University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, September 28, 1977
5
Gas rates dispute heard
Staff Writer
Bv STEVE PARSONS
A sparring match yesterday afternoon between representatives of the Kansas Public Service Co., Inc., the supplier of natural gas for the Lawrence area, and Black and Veatch consulting firm of Kansas City, Mo, which reasoned that same issues but muddled others, Mayor Mamie Argeringer said yesterday.
Umpel Finnefish, representative for the gas company, had charged at a city commission meeting two weeks ago that Black and Veatch had met to discuss wage increases in figuring gas rates. Black and Veatch jointly hired by the city and the gas company to recommend equitable gas rates, last month recommended an per cent increase in local gas rates.
He said the rate Black and Veatch had recommended for those years had caused the gas company to reduce its fair according fairly according fair according fairly according fair according fairly according fair according fairly according fair
BILL CHANEY, Black and Veach spokesman, said yesterday that inflation and wage increases both had the effect on companies, in contrast to the rates. He said inflation estimates had been based on past years' figures and could not be assumed to increase every year. For example, he said that inflation could be offset partially by the company's growth.
Petefish charged that from 1973 to 1978, Black and Veatch had failed to recommend a rate that would guarantee the profit the gas company had been promised.
However, Petfish said there may be no company growth next year because the Federal Power Commission (FPC) has issued a new gas hookups be made after Jan. 1, 1978.
Chaney responded that because the order is being appealed, it could not be assumed that it would take effect by January. But he believed it would, what he knew for sure would be in effect.
Any gas company employee wage increase for next year could not be predicted by Black and Veatch, Chaney said. He said he used wage figures supplied by the gas company to estimate how much he includes extra wage increases, he said, it should give him figures showing that.
CHANEY PROPOSED two ways to reduce the risks that annual rate-setting encounter. He said an automatic pass-through procedure could be implemented in which any expense to the gas company would be passed on to the consumers.
Chaney maintained that the Black and Veaatch record in rate setting was good. He said rate setting was risky business and that the profit differences shown by Pfeilfish were not unusual, especially considering the past natural gas curtailments for the past few years.
This procedure, however, would require close monitoring to be sure that all costs passed on to consumers were legitimate, as well as equitably distributed, he said.
The other procedure, Chaney said, would be for the gas company to meet with the city commission each time it needed an emergency rate increase.
Buford Watson, city manager, said according to the franchise under which the gas company is legally set up, the procedure should already be for the gas company to request gas rate changes from the city commission. The arbitrator, Black and Veatch, should only be needed, he said, when an agreement is not reached with the city.
THE MONEY was not billed to Lawrence gas users because of a calculation error by the gas company, that did not fully account for a gas increase on Jan. 23. Black and Veatch discovered the error and informed the gas company in time to correct the Aug. 23 billing of area customers. However, the $90,000 still is owed.
Also discussed at yesterday's meeting was approximately $90,000 worth of gas not billed to Lawrence residents between Jan. 23 and Aug. 23 of this year.
Petefishaid it was the legal opinion of the gas company that the gas company was entitled to all of the money, whether it came from Cities Service or Lawrence gas users. The company would not immediately bill Lawrence users if Cities Service does not refund the money.
CHANEY SAID Black and Veatch recommended that the gas company absorb the difference not refunded to it because it was the gas company's error that caused
The gas company could be refunded all or part of the $80,000 from the Cities Service.
Petefish said he would not abide by the city commission, but by the decision of the city commission.
City approves census computer
The city commission last night set wheels into motion to spend extra revenue earned from this year's trash collection rate in order to establish a local computerized census center.
The commission approved a request to the State Board of Tax Appeals to spend $29,985 more than is allotted to the 1977 sanitation budget.
The money, available from extra trash collection revenue because of a rate increase earlier this year, is needed to pay for unexpected repairs of sanitation trucks.
City officials said the request was merely prompted by the need to be being asked to spend more than the budget.
THE COMMISSION authorized the submission of an agreement with the U.S. Bureau of the Census to establish a National Dual Independent Man Encoding system.
Roger Hedrick, director of planning, said last night that the system was a computerization of census information that would enable the city to take advantage of census figures before the 1980 census. One benefit, he said, was for the city to be able to
handle census data quickly so the city could amply for federal grants more quickly.
Another advantage, he said, was the mapping out more efficient trash collection at school buildings.
Hedrick said the only cost to city would be time. Of the $21,000 total price, $15,000 would be paid by the census bureau and $6,000 would be in the form of software funded through the University of Kansas, he said. Software is the paper, tape or other material on which information is carried to communicate it to a computer.
The commission also accepted a $540,000 Federal Aviation Administration grant to pay for improvements at Lawrence Municipal Airport. City Manager Buford Watson said that the total cost of improvements would be about $800,000.
HE SAID THAT most of the difference would be for land purchasing adjacent to the airport. Bids for the improvements would be given by a construction should start next spring, he said.
Approved by the city commission was the issuance of $4 a million in industrial revenue from the city.
Bonds are issued to be sold to investors in large market areas such as New York City. Funds from the selling of the bonds are used to build the plant and profits from the plant operation are used to buy back the bonds with interest for the investor.
Co. plant northwest of town, scheduled to be completed in January.
The first reading of an ordinance establishing the Community Development Grant Board was approved. The board would act as an advisory body to the city commission to help set policies and determine where federal Community Development Funds should be spent for community rehabilitation. The ordinance is scheduled to be heard by the city commission one more time before given final approval.
Also approved by the city commission was a request to transfer the use of the funds from operation of Asher House, an alcoholic liquor store to purchasing or renting another facility.
ne house, at 345 Missouri St., has been declared unsafe.
Imagine an enrolment that is an auction. Professors sit in booths in a field house, calling to students and trying to persuade them to sign up for their classes. Professors claim that their classes are fun-filled and have a mention of knowledge and study is made.
Gunn spun last night to 45 people at the rally, which was called "Kampus," which was published in dailly.
In spite of the availability of material goods and futuristic conveniences, Gunn makes it clear that the fictional campus is crumbling physically and academically, with most students having a sixth grade reading level.
Students are in control of the campus but they are more concerned with their own satisfaction than the good of other people. Yet they are obsessed with the idea of a revolution, and this makes them restless, violent and suspicious of others.
Staff Writer
The book takes place in the mid-1900s and opens at KU, although the campus is never identified by name. Students run the campus, hiring and firing professors, controlling the Union and making the chancellor a powerless figurehead.
"Readers and publishers have told me, 'None of that will happen,' Gunn said. I am trying to show not what will happen but how it can come out of the ideas of the late scribes succeeded.
Such an enrollment takes place at KU in "Kampus," a science fiction book by James Patterson.
He said that some of the frustration he felt during the late sixties at KU, when he was working for University Relations, inspired him to write the book.
"We're still debating revolutionary ideas of the sixties, and Kampus deals with some of them."
Campus groups also scream to the students to join them; students on drugs drift by; masked figures lurk in the shadows of stairwells.
Students run 'Kampus'
By CATHY CRIST
Japanese jetliner hijacked
Kyodo, the Japanese news service, said the Bombay airport reported the plane was heading for Dacca, the capital of Bangladesh.
TOKYO (AP) - A Japan Air Lines DC8 jetliner with nine passengers reported aboard
The Kyodo report said there were at least two hijackers who said their motive was “to resist” the Japanese government.
The plane was on a flight from Paris to Tokyo and was hijacked just after it took off from Bombay for Bangkok, Thailand, the airline said.
japanese press reports said the hijackers identified themselves as members of the Japanese Red Army, the country's best known ultra-left terrorist organization. Officials said they could not confirm the report.
It said the plane was carrying 141 passengers, a crew of 10 and four other employees of the airline traveling as nonduty crew.
"It was a vigorous time," he said, "and the students then had a goal and purpose. There were so many ideas but most of them were never talked over, and if they were, it was an emotional, not rational way. I think this was frustrating for both students and faculty."
This type of emotion is shown to an extreme in "Kampus" when students present no alternative to the system they rebel against.
"Still, the book is not a prediction. It's imagination. Science fiction writes makers the unreal seem real, when it's not. We need to differentiate to science fiction. But we're not trying to prophesy."
The main character of the book, Gavin,
slowly learns that this is wrong.
"Gavin has good instincts; he is a symbol of the quest for knowledge." Gunn said. "But he has many fixed ideas, as some people in the sixties did."
Gunn said he began writing the novel in 1970 and was finished by the first of 1975.
"I let this book unfold itself, chapter by chapter," he said.
The title of the book is important, he said, with its misspelling need to let the reader know that there is something strange about the book's world.
"I wanted the title to tell the reader that things were wrong, for example that characters in the book could scarcely read, so any spelling was fine for them," he said.
Gunn is almost finished with another science fiction book called "The Dreamers." He has written 17 other books on Science Fiction Writers of America.
Last night's talk was the second program of the University Lecture Program.
PRIDE . . .
If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding job in the field of aviation or nuclear engineering, the Navy may be what you are looking for. We are now taking applications for our 2 and 4 year scholarship programs.
FRESHMEN & SOPHOMORES
For details contact:
LIEUTENANT
DALE RAUCH
Room 115 Military Science Building
Ph. 864-3161
Student Senate Elections Fall 1977
$ \star $ Six Full Year Seats Open in Nunomaker Collogo $ \star $ Freshman Class Officer (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer)
If you are running for Senate
1. Pick up Declaration of Candidacy at the Student Senate Office (Level 3, Suite 105, Kansas Union).
2. Have the office of the Dean of your School or College certify your enrollment in that School or College.
3. Return your Declaration with $3 Filing Fee or 50 signatures of your constituents) NO LATER THAN 5 P.M., WED, SEPT. 28, 1977, to the Senate Office (105 B Kansas Union).
If you are running for Class Officers:
1. Pick up Declaration of Candidacy at the Student Senate (Level 3, Suite 105, Kansas Union).
2. Have the Office of the Dean of your School or College certify your enrollment and year (Freshman) in that School or College.
3. Return your Declaration (with $3 FilingFee or 50 signatures of your constituents) NO LATER THAN 5 P.M. WED., SEPT. 28, 1977, to the Senate Office (105 B Kansas Union).
All candidates must attend a special meeting at 7 p.m., Thurs., Sept. 29, in the Forum Room of the Kansas Union. Election policies of the Student Senate will be reviewed.
Elections will be October 12 & 13
The Student Senate is Funded by Student Activity Fees.