The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-12-06

company and By "a TO the. concern IN
b au burg and neither eouid ne fss:lr
the merger OF eight Companies. lie told
OF a COMPRISING station being installed
at SrAysVille. Wetzel county. IN 10000
why CONNECT Lines
What was there IN the situation to
justify the company in connectinx the
two systems with the ena in view OF
Yves, NirginlsT' asked Judge Neseitt.
attorney We'll objected 20 the ques-
ton. nrst. tina, there wa. no .,idence
sumed: second. that there 10 no evil
denee that there was more fthsnF enous n
virrini.: and. tsisd. asss Il. question s
involved the assumption that the line
was built for the exclusive purpose OF
Pennsylvania whereas, he said. II had
already been testified that II was built
sns the purpose OF connecting me lines
The witness was then Intercepted
reEarding the principal distribuung
as the line went north or neared PITTS
ourgh. He was asked " Pittsburgh was
not the greatest distributing point at
ever. when questioned further, he aid
that the Pittsburgh district. including
inc suburbs and surrounding towns.
consumes more gas than any other dis
trict. Within radius OF thirty miles.
taking Pittsburgh as the center. he said.
any other district OF like area.
entire Territory tapped By IN. Sa1ufsS,
sidiary companies. he admitted was In
Wetzel. Tyler and Marshall counties. W.
In 1908. the witness said, the company
acquired properties outside OF those IN
West virginia. one OF these. the Manu-
faeturers' Natural Gas company. had
holdings in Washington county. and
near the Greene county line and supplies
Pittsburgh consumers. Several other
n n las Ia
taken over at this time. he said. the
merger being made in 1903. He was
and stated that the demand for gas had
grown so that the consumption neces-
STATED going farther after the gas. thus
Then" said Judge Sesbitt you had
more markets for your gas than you
could ,s supply nd Immediately follow
"A line from the fields IN wetzel county
to Grovetown. Pa That connected a
gas with territory tina, had more gas
=. r,st.suryh shors.y..
gas in this territory TO supply the Do
Pittsburgh district" the judge demand
81. Was II not necessary" he con-
tinued. TO get your supply from great
distance 10 meet The conditions WHICH
Manufacturers company operstedT' In
other words. he said. the shortage OF tbs
IlftthuTKh district was tlppAleu NJ NHt
expense OF the district At the lower end
The agreement ~ the sale OF the rri-
] state Gas company to the Manufactur-
er's Light and Heat company was then
read into the record. According 10 the
! agreement. tho consolidation was made
I With the belief that one trunk line OF
larger capacity laid by the consolidat-
ed corporation would better serve th'
. sstructed by tho various inde ue ndeni
companies. The demand for gas had
become so great. II continued. as 20 ne
cessitate the merger IN order NAV the
Eas might 10 brought great distances
The manner IN which the limo wac
built was inquired into. brinCing out
the fact that from Reader this state. %
tho state line between West virginia
ana PennFylvG mia. was built by we
, many or West virginia. while from that
4 point on q was built by the MsnuIhc-
p Eylvanin, but the line In Pennsylva a.
MA w was sim ,Si. s an extension OF inc
Mr. LAYTON was asked ~ he hhd any
rart In the financial tranTartons or
, the company and replied IN the negative.
/, III there we're watered STOCK. would you
! ~ IN "a position 20 know IL he was
E asked hv Judge Nesbitt. and replied that
To- no would not He was asked what rate
, tho Tir-State Gao Company was sellin
gas 20 tho dome tic consumers when the
, rrerrer took place, and replied that he
- could not recall - Neither could he re-
call the price charged by The NetzeI on
AWa Nia# Company OF NNr " itff.AANha
tural Gas Company when the consoli-
, dotion waa affected.
Raise Rates After Merger.
. JIds %hicS She he , ssia Showed that the
rates charged domestic consumers was
= raised almost Immediately after the mcr-
ser In New Martiusville. "a raise OF
from 20 cents 60 rs cents per 600 cubic
feet was made IN September. sos. and
iu 1907 another raise OF from IS cents
20 - cents was made, and now IL IS
% raise the rata 70 g6 cents he
sai Si'S'' ~ A''' '''' NO ~ -
when you took over the Wheeling
, Natural Gas Company" he continued, a
g rate 81 sih cents was charged Industrial
b. con sumers, IN 1908 10 Was increased 20 2
b. cents. IN 1907 another increase was
made 20 10 cents, IN 1911 80 was raised
10 1913 II f. proposed 20 raise the rate still
higher.
; tNe property became the possession OF
, the Manufacturers Light and Heat Com
z pany. 81 started raising tho rates. and
, has been raising them consistently
I since" cociuded Judge Nssbitt
"Fersistently." suggested Judge os-
n no. rather. insistentiy.- said Attor-
'Inconsis,.n,ly. think Col. Som
j. nerville remarked
The repartee created considerable
Couidn't Remember Details.
: Tho contract Of the Manufacturer
isiEnt ana neat company with the HOue
q Gas Company. whereby the latter FUR
. nishsd considerable quantities % gas 90
. tho former. was again brought up The
I witness professed ignorance ~ details
or the agreement whereby tho Manufac-
b turers' Company sold large properties
20 the Hope Company IN return for the
p Eas lie said he understood a. the time
that more than $1,000 900 was received
b through the deal. Tho holdings which
were transferred 20 the Hope conn any
included over $4,000 acres q leased land
p s. was brought out. II was cf1irned bv
tho attorneys for the .cons uruera that
Z about 80 ieaseholds were included Mr.
, Layton said he knew Of the purchase be
INK made but dld not know tho details
nf the transaction.
Attorney D.. T. Robinson. representing
. ..r .uueatI~ ~0rrIuera % Sew Mar
finsvilie. demanded that tho curnra rv
show what was Included IN the sale To
= ti'7 Attorney We'll replied that the
, agreement showed VI az was included.
+.