Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-07-02
JERSEY GAS COMPANY
REPLIES TO CRITICISM
Request for Elimination of Dis
count Explained as Busi-
ness Necessity
NOT RADICAL INCREASE
Vice President of Corporation States
It's Case as Presented to
Utilities Commission

The request Of the New Jersey Gas Com
| pauy made before the Public Utilities COM
mission for permission to increase it's rate
| through elimination OF discount has caused
some dissatisfaction in two or three South
! Jersey communities Investigation mas
| shown, however that the protests from gas
| consumers are not especially strenuous
| BY elimination Of an per cent discount
for prompt payment the companys rate OF
| S1.3S per 1000 cubic feet would be increased
| to a fiat rate OF Sl,5O.
| Most of the consumers who are aware
| Of the high cost Of living and the high cost
| Of business, accepted the proposed increase
as matter Of course.
| In view Of the fact that much Of the area
| covered by the company Is only sparscly
| settled. its officers contend that a uniform
| rate Of 81 so is necessary on account of the
| high cost Of oil, labor and maintenance gem
| orally. The companys system extends from
! Woodbury. almost TO Millvile, and covers
| approximately 200 square miles,
1t was enormously reported that the com
| pany sought to obtain 80 per cent IN
| crease in price. This was denied by Thomas
| J. Grayson, Vice president, who also eN-
| plains Incidents leading up to the hearing
before the commission in the following state
| ment:
ELIMINATION OF DISCOUNT
THE statement that the company seeks
so per cent boost in the price Of gas is
untrue The application was to he allowed
TO cut or per cent discount now al
| lowed for prompt payment, making the
| change in rate the difference between $l3S
| per thousand cubic feet of gas and 81 80
per thousand cubic feet OF gas. This change
| applies to the company's territory outside
| of Vineland, n. j. The application in the
| Nlneand territory Is for an increase from
81 per thousand cubic feet OF gas to Sl5O
% . nd 10
Increase, II allowed, will have the great ad-
vantage of making n uniform rate for gas
supplied to domestic consumers all over the
Company's territory.
The case was not postponed as n result
Of the protest Of any citizen or citizens, but
simply because the change In the rate at
Nineland was proposed for the first time
yesterday, and the commission did not wish
to make two bites OF a cherry, but simply
desired to hear the whole case at one and
| the same time.
"a most unfair statement about the situ-
alton Is contained in a printed statement:
| Much TO the surprise Of the gas company 9
attorneys, n group Of angry citizens repre-
! Senting the towns affected appeared before
the commission and urged continuance of
the case until they could organize and re-
tain the services Of attorneys This state
ment is not true; not a single citizen ad-
dressed the commission, to the best of my
knowledge. and | believe no one was pres
!
} except an attorney from Pennsgrove, ~ J.,
who, so far as | know, did not file an APP
pcaranCe and certainly did not address the
commission, There were no angry cltl-
zens present and | challenge any one to
prove that there were. The further state
ment that during the hearing several citi-
zens representing small townships asserted
that they had received no inliing concerning
the proposed changes i'm rates until yester-
day Is also Incorrect The true fact is that
Itch.
, ing and the purpose of It in three leading
newspapers of South Jersey and ! submitted
to the commission yesterday afidavits OF
publication of these notices.
JUSTIFIES HIGHER RATE
: "I might also state that / am informed
| - the secretary Of the Publicity Utility
Commission Of New Jersey that the com.
mission also sent notices to the principal
towns involved. Under these circumstances
the fact that after full publication there
were no angry citizens present. and, r
} ract as far as I know, no citizens at all
would seem TO be one OF the greatest argu.
! ments in favor Of the justice Of the com.
} pany's proposed increase in rate.
, "The whole question in connection with
! the New Jersey Gas Company's proposed
increase in rate may be summed up in q
few words As a direct result of this ter.
rible war labor fuel and oil have increased
virtually doubled, in cost within the last
}
any utility to continue to operate on its
former basis without suffering unmerted
loss. It Is to cure this situation that the
Increase is asked for, and not from any
desire TO make life harder for the consumer
The New Jersey Gas Company is no excep
ton for the situation in question is gen
eral and is affecting street railways. GO,
companies water companies and electric
companies etc, all over the United States
and some remedy must be fond If utilities
r-e to continue to serve the public"
! VARIATION IN CHARGES FOR GAS
In addition to the request for permis
r. n to eliminate discount the company ais
asked the commission to order the Mill
T. VILE Gas Company to increase its pric
d from 81 to $l.50 per thousand w. |. Frost
l. Director of Public Works of Vlneland, sat
\ | that when the New Jersey and Millvll
y companies entered Vineland each concer
$ promised to furnish gas to Nineland 70
+ fifty years at the dollar rate. 1T was m
vote in the Township Committee that de
5 cided the matter" said Frost, "and l ar
II greatly interested"
e At Newfeld, n, j.. the prices Of the Ney
| Jersey Company appeared to he somewha
y inconsistent w. S. Harrington n retile
= engineer, said he paid Sl40 thousand 70
gas, while a neighbor, about 100 cards dis
= tant, paid only 81, Samuel LowdeT,
. grocer. OF Newfeld, also deplored this in
congruty. They contended that the sam
main served those who paid 81 and thos
II who paid S1.40
~ When questioned concerning the apparer
:, inconsistency Of rates at Newheld, NJ
"a Grayson said: at is just possible tha
those who pay 81 may he I'm anoths
county, while their homes are near thos
IN who are paying tho higher rate"
a Up to the present time the Milville Con
u pany has not decided what steps It wi
, take In regard TO the request that it II
crease its rates. S. j. Franklin, gener;
Id, manager of the company. said:
u, "The Millville Company will stand h
~ the people as long as II can do so will
iV | out loss"