The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-10-03
ASKS new BOOST
IN GAS RATES
Wisconsin Gas and Electric
Company Asks Added Ten
Cents Per Thousand on
All Business.
OFFICIALS PROTEST RAISE
No Great Objection Would Be Made to
Continuance of Surcharge First
Granted But Further Increase
Declared to Be Burdensome.

The Wisconsin Gas & Electric Co.,
supplying fuel and eliminating gas to
consumers of Racine, Kenosha, South
Milwaukee and Cudahy, on Tuesday APP
peared before members of the state
railroad commission in the circuit
court rooms, in Racine, appealing for
the continuance of the surcharge order
granted six months ago and asking
for an increase of from 20 to 80 cents
per 1000 cubic feet.
City officials Of Racine and Kenosha
were present at the hearing to enter
protests but South Milwaukee and
Cudahy were not represented.
The petition for a continuation of
the surcharge order and an increase
of surcharge from 20 to 80 cents
per 1000 cubic feet, is made because
Of the increase in the price of labor
and coal and the fact that the national
fuel administrator has ruled that
Pennsylvania coal cannot be used inl
the manufacture Of gas, but that coal
must be obtained from the mines of
West Virginia or Kentucky.
It was declared that the cost Of
bringing West Virginia or Kentucky
coal to Racine would cost ST. per ton
more than is now paid for Pennsyl-
vsnia coal, and that the yield would
be about one-half cubic foot to every
pound of coal used, or a decrease of
10 per cent.
An increase in wages to employees of
the company, at Racine and Kenosha,
Sept. /, increases the monthly pay roll
$4,000 and it was stated that such
wage increases mean an INCREASE of
about. five cents per 1000 cubic feet
of gas manufactured.
Another wage increase may result
as a demand of the employees, because
of the undesirable work and each one
cent increase means an increase of one
cent per 1000 cubic feet in the pro-
duction of gas.
D. E. Calender, secretary of the
company, declared that the earnings
of the company for the year ending
June 80, 1918, were 3 1-3 per cent on
the investment, barring the 100000
preferred stock sold to patrons.
There are four departments of the
company, railway, heating, gas and
electric and during the last six months
period these departments showed a /
net, loss of $4,000 The railway de-
partment lost $4,000; heating depart
ment last 10000; gas department.
lost $4,000, while the electric depart |
ment made $4,000, The hearing con-
tinued during the day and an adjourn
ment taken until such time as rep
resentatives of South Milwaukee and
Cudahy could be present.
It was also testified to that if that |
conditions comes the water gas plant I
at Kenosha will have to be operated I
almost to full capacity during the
coming winter. In order to safeguard /
the supply, Mr.. Calender said, the
company had purchased 100000 gal |
Ions of oil with which to operate that
plant. Water gas costs more to manu-
faeture than gas produced at the Ra-
cine plant and that difference would
also have bearing on the general pro-
duction cost, it was testified to.
Attorney Shaw stated that the COM
pany would not consent to ruling on
the increase request simply basing
its increase on the data furnished at
this hearing for the reason that
the information was not COM
plete and could not be for several
weeks. The data presented, he said,
covered the situation brought about
by the wage increases only and that
since the application was made the
situation in relation to lake coal had
arisen.
In order that complete data on what
the conditions the coming six months
would be might be presented, he
asked that the hearing be held open
for a time until the company could
with some degree of definite
ness just what effect the cutting off
Of the lake coal from the eastern ports
will have on the business Of the com
pany. q