The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-05-21
Commissioner Russell Gives No Decision
But Indicates that Increase Of S.
Gents Be Allowed
EVIDENCE SHOWS
LOSS TO COMPANY
Earnings Drop From $6,493 10 81, sos
In Three Years; Sl54 Loss First
Quarter 1918

While no decision was rendered
by Campbell Russell, corporation
commissioner, yesterday afternoon
in the hearing Of the petition of the
Chickasha Gas and Electric compa-
ny to raise the gas rates from $1,30
to $1,85, the commissioners indicated
that on the evidence submitted by
the gas company, the raise would be
granted after a thorough canvass of
the figures.
The gas company used as witness
es, II. D. Jenkins, auditor of the
company, r. w. insult, president of
the company, both OF. Tulsa, and f..
d. Shaffer, manager of the local
plant. The bulk Of the company's
testimony was in the form of fig
ures submitted, showing comparative
costs of manufacture.
Tho figures showed the compare
tive costs, gross and net earnings
for the three years, each ending on
Feb. 28, the years being 1916-17-1S,
The figures showed that the net
earnings in 1916 were $G,493.84,
which figure was cut to $554g in
1917 and to $t50521 for tho year
ending February 2S 1913. The fig
ures also showed the net earnings
Cor the first four months of the year
1917 to be $lS205O while the records
showed loss of $154.56 for the same
period Of 1918 In addition to these
figures, an advanced scale of wages
was submitted Men who were draw
ing $500 per day year ago were
now receiving $3.50 to $500 Eighty
five dollar salaries had increased to
$l05 and other items in keeping with
these comparisons,
The purpose of the gas company
in submitting this evidence was to
show that while tho revenue had not
increased, the cost of manufacture
had been boosted to congiderable
extent, The subject OF coal was
taken up and the increase in price
shown. Mr.. Shaffer declared yes
terday that manufactured gas is
largely coal plus labor, stating that
as these two principal items of man
ufacturing expense had increased
materially the revenue must in
crease corrcspondingly to maintain q
net earning.
r. d, Melbourne, attorney repre-
senting the gas users, put on sew
eral witnesses to provo that the SER
vice of the company had not been
of the best and the statements OF
the witnesses on the stand were to
that effect. 1t was declared that
many times the gas is of a decided
ly poor quality, making it necessary
to keep tho stove running practical
ly twice as long in order to cook
meal Mr. Shaffer admitted on the
stand that in such cases, the gas
passing through the meter would
register steadily thus practically
doubling the fuel cost in preparing
a meal
In defense, the gas company's wit
nesses declared that it WIS now al
most impossible to procure good and
competent labor, and that without it,
the quality of the gas would be af.
fected.
The commissioner admitted that
the rate asked for by the company
is all but prohibitive, stating that
it might be simply for the customers
to decide whether they could afford
such luxury In the face of the
evidence, however, he declared that
the company was operating at a loss,
owing to the increase in manufac-
turing cost, making it impossible to
pay a profit through the operation of
the plant or interest on the invest.
ment.
The question of ns~lrsl gas came
up during the course of the hearing
and some little time was spent spec
ulating why the local company had
not taken advantage of the natural
gas at Cement and other fields near
by. Witnesses for the company stat