The Socialist and labor star. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1911-1915, 1914-02-27

stations and hundreds of miles of pipe lines with the
idea of making it permanent business, costs heavy1
Do YOU know that natural gas is not necessity,
but luxury; that for heat and light, and manufac-
turing purposes there plenty OF other fuels, such
as hard coal, soft COAL wood, COKE oil, producer gas
and electricity and therefore, since there are plenty
of other such fuels but natural gas preferred because
it is more convenient cleaner, simpler to use, and IN
some cases less expensive, don't you think the peope
who want to use it, whether they be III West Virginia
or elsewhere, ought to pay enough for 1T to return
the money invested in the business after taking into
account that it is business OF great present risks
and future uncertainty?
If YOU had something valuable to sell for which
there was great demand, wouldn't you try to lind
a market for it, no matter how far away, which
would pay you reasonable interest on your invest
ment and eventually return the money nvestedf
Would YOU invest millions and hundreds of millions
in any business unless you could expect your money
to be returned and profit for your risk?
Don't you think that you the taxpayer, the farmers
tbe landowner, the manufacturer, the merchant, the
professional man, the furnisher of materials, the
empoye, and all Of you who compose the population
OF West Virginia, and who benefit as shown above
increased only by allowing natural gas to be sold for
reasonable and profitable price, wherever there is
market within the State without, for industrial
or domestic use?
Do you think it good policy for State that has
great natural resources such timber, gas coal and
oil. and produces them, to insist that they shall be
sold cheaper within the State than elsewhere'
Don't YOU know that you cannot prevent a pro-
Queer from taking his product for sale where he
chooses whether that product be corn, wheat pota-
foes coal timber oil or gas and that to attempt to
make him sell his product cheaper in West Virginia
than he can sell elsewhere would force the sale OF
these natural products elsewhere, and cripple ths
industries of your State?
Don't YOU know that the great Industries OF your
State which use natural gas would have Just cause
to complain If by such penny-wIse' pound-1oohsh
policy the gas companies were forced to take their
ses outside the State and thus compel these factories
to shut down or move away!
Don't you realize that the great industrial and
manufacturing States Of this country have become
80 and continue only by treating fairly and squarey
those industries which situated within their bor-
ders and also that capital, which is proverbally
aimd will not go where it fears it will not get such
treatmentp
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
except the interests of the people of the Slater
These are the questions we ask you, and
we will appreciate it greatly if you will dis
cuss them among yourselves and then COM
municate with us and say frankly what you
think.
Write to us on postal card, or send us c.
letter. We apW appreciate hearing from you.
This IS our first letter TO you. 1t a0lH be
foNored By others. So give us your 0le'0s.
H7e ar;U avelcome them.
We can answer your questions IN our next
letter or possibly direct to the interrogation.
Ask us any reasonable questions and if it
is possible to do so, we will answer them.
B 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 betteg
understanding.