The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-07-14
BY ARNOLD WHALEN.

Tiffin. Ohio, July IA.
After hopelessly failing in the oper-
alton of municipal gas plant and
struggling along for years under a
private corporation which failed to
Tiffin in December, 1902, granted a
franchise to the Logan Natural Gas
and Fuel Company to furnish the city
with gas.
The best proof of the success Of the
change lies in the fact that nearly ev-
cry home is equipped for gas. In a
city of approximately 5000 population
only about dozen homes do not use
gas for cooking, lighting or heating.
Put To Severe Test.
The resources of the company have
been put to severe tests here, particu-
larly during the great flood of last
March. During the trying days of the
flood, the situation was very critical.
For nearly a week the city was with
out electricity or water but the gas
supply was cut off only five hours on
March 25. What this meant to Tiffin
may be realized when it is known that
ninety per cent of the homes are heat
ed and lighted with gas.
Homes on the riverfront, it is true,
were cut off because of the loss of
mains, but within a week the entire
service was back in commission.
In the ten years the Logan company
has furnished gas in Tiffin, the supply
has been completely cut off but twice
once for three hours because of a
flood at Mt. Gilead, O., several years
ago and for a second time last March
The supply of gas has been uniformly
good throughout these years.
The '-anchise fixes the maximum
rate at 40 cents per thousand cubic
feet with discount of 10 per cent for
payment before the tenth of each
month following the furnishing of the
gas, yet the company has never
charged this rate. The charge at pres
ent is 33 13 cents per thousand less
the 10 per cent discount for domestic
use.
Has Sliding Scale.
A sliding scale is in operation for
large consumers such as manufactur-
ers, etc. The rate in these cases varies
from 13 cents to 21 cents according to
the amount of gas consumed.
The local franchise is very flexible
and contains no provisions for stand
ards of pressure, heat units and quail
ty. A uniform pressure suited to the
mains has been maintained winter and
summer. This averages ounces, but
varies slightly. The gas supply has
been even during the ten years the
Tiffin and has been adequate to supply
not only domestic consumers but also
the large manufactures even in the
severest winters.
Gas Up To Standard.
No guaranty as to quality or heat
units is made by the company but as
no complaints have ever been made it
may easily be seen that the gas is up
to the standard. The gas is supplied
just as it comes from the wells and
the quality has always been satisfac-
tory.
The consumption of gas here is
steadily increasing. Its use is rapidly
replacing coal for heating. 1t is more
economical and has been found entire
ly dependable as furnished by the Lo-
gan company. The average gas bill for
domestic use is 81 month, which in
cludes its use for lighting, cooking and
heating. For lighting and cooking only,
the average falls way below this figure
Two Plants Abandoned.
Two artificial gas plants have been
abandoned here since the Logan Nat
ural Gas and Fuel Company took sold
of the situation here. The change has
been the result of reducing rates very
materially. The old municipal plant
furnished natural gas but failed when
wells gave out.
The city council has had the gas
question under consideration but once
Continued on Page Three)