Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-07-26
BEATING AND LIGHTING WITH
NATURAL GAS.

II goes without saying that whoever
furnishes natural gas to the city for IL
Illuminating purposes will furnish it also
for heating, or rice versa whoever fur
nishes it for heating will furnish it for
light.
1t is hardly reasonable to suppose that
any resident who pays the expense Of
conducting gas into his house for heat
ing would want to incIr a double cost
for conducting it from . different set Of
mains for lighting when n system of
pipes would answer the same purpose
as two and with much less damage to
his property.
1t would be just as reasonable to as
| sumo that if the city were furnishing
water TO residents for drinking purposes
only, and a rival company should pro-
pose to furnish it for the kitchen de-
partment and the bath-tub, that house
holders would prefer to have two sets Of
pipes run into their houses and be fur
nished by two separate sources although
at the same price, and the water in
each case was drawn from the Ohio
river.
The city already has its mains and
connections with a majority OF the
houses that would use natural gas if it
is obtained by the experiment about to
be made by the Gas Trustees. In a
great many instances these pipes would
be of sufficient capacity for both heat
ing and lighting; the only alteration
necessary would be to connect them
with the stoves or other heating appl-
ratus; and in any case all that would
be necessary, if tine capacity of the
pipes was insufficient, would be to sub
stitute larger pipes for the present ones.
Therefore, we say, that while the Gas
Trustees have the privilege and the
authority from Council to fOrniSh ma
tural gas-if they can get it-for both
heating and lighting and have already
a system of pipes which connects their
works with q majority of the houses, it
is unreasonable to suppose that any
householder thus connected, would pre-
fer to take gas from = rival company, or
even that a new house a yet unfur-
nished with pipes, would prefer a rival
company that furnished for heating par
| poses only, when it could be had from
the Trustees for both heating and light
ing and by one system of pipes instead
of two.
There is only one chance, it seems to
us, for any rival company thar proposes
to furnish gas for heating, to compete
with the city, and that is by furnishing
it at lower rates than the city is willing
or can afford to do. And this, we as
sumo, is no chance at all. For, under
the existing conditions already referred
to, the city is ahead of all competitors
in its opportunities and facilities for
furnishing gas, and is sure to have a
large majority of the patrons.
The chance, therefore, for any com.
pany to come in and compete with the
city appears to be exceedingly slim.
They ask for the exclusive" privilege
it is true; but if we may take the COM
pany's organ as authority, they do not
object to competition by the city, but
would be willing to accept the grant
subject to the right of the Gas Trustees
occupying the same territory at any
time"
We presume that there will be no Sc
rious objections to any company boring
for gas and furnishing it under such con
ditions as will amply secure the Gas
Trustees against any interference or de-
probation of the grant which Council
has given them, but we very much
question whether any company wants
the grant under such conditions.