The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-02-05

stations and hundreds OF miles Of pipe lines with N.
iuea oil making 1t permanent business costs heavily
Do you know that natural gas is not a necessity.
but luxury; that for heat and light and manufao-
turing purposes, there plenty of other fuels such
as hard coal. soft COAL wood coke OIL producer GA,
and electricity, and therefore, there are plenty
Of other such fuels but natural gas preferred because
1t IS more convenient. cleaner. simpler to use and in
some cases less expensive don't you think the people
who want to it, whether they be in West virginia
or elsewhere ought to pay enough for it to return
the money invested in the business after taking into
account that it is business of great present risk,
and future uncertainty?
II you had something valuable to sell for which
there was great demand, wouldn't YOU try to find
market for it, matter how far away which
would pay you reasonable interest your invest
ment and eventually return the money invested?
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 farmer.
the landowner the manufacturer the merchant m,
professional man, the furnisher of materials. the
employe, and all of you who compose the population
OF West Virginia and who benefit as shown above
from the business, hope to have these benefits
increased only by allowing natural gas to be sold for
a reasonable and profitable price. wherever there is
a market, within the State without, for industrial
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-
toes. COAL timber, oil gas and that to attempt to
make him sell his product cheaper in West Virginia
than he sell elsewhere would force the sale of
these natural products elsewhere, and cripple tho
industries Of your State2
Don't you know that the great industries of yotr
State which use natural gas would have Just cause
to complain il by such a penny-wise, poundfoolish
policy the gas companies forced to take their
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
and continue only by treating fairly and squareIv
those industries which situated within their Dor
ders; and also that capital, which is proverbialv
tmid will not go where it fears it will not get such
treatment?
Don't you think that the prosperity of the indu-.
tries and the people of State is the Prosperity Of
the State, and that the State can have no interests
except the interests of the people of the State?
These are the questions we ask you. and
we will appreciate it greatly if you will dis
cuss them among yourselves and then com
muncate with us and say frankly what you
think.
Write to as on a postal card, or send US a
letter. Ne aciH appreciate hearing from you.
This IS our first letter TO you. IL aoiu be
foiio5ocd by others. So gi0e as your Uieacs.
We 1cW reicome them.
We can answer your questions in our next
letter or possibly direct to the interrogator.
Ask us any reasonable questions and IL it
is possible to do so. we will answer them.
You and we are each SO deeply interested
IN the business Of discovering, producing and
marketing West Virgima's natural wealth
that frank discussion Of its features will
do us both no harm and may lead TO a better
understanding.