The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-12-13
Natural Gas Would Save
City Million A Year
Enough Is Sought To Supply
City Without Fear Of Com
petition
(From Times-Picayune)

! held its annual meeting in the as
ss mbiy room of the association for
the coming year by re-electing A. M.
Lockett, chairman, and w. J. Aiken,
vice. hartman.
| Preceding the election, Mr.. Lock
EFT read the annual report of the
bureau showing that good service
had been rendered by that arm of
the association in the past several
months, including the collection of
data in respect Of natural gas, it's
price in various sections, ETC.; the
study of the problem of inland nav
igation; data on available shipbuild-
ing plants in South Louisiana, and
the furnishing of such information to
several individuals or firms who
are seeking locations for ship
yards.
In connection with this last men
toned activity a committee has been
appointed to collect data as to ma
terials for the construction of ships.
He announced there would be no in
dustrial parade for 1918, because of
the war. Mr. Lockett ended his re-
port by suggesting, in view of a
number of inquiries about sloft"
buildings for manufacturing indus
tries, that modern loft building,
equipped with power, heat, light and
elevator service was a necessity N
New Orleans. He said, under exist
ing conditions, the. small factory rs
ually has to take small, badly
lighted, non-fireproof building with
consequent high insurance rates.
After the election of officers, Mr..
Lockett introduced w. H. Sedberry,
manager of the Marshall (Tex.) Gas
Company, who spoke on "What Nat
ural Gas Would Mean to New Or
leans" Mr.. Sedberry entered into
a history of the successful boring
for gas in Terrebonne parish after
two failures. He said there were
now three huge wells in the field,
which could furnish gas to large
city without fear of competition as
TO price or service. He said there
were SO per cent. more units in nat
,.ral than in artificial gas, and with
the introduction of natural gas into
this city households could secure gas
fc7 cooking, for heating apartments
and for light for the same they were
paying now, at saving of $1,000
600 in coal and other fuels.
In conclusion, Mr.. Sedberry drew
an alluring picture of large city
amply supplied with natural gas for
all purposes, dwelling on the con-
vience to the household, economy to
the factory and industrial plants
generally, and convenience and saw
ing to the mass of the people.
Mr.. Sedberry was followed by
John B. Swinney of the Tulane Col
lege of Commerce, who spoke on
"How to Build Up the Industries of
New Orleans" Mr.. Swinney spoke
as one who had given his subject
careful and painstaking thought, and
he said things that might sound as
akin to sacrilege to portion of the
community, but the members of the
bureau present applauded him
heartily when he closed.
Among other things, he said that
the calling of New Orleans "TheI
City Care Forgot" might do some-
thing to attract visitors here, but it !
could do nothing to attract. business
or industrial enterprises. He advised |
business men when they entertained
visitors to cease showing them old |
and historic buildings, unkempt and'i
dingy with age and neglect, and to |
show them inst cad the terminal IA /
cilities, the factories and the main
businesses Of the city. 1
Mr.. Swinney dwelt on the neces- |
sity of collecting specific informa- !.
ton that factories would require be- 1.
fore settling in any community, but I
DC held that giving encouragement
and assistance to existing factories /
was more important than securing
new industries. He referred in out |,
line to the conditions that attracted \
industrial enterprises. He cited an
example that the Burroughs Adding
Machine Company established itself
n Detroit because the wife of the
after a visit there, had
'ound it to be an ideal place for the
earring of her children, and her hus-
and reasoned therefrom that it
would likewise to be an ideal place
or the rearing of the children of
employees of the factory, and hence
would attract labor His advice was
o pick out promising industries for
he city, collect the facts specifically
earring on their needs, and having