Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-02-19
MUCH INTEREST
BEING AROUSED
Man y Replies ToLetter Of Man.
uf acturers Light & Heat Co.
SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY Evident
Hundreds Of Answers Have Been Re.
eeived, Many of Which Are Favor.
able, and But Few Question the
Position of the Company.
SPIRIT OF FAIR PLAY EVIDENT
[By STAFF Correspondent

Pittsburgh, Pa, Feb 16.-John q.
Gill, president of The Manufacturers
Light & Heat Company, stated here
today that he has received hundreds
Of replies from citizens Of West Vir--
GINA to the Open Letter addressed to
the people of the State by his COM
pany and published in this paper and
throughout the State last week as an
advertisement. Mr.. GiR -+rrW that
these replies contain e. bgtty
Of views. about so per cent Ux vi !ch
are favorable to the gas interests, 80
per cent differ in minor particulars,
and the remaining 20 per cent are
unfavorable. Mr.. Gill says he is de-
lighted with the interest being shown
throughout the State in this open dis
cussion and believes the result will be
to bring about a closer understanding
between the gas interests and the
people of the State.
1--WE have received hundreds of let
tiers" said Mr.. Gill, Sin answer to
our Open Letter, in which the people
state their views courteously and with
intelligence, which is very gratifying
and shows a spirit of fair play and
justice. Fully fifty per cent Of them
favor helping the gas and oil people
to develop the State and find market
for their products where possible.
About thirty per cent disagree with
some Of the ideas suggested. About
Is per cent say they are not sufficient
ly informed about the questions to
venture reply and ask for further
information, and the balance. simply
state that they think the rates for gas
are high enough or too high. A very
few, not over dozen OF so, are
abusive and bitter in their remarks,
which is such small percentage that
it shows the people of West Virginia
are practically all fair minded and
without prejudices.
''It is a pleasure to US to, know, that
we have such an open minded class
of people before whom to- state our
case and we JshalI - -, 1850
Open Letters in the nsw,IlapsxA, feel
ing that we are being impartially and
honestly, judged and that our case il
In the best of hands. Our first letter
was prepared with the purpose Of get
ting an idea Of how the people Of the
State looked at this great business Of
producing and marketing oil and gas
and now that we have clear ideaa of
how it is regarded Throughout the
State, we shall be able to go ahead
and furnish the information so many
Of our correspondents have asked for,
and shall await their further opinions
with interest and confidence.
"The unprejudiced attitude of the
newspapers is also a matter upon
which West Virginia is to be-. con-
graduated and augurs well for a,safe
solution Of any question which, may
come before the public Of the State
at any time"
gMr. Gill stated that the next, Open
Letter will probably be q collection
Of number Of the typical letters re-
ceived, which will show all the people
Of the State just how others in the
| State look at the matter. He stated
that these letters win be taken from
ali those received and viii show all
varieties Of opinions, both favorable
| to the gas companies and otherwise.
This public letter win appear shortly
in this newspaper and should be read
with interest and studied carefully.