions of your exalted position I might remind you that to hear these matters is your official duty. That is part of what you are paid for and the right to criticise your acts and condemn them if they are wrong belongs to every citizen of the community you serve. ' But I am quite willing to thank you

even for listening at such weariness to the flesh as this must have caused you. I f eei like the clergyman when the hat passed for a collection returned empty, who thanked the Lord that he had got back even his hat from .that congregation. But I shall retain the right to criticize in a public manner your public and official acts however much yon may charge me with ingratitude., ' ' - . ' Unfairly Attacked. -So you were attacked unfairly because you failed to listen "to the whims of a few!". Was it a mere "whim" on the part of Dr. Krueger, your own county health officer appointed and paid by you and who is now trying, to do his public duty in urging this matter for the protection of the public health? Was it a mere "whim" on the part of Dr. Smith, superintendent of the Eastern Hospital for the Insane, one of the most eminent pathologists in our state and one of the ablest superintendents of a great public hospital in the entire country? Was it a mere "whim" on the part of the legislature to establish a state tuberculosis hospital at Rockville for incipient cases; a mere "whim" which led a subsequent legislature to authorize the various counties to build these hospitals and even to issue bonds and borrow money for the purpose? Was it a mere "whim" wkhich led the county authorities In Marion county, St. Joseph - county, Allen county and elsewhere to provide for the establishment of such institutions? Was it a mere "whim" which led the county authorities in establish four hospitals of this kind which have treated thousands of patients and succeeded in diminishing materially the mortally from consumption? Was it a mere "whim" which has led to the establishment of more than thirty county hospitals in New York alone as well as numerous other hospitals in Michigan, Ohio and many other states? Was it a mere "whim" that led the United States government through Surgeon General Blue to send one of the best experts in the country to Richmond to show us the conditions here, revealing 228 cases in this city alone and more than 450 in the county and to ; report as follows: ' Cites Hospital Need. "Having shown not only that a tuberculosis hospital is necessary,, but also authority exists for the erection of one, it remains for civic bodies and citizens to so present this matter to the county commissioners as to impress them that the construction

DR. E. J. DYKEMAN, DENTIST

New painless method of extracting, etc. All work guaranteed. Evenings by appointment.

10th & Main

of ' such ' a sanitarium shall be commenced WITHOUT DELAY." Was it a mere whim that led Dr. Perry, the distinguished government expert, to appear before you last year and urge the erection of this hospital a proposition which you turned down then, as you are turning it down now? And his proposition was not the first one. Again and again has this matter been brought before the commissioners with the same result Mild measures have had no effect. It is time to begin with something more energetic. In spite of fair words I do not think you intend to build this hospital, and will not do so until after many more have needlessly perished, you shall at last be driven by the scourge of public opinion into some effort to save the lives of our young men and young women who are unnecessarily dying every years from this preventable disease. I address these remarks particularly

to you since It la well recognized that you are the strongest political element on the board of commissioners, and it is your argument that seems to have convinced your associates that they ought not to go ahead. You feel, says the newspaper In question, "that be fore you spend the county's money you must be absolutely sure that you are justified in ding so." Why do you feel that way when yon propose to spend nearly $400,000 for building two bridges only one mile apart across the Whitewater? Why does this desire for economy only strike you at one point? By building the hospital you will save hundreds of thousands of dollars in the earning power of human life. How much are you going to save by building two bridges? It is evident than in yielding to the demands of those Interested in this bridge construction you see something politically more advantageous than in saving the lives of our people. Yours, W. D. FOULKE.

W

"Richmond's Daylight Store" Announcement i i Store closes at 1 p. m. on Thursdays during July and August. By trading in the morning on Thursdays you will greatly assist in giving our employes this half holiday during the hot weather. Special Notice This will be the last Thursday we close.

BRIEFS

WANTED Boy at Palladium, all day job; good opportunity. Apply Circulation Manager at Palladium. 22-tf NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT State of Indiana, Wayne County, ss: Notice is hereby given that the undersigned has duly qualified as executrix of the last will and testament of John C. Bayer, deceased, late of Wayne County, Indiana. Said estate is supposed to be solvent. MARY E. BAYER, Executrix WILL W. RELLER, Attorney aug 16-23-30

CARD OF THANKS Farewell grandma, May we meet thee On the ever-shining shore; How happy there we'll be to greet thee. And sing God's praises evermore. To the kind friends and neighbors who so kindly aided and assisted in our lonely hours of sorrow, we will not forget you in your sad hour of trial. We wish also to thank those who sang, and Rev. Crampton, also the undertaker, F. O. Girton for b?s kind service shown us at the death of our mother and grandmother. MR. AND MRS. HOWARD DAVIS AND FAMILY. Boston, Ind. 30-lt)

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Plain or Fertilizer Attachment

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1. Frame constructed on best mechanical principles for strength. 2. Center drag bar working under spring pressure subject to any adjustment. 3. Outside wings coupled by yokes and spring pressure to make outside disc adjust itself to width of row of corn, and at the same time control spreading of same at will of operator. : 4. Outside wings can be adjusted to cut any width desired. 5. Feed used on these machines is force feed. 6. All tubes are of metal. 7. Throw in and out of gear is simple and effective, chain tightener is arranged on front of frame to effectively tighten chain.

8. We use a "V" shaped wheel, set slightly out of center. Wheel has no adjustment and boxes, therefore must always set in line with frame. 9. These drills have the strongest chilled iron boot bearings of any machine made. 10. Fitted with our justly celebrated small rotating cleaning disc, which holds ground open and grain is deposited properly. No trash in wet weather can catch in this cleaning disc and carry the grain, dropping it in bunches. This feature is an especially patented one. 11. This machine is furnished as a fertilizer drill if so ordered, and with the fertilizer attachment you have a separate chain drive to operate same. The fertilizer attachment is made with beveled edge discs, thus obviating the trouble of discs cementing on the edges in bad fertilizer when the machine is in operation.

SPECIAL AGENTS

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