Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-01-13
Wunce Says People Foolish Not to Prepare for
 Failing of Fuel.
BCSSIER MAIN IS
 CHANGE FOR PELLET
Couch and Party Confer With Offi- cia!s- Expert Gas Man Probing Sit nation Secretary Bloom Issues
 Statement to Pine i}lun Public.

Nry The Graphic's Staff Representa-
 tive With the Couch Patyr)
 Pine Bluff consumers of gas, who are now suffering from the present cold weather and bemoaning the fact that the supply of gas in this city is entirely inadequate for their comfort, are warned to prepare themselves for any emergency ir the present fuel situation and to secure coal or wood stoves and q supply of that fuel, be- cause i, is very improbable that the present gas situation will be inn proved this winter.
 This warning comes from John K. Munce. general manager of the Ar kansas Natural Gas company. who stated at thc conference held in Shreveport Thursday that gas con- suncrs "bos depended upon gas en- tircly as q fuel were acting very fool islIly, as it is the history of every gas company organized that the supply at some time has become insufficient to meet the demands of the consumers
 The meeting at which Mr. Munce made the above statement was called by. State Fuel Administrator II. c.
 
 for the purpose of Investigating the present gas shortage and lending his assistance in an endeavor to improve tho situation. Mr. couch was accom- panied by C. A. Knight. an efficiency engineer, who is an expert in gas mat ters Secretary E.. B. Bloom of the Chamber of Commerce, and a staff representative of The Graphic.
 Mr. Bloom and Mr. Knight re- turned late Friday night but Mir. Couch went to Houston and Dallas on private business.
 The meeting which was held Thurs day afternoon was attended by MT. Couch's party, Hon. T. C. Barrett, fed eral fuel administrator for the Shreve- port district; John K. Munce, man. ager of the Arkansas Natural Gas company; T. c. O'Brien, manager of the Texas company; Chas. Dahly, manager of the Reserve Natural Gas company, and J. C. Curtis. manager of the Southwestern Gas and Fuel con- pany.
 Laying Main to B0ssier.
 While il was stated at this time that the branch line now under way to the Bossier fields, which are said to contain gas wells with total capacity of 275,000 feet daily, will be Completed by the first of February, it is very doubtful, according to Investigating officials. that this line will be con- pleted before 60 days.
 This line is 12 miles long and two miles of the l6inch main have been laid. Officials state that the pipe is now being strung out along the re- maining 10 miles, and that actual work on the laying of this pipe IS in progress. However, some of the pipe is being hauled in wagons for dis tance of 30 miles in some places and the remainder is being shipped by rail The present cold weather makes the roads over which this material is being hauled practically impossible. and will eliminate this method of se- curing the placing of the pipe on the ground. The labor troubles, which are given as one of the reasons by the gas company why this main has not been completed, are still in existance. and during this present cold period it will be exceedingly hard to secure labor to work on this line.
 Impossible to Complete in Time. In regard to the construction work on this line. C. A. Knight, efficiency engineer, who is making an exhaustive investigation into the gas shortage. made the following statement:
 Although the officials of the gas company promise the completion of this line to the Bossier fields by the first of February, in my opinion this is almost a physical impossibility. as only two miles of this line has been completed. It is possible, during ordi- nary weather. for laborer to dig 1 about 40 feet of the size ditch re- quired for this line daily, and unless labor conditions around Shreveport improve at once and a large force of men is placed at work on this line. have no idea that this work will be completed at any tinle near that promised. The ground is at present