The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-02-15
MANUFACTURERS. SAY HOUGH
BILL WOULD BE GCO-SEND ~
DOUBT STlTUTfONHlllf Y.
Gas Situation Serlous-less Next
Winter Than NoW-Should save
Every Foot, Say Manufacturers

That the Hough bill, when aims
10 prevent the expectation or gas
from West Virginia, would be COO
send to manufacturers ana tne peo.
pie OF this commonwealth, Is tne
unanimous opinion of the manufacture
ers of Wheeling, 1t is said, put as 10
the constitutionality Of the Dill, many
Of them are in doubt.
That the gas supply. more in tnH.
Wheeling district than in any other
part of the state, is low and the end
Is in sight. Is not doubted by manu-
facturers and even gas company OIL
iicials. We're even every foot or gas
now extant in the state kept within
these boundaries hereafter, the END
of the supply is in sight. say manu-
facturers, and let alone, they say, the
fact that thousands Of feet are be-
ing piped across the borders. dally
and thus depicting enormously ne
States supply, once thought 1nexhaus-
tible.
"lf il is constitutional, I say let it
pass and am sure all manufactur-
ers will agree with me-, said A. W.
PAUL., of the Wheeling Stamping COM
nany, Yesterday. Mr.. PAUL doubts
The constitutionality Of the bill but
is heartily in favor Of anything which
will keep the gas in the state.
Suggests Taxing Gas.
President C. E. Jackson, Of the
Warwick China company, said he had
studied the question deeply pro and
con and that the bill did not look
constitutional to him. He suggested
as the next best thing, the taxing OF
gas in the pipes. that is higher tax
per foot from the base OF supply.
The farthest consumer from the plant
would pay the most money for his
gas.
There is where the Wheeling Mills
would suffer-" said Mr.. Jackson.
I'VE are just as far away from the
base Of supply down in the state as
some Of the mills in Ohio and Penn
sylvania.
manufacturers is really serious. The
end Of the supply IS in sight. II We
can't use coal We must move out.
The pottery and glass industries de-
pend on the gas supply for their ex-
istence.
How much do you suppose 1t, would
save you II the gas we're kept within
the state?" he was asked.
About $4,000 a year, directly. that
is to say, the actual loss now at the
present price Of gas would be that.
Indirectly, because We burn coal now.
there would also be large loss. We
are losing now right along because
coal Is not adapted to pottery work.
Gas is the ideal fuel, clean and frea
from impurities. Much OF our glazed
work is spoiled now by impurities
from the COAL
Potteries Need Natural Gas.
Mr.. jackson explained that the glass
and pottery industries particularly
needed the gas. The steel mills could
use producer-gas. that is, gas made
from coal. because their products
were not so sensitive to the impuTl-
ties of the fuel Even the glass houses
could use producer-gas, because they
use their heat constantly, but the pot
,terIes heat and cool their kilns alter
Inately and producer-eas, III the pres
ent day form, is produced in constant
quantities, says Mr.. JACKSON.
Producers Impractical Now.
Harry NorthwOnd, vice president. Of
the Northwood Glass company, says
that produccr.gas in Wheeling glass
houses is quite impractical nOw that
coal is S4.N0 a ton. He notes that III
the ksburg region, wher'
coal Is plentiful and near. the glass