The Milwaukee Leader

CITY FIGHTS WITH GAS COMPANY FOR ADEQUATE SERVICE
Officials Take Action to Make 15,000 Patrons of Corporation in Municipality Parties to Proceedings.

SPECIAL TO THE LEADER.

KANSAS CITY. Mo.. Jan. 24.-Kansas City is in the midst of a fight to compel the Kansas City Gas company, a natural gas corporation, to supply adequate service.

Action has been taken by the city prosecutor to get the 15,000 patrons in the company to join in a suit, aiming to obtain legal sanction for refusal to pay gas bills unless a sufficient quantity is delivered. Every person entering his name as a plaintiff will receive the benefit of the court decision, and the city will bear all the expense.

It is hoped to obtain a permanent injunction restraining the company from cutting off the gas of a consumer in retaliation for his refusal to pay his bill.

INJUNCTION IS GRANTED.

Judge Seehorn granted a temporary injunction in 1912 when the city sued to prevent the company from collecting street light rentals because of an inadequate gas supply, and the hearing on this temporary order has never been held.

Several hundred consumers have already signed as plaintiffs.

A movement initiated by the Tenth Ward Improvement association has already resulted in many citizens banding and refusing to pay the bills rendered them.

The city, too. has "docked" the company for poor lighting, Mayor Jost last month ordering the bills for street lights cut almost $1,000 for this reason.

The city owes the gas company almost $10,000 for gas lighting. The company refuses to accept part payment, but does not dare to cut off the supply because of the circuit court order forbidding it.

FOILED BY CITY

The Kansas City Gas company gets its gas, under contract. from the Kansas Natural Gas company, a Kansas corporation which is in the hands of the receivers.

Attempts of Kansas receivers to raise the rates, which the contract with the city provides shall be increased from 27 to 30 cents a year hence. have so far been foiled by the city, as it is in Missouri.

Now the receivers have appealed to the federal court, and a subpoena has been served on Jost to appear before Federal Judge Pollock in Topeka,

WILL CALL OTHERS.

Other subpoenas will be served on John T. Barker, attorney general of Missouri; members of the Missouri state utilities commission, and the mayors of St. Joseph and Joplin, which are also fighting the gas company.

Citizens charge that the company has deliberately held back the pressure of gas and given an inadequate supply to get franchises for furnishing gas at higher rates, and then furnish natural gas under the franchise.