Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-18
GAS PRODUCTION
By Frederic j. Haskin

y
! three times the cost of the raw material
| from which it is made. There has been
much talk about the harmful effect of
water gas and the dangers attendant
upon it's use, but the geological survey
figures show that nearly two-thirds of
the artificial gas used in the United
States is water gas
The latest idea in gas production is
LIQUID gas. A process has been dis
covered whereby gas can be liquehed
under pressure, and it will lend itself
admirably to the needs of the isolated
home or place of business, 1t can be
sold more cheaply than oil, and Is SAID
to give all the advantages OF gas with
tut the use of mains and pipes. 1t rs
hardly probable that the new gas Will
come into general use in this country or
in Canada, but it is meeting favor in
Germany.
Opinion is sharply divided over the
prepaid meter system OF gas using. AZ
has been found to result in a greater
number of installations but when
man blIys It a quarter at time he be-
comes more careful about his gas Dill,
lsYith the result that his new economy
almost or quiet, counterbalances the
added sales from new installatloilS. he-
Gently Atlanta was infested WIN gas
meter robbers. In a single month more
I
posited coins. The loss fell on the users
and not on the company which tur-
nished the gas. Steps have been taken
to prevent future robberies
The public has always claiIheo tnat
the meters run too fast. some hght
was recently thrown on that supJect
NV a test in New York The meters
that were complained of during given
neriod were taken out and tested by
the public utilities commission. Ihe
result showed that 53 per cent were
too fast and that while the total
amount of gas charged for was con-
siderably in excess Of that actually
used when those which ran TOO SLOW
were taken into consideration It was
found that the gas company was not
much ahead after all.
New York makes and uses over one
fourth of all the artificial gas used in
the United States. Thirty-three bill
lion cubic feet a year, according 10 the
public utilities commission, is the an
nual production. Stored in gas pipe
sixteen feet square it would entirely
circle the globe Even the meters in
use in that city would make a solid
row from New York to washington.
The greatest amount of money ever
refunded to consumers of any kind In
a single week was the $530,00O refund
ed to the users of gas under the 8O-cent
gas decision of t = supreme court. The
Consolidated Gas company had been
charging a dollar. The New York
authorities fixed the rate at 80 cents
The Gas company got out an lnJune-
tion and the difference between the
rates was held in trust until the final
adjudication of the matter. 1t was
decided in favor of the consumer, who
as a result, got back over haIf mill
lion dollars in six days.
The manufacture of gas fixtures OF
all kinds is an important industry In
the United States, and often the manu-
facturer has his ability taxed to turn
out the special orders that are maze
on him. Recently the Illinois steel COM
pany ordered four gas meters. These
four meters were to be able to meas
ure a greater flow of gas than is re-
ouired to supply the whole city of Phil
adelphia and six times as much as is
required to supply city like Baltl-
more But the manufacturer was equal
to the occasion and turned out the -FOUR
biggest gas meters in the world. IL is
said that they are as accurate as they
are large.
Artificial gas for illuminating pur-
noses was first used about 1907, thougn
ii never reached a commercial scale
until about 1910. 1t thereafter grew IN
favor, and even the electric light couid
not outshine 1t in the estimation OF the
average householder. While electricity
has largely driven gas out of the office
building and the large manufacturing
establishment where light Is needed,
gas is still the favorite lighting agent
in the urban home, and bids fair to
remain so. Usually the large CONNER
cial buildings have big heating plants'
and they can produce electrlclty as
nv product of the heating plant, tnere-
nv making it far cheaper than to buy
o9e AhoIIt 1000 gas companies are said
70 he doing business in the United
states. as compared with 1000 electric
central stations. There are 100000 elec-
tricians in the United States and not
more than one-fourth as many gas eX-
nerts most Of whom are men who grad
mated from the school of experience.
The action of the Washington Gas
company in reducing Its rate Tor gas
ia 90 cents is an illustration of the new
spirit which is coming over corpora-
tions everywhere 1t saw that public
| sentiment was for cheaper gas, and
that congress was in q mood to act IN
that direction Rather than yield only
when It had to, and rather than take
the risk of even a lower rate by legisla-
five action, the gas company elected to
Voluntarily reduce the price to 80 cents.
There were indications that GOOD DIT
of the time of congress would be taken
ND in the consideration of this one local
n11estion. The whole country Will
nrobably rejoice that congress will not
have to devote it's energies to the Wash
ington gas question next winter, but
will have that time to devote to more
| pressing national matters.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic ]. Haskin.)