The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-02-05
In zOpen Letter to the Psops of N7esrs Dlygiaia:
What Do You Think About the Oil and Gas Business?

III AJdS BUSINESS.
stations and hundreds ofmiles pipe lines with the
idea Of making it permanent business costs heavily?
Do You know that natural gas Is not a necessity,
but luxury; that for heat and light, and mannfac.
turing purposes. there plenty Of other fuels such
US hard coal; soft COAL wood coke OIL producer gas
and electricity, and therefore, since there plenty
other such fuels but natural gas is because
it is more convenient cleaner, simpler and in
some cases less expensive don't you think the people
Who want to use it whether they be in West Virginia
OF elsewhere ought to pay enough for it to return
account that it is business of great present risks
and future uncertainty
II you had something valuable 10 sell sfor which
there was aigreat demand, wouldn't you try to- find
market for ii, 4no matter how far away, which
would pay you reasonable interest on your invest
ment and eventually return the money invested?
Would you invest millions and Hundreds Of millions
any bssness unless you could expect your money
aitolbe returned and al profit for your risk? 81
Don't YOU think that you, the taxpayer the farmer.
the landowner the manufacturer, the merchant, the
professional man, the furnisher Of materials the
employe, and all Of you who compose the population
;ofsWest Virginia, and who benefit as shown above
from the gas business hope 10 have these benefits
increased only by allowing natural gas to be sold for
q reasonable and profitable price, wherever there IS
market, within the State or without forindustrial
or domestic use?
Do you think it good policy for State that has
great natural resources, such as timber gas coal
oil, andSproduces them, to insist that they shall be
sold cheaper within the State than elsewhere?
Don't you know that you cannot prevent, a pro-
ducer from taking his product for sale where he
chooses, whether that product be corn, wheat pota
toes, coal, timber oil or gas, and thatto attempt to
make him sell his product cheaper in West Virginia
than he can sell elsewhere would force the saleof
these natural products elsewhere, land cripple the
industries of your, Statea js
Don't you know that the great industries Of your
State which use natural gas would have just cause
10 complain if by such penny wise, pound.foolish
policy the gas companies were forced to take their
gas outside the State and thus compel these factories
TO shut down or move away? Sal "a
Don't you realize that the great industrial and
manufacturing States Of this country have become
so and continue only by treating fairly squarely
those industries WHICH studteu
ders; and also that capital which is proyerbially
timid will not go where it fears it will not get such
treatment? r. 49,
Don't you think that the prosperity Of the indus
tries and the people Of State is the Prosperity Of
the State and that the State have no interests
sexceptthe interests OF the people Of the Statea
- are ask and
1--we will appreciate Iitg greaHy,if you will dis
I cuss them among yourselves and then com
municate with US and say frankly what you
think. Dsg- sst5's
T. Write to as on postal card, or send KS g
letter.. Be apiu appreciate hearing from yolt.
This IS our first letter to you. II ,oin Dc
tolloped by others So gige as stov q sie, !gs
We qein aeelcoaae them. -,
We can answer your questions in our next
letter or possibly direct to the interrogation.
Ask us any reasonable questions and If 1t
is possible to do 50, we will answer them. y!
You and we are each so deeply interested
in the business Of discovering, producing and
marketing West Virginia's natural wealth
that a frank discussion Of its features will
do us both no harm: and may lead to a better
understanding.