The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-06-29
EFFORTS FOR
NATURAL GAS
SUPPLY ARE
UNAvAIL|NC
Artificial Gas Company Must
Furnish Supply for Domes-
tic Use This Winter
Promise Fair Rates.
NATURAL SUPPLY Low

Richmond will have no natural gas
next winter.
The artificial gas producing plant Of
the Richmond Light, Heat and Power
company will manufacture the supply
used here. A fair rate will be estab-
lished.
All hopes OF obtaining the natural
product were abandoned Friday when
Mayor Zimmerman and S. E. Swanye,
representing the city, and Nimrod
Johnson, superintendent of the Rich
mond Light, Heat and Power company
and A. C. Howard, gas engineer with
the United Gas and Electric Engineer
ing corporation of New York City,
conferred with representatives Of the
Logan company that supplies this ter
ritory at Columbus, O. Orders Of the
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio
also were obtained to substantiate the
representation Of the gas company.
The company is unable to supply
Richmond and cities Of western Ohio
at any price.
Rates were no inducement, officials
said. Asked point blank by Mayor
Zimmerman II the company would
promise a supply at an increased
schedule Of prices, the vice-president
OF the company said:
I'VE will be unable to furnish Rich
mond and other cities with gas, no
matter what the rates are. The sup
ply will be normal until cold weather
sets in, and then the pressure will
be lower than 1t was last year.
Must Get Other Fuel.
Officials of the company urged the
Richmond delegation to make provi-
sion for obtaining other fuel. They
promised to make the change from
natural to artificial gas in Richmond
by night. so that there would be no
interruption Of service.
The representatives of the city came
home convinced that the company was
not exagg.rating conditions. Report
blanks showed that the company was
able last winter to keep Richmond bet
ter supplied than many other cities
Administrative order No. "a of the
Public Utilities Commission of Ohio,
after setting out the probable inabil-
ity Of the natural gas companies to
furnish an adequate supply to their
consumers next winter. formulates a
set OF rules governing the distribu-
ton.
Industrial consumers will be cut off
first, according to a classification OF
their work established by the commits
sion.
Domestic consumers will be ordered
to curtail consumption in conformity
with ruling that fixes priority, pro-
vided the disconnecting of all indus
trial consumers has not given relief.
Notifies Consumers.
The gas company has issued a state
1t says:
I'VE believe it to be our duty to
recommend and urge that all our GUS
toners using gas for heating purposes
in coal furnaces and heating boilers
Immediately provide themselves with
an emergency supply Of coal or other
fuel, or with an auxiliary heating ap-
pliance, for use during the colder peri
cd OF the coming winter. Order your
emergency fuel supply for next win
ters use now"
In view of the order of the Ohio
commission and of the statement is
sued to patrons in Columbus, the
Richmond officials are convinced that
the company is acting in good faith in
asserting that this city will not be sup
piled next winter This also holds
true Of cities in western Ohio that de-
pend on the company for the natural
supply. SD that Richmond is face to
face with the same problem confront
ing them.
City officials believe the volume of
natural gas has played out. Officials
of the gas company say their West
virginia fields have passed the max
imum output and are on the decline.