The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-15
NO COST TO GAS TAKING
SOME FIGURES FROM A NEW ENG
LAND COMPANY's REPORT.
sale of By-Products Sufficient to Cow
er This Expense-Comment by
n Local Banker.

1T is probable that 1t Is not costing the
indianapolis Gas Company a cent TO make
artificial gas, and, IL anything at all. the
amount is so small that IL would surprise
the people of this city who read the report
of the experts, which said that It cost the
company over 90 cents a thousand feet"
This remark was made yesterday by a
banker of the city, after reading the fnan-
ciaI report of a gas company in the East
The company referred to was the New Eng
land Gas and Coke Company, Of Boston.
Mass. which. in its annual statement. said
that the demand for the auxiliary products
Of the gas plants was so strong that the
gas virtually cost the company nothing. II
Is needless to say that report was not in
tended for circulation in Boston. The facts.
as explained by the banker, are that every
gas plant in the country. from necessity.
manufactures large quantities OF coke, tar
and ammonia. These are always found In
coal, and in making the gas the process
separates the tar and ammonia from the
gas with no cost but the storage of it. For
several years past the prices on these prod
ucts were low, but recently the demand has
sent them up to over double what they were.
This has made the manufacture OF the adj
junct products of gas houses more profitable
than the gas itself, particularly in cities
where the people insist on having gas at a
reasonable price.
No statement was made in the report as
to what price the company received for it's
gas, but II was made plain that being so
far from the soft coal fields the carriage
charges placed the company at a disadvan-
tage by comparison with cities close to soft
coal deposits. In spite of this. after refer
ring to the profitable business done In the
sale OF coke and the prospect OF putting in
new ovens. the report says:
with the present demand for coke. tar
and ammonia the gas will be wholly. profit.
ond 400 ovens, should 1t let the gas run TO
waste. AS a matter of fact, however, gas
connections with the Boston gas companies
will be made the last Of this or early part
of mex month"
In discussing this the ank remarked
hat inasmuch as Indianapolis is equally
close to good coal and the plant is operated
by a syndicate able to market its products
to advantage, the claim of the local com-
pany that 1t costs over 60 cents a thousand
feet to manufacture gas is something in the
way Of a joke to everyon except those who
have to pay the bills on the basis of the
company's figures.
mo one knows better than the Dieterich
syndicate" said he. that the offer to fur
nish 75-cent gas in Cincinnati was not only
possible. but profitable. No one knows Just
what the profits are, but this statement
from a company far from coal fields and
beset by strong competition indicates that
a 75-cent basis would be acceptable to IT."
John r. Pearson was asked last night
what proportion of the earnings of the COM
pany were from the sale of coke, tar and
ammonia He refused TO discuss the mat
ter hOwfVer saving that the nnh1fc had
just as much right to ask him how much
IL cost him to maintain his home each week
as to ask such a question. When asked IL
1t was included in the report of the experts
he said he did not know.