The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1913-06-05
Prop. l1taiyon Made to Com
mercial Club BY Union
Natural Gas Corporation
Presented to Works Board.
NOT MAKE FIGHT ON
FRANCHISE, HOWEVER
E. P. Whitcomb, of Pittsburg,
Was Here Yesterday and
Explained Matter-Wants
Prompt Action.

( The Union Natural Gas Corporation
of Pittsburg, the company that is sup
plying sections of Ohio, Indiana and
Pennsylvania with natural gas, has
made a proposition through the Com
mercial Club to furnish the citizens of
Richmond with natural gas from the
West Virginia fields at the rate of 40
cents for the first 5000 cubic feet, 35
cents for all over 5000 and up to and
including $4,000 cubic feet, and all
over at 30 cents per thousand.
When it became known that line
OF natural gas was being laid from
Dayton to Muncie and that the line
would come within ten or fifteen miles
of Richmond, Chas. w. Jordan, Sec
retary of the Commercial Club, wrote
to the president of the company and
asked about the possibility of getting
the company to come into Richmond
with it's line. In response, E. P. Whit
comb, president of the Logan Natural
Gas and Fuel Co., of Pittsburg, came
to Richmond yesterday afternoon and
presented to the officers of the Com
mercial Club a proposition under
which his company would be willing to
come into Richmond with natural gas.
He Explains Proposition.
In presenting the proposition Mr..
Whitcomb stated that the Union Nat
ural Gas corporation of Pittsburg is
holding company for a number of sub
sidiary companies in Ohio, Indiana,
Pennsylvania and capitalized for $10,-
100000. He said they have about
$40 natural gas wells in West Virginia
and Ohio with daily output of about
billion cubic feet, and that while
the company sells its output to subsi-
diary corporations all franchises are
guaranteed by the holding company.
Mr.. Whitcomb further stated that
his company will not make a fight for
franchise, but If the citizens of Rich
mond are interested enough to grant
a reasonable franchise which will pro-
hibit the company from charging
greater rate than 40 cents per thous-
and cubic feet. they will invest large
amount of money in Richmond.
Mr. Whitcomb said his company
could buy the old natural gas mains
in Richmond from the Richmond Light
Heat and Power Company but this
would not be satisfactory as the condi-
tion of the mains which are old, would
cause a great loss in distributing gas.
He said If the franchise is granted the
alleys would be used wherever possi-
BILE for laying mains and he thought
all alleys running north and south
could be utilized for that purpose, thus
doing away with tearing up the
streets.
ts Prompt Action.
In outar1 teg the proposition Mr..
Whitcomb Said his company would
like to have the matter taken up as
soon as possible so that the Richmond
mains can be included in a contract
that is now being made for pipe. He
said If the franchise is granted in time
the company will agree to be serving
consumers before winter. Mr.. Whit
comb further said that the company
will give an indemnity bond to lay
the mains and furnish the gas accord
ing to the franchise and contract.
Mr.. Whitcomb, who left for Mum
Gle last night, entrusted K. c. Krick,
one of the engineers of the company,
to come to Richmond tomorrow after