Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1919-08-28
DOMESTIC GAS
USERS BEFORE
lNDUSTRIALS
West Virginia State Geologist
Says Natural Gas Should
Never have Been Sold 10
Industrial Concerns 90
PURELY A DoNEsTIC FUEL

wheeling, w. va, Aug. ll-bne Vi
the keynotes to the recent convention
of the Natural Gas Association OF
West Virginia, in this city, was that
the natural gas was primarily for the
benefit of the domestic consumer in
preference to the mill, Industrial
plant, glasshouse or other iron and
steel producing plants, where coal
would serve the same purpose. At the
same time the delegates to the con-
vention tried to impress upon the
general public, the domestic con-
sumner, that it was up to them as to
whether this preference could be
shown in the future. DR.. l. c.. White,
the State Geologist, in paper read
before the convention, said:sA
in gaseous fuel (natural gas) nc
equal area of the world has been SO
richly endowed as the Little Noun
tain State From Hancock on the
north to Wayne and Mingo counties
at the Kentucky line, broad belt OF
the richest natural gas deposits on
the continent once extended in an un-
broken area more than zoo miles in
length, from whose porous sand re-
ervoirs unnumbered billions of. cubic
feet of natural gas have issued, the
most of it only to go into the air I'M
used for any purpose, to the shame
and disgrace of every thoughtful
West Virginian. Through this un-
bridled waste of former years, and
the greatly increased use of more re-
cent times, it is quite probable that
not more than one-fourth of West
Virginia's original gaseous fuel re
sources yet remain in their under
ground reservoirs. One of the most
important questions that confront the
people of the state today, is how best
to conserve the remaining supply of
this matchless fuel so that its use for
domestic and other necessary pur-
poses may be prolonged to distant
4 future.
I'm complete agreement with the
views of the late DR.. Edward orion,
State Geologist of Ohio for many
years, l have always insisted that
natural gas is such a rich and perfect
domestic fuel that to use it for manu-
featuring purposes or for the genera
ton of power where coal is available,
should never have been permitted ex-
| cept where the manufacturer from
| the valuable nature of his product,
like cutlery or high class tools, could
we'll afford to pay the domestic rate.
However, through competing Cham
bers of Commerce, Boards of Trade,
and other municipal organizations
anxious to build up manufacturing in
| dustries, this precious fuel has not
only been used for the crudest forms
of heat and power at a merely nom.
/ inal price right in the midst of the
| great beds of coal, but many towns,
| two or three decades ago, actually ad-
vertised free gas to all concerns,
and as a standing advertisement per
mitted great torches of the same to
| burn up millions of cubic feet both
day and night. Thus it has happened
apparently without anyone in particu
lar being responsible therefore that
the producer and marketer of natural
gas has never received an adequate
or equitable price for his product
either for domestic or manufacturing
purposes. This statement should be
self-evident to anyone who will give
serious thought to the question.
4 First, let us consider the cost OF
gaseous fuel manufactured in re
Y fcr fi+ fnr inht
Right here in Wheeling, municipal
Ownership of public utilities has en-
ioyed one of its earliest tryouts il
the city gas works. Manufactured
gas containing approximately 500 g
T, U. was once sold by the City Of
Wheeling to its citizens at price
lower than in any other municipality
of this country, since, while the PEG
pie in other cities We're paying from
$3.50 to $3.50 per 1000 cubic feet fol-
manufactured gas, Wheeling was sell
ing the same to it's citizens for onl,
rs cents. This result was long point
ed to as conspicuous example of tn,
economic results and benefits flown.
from municipal ownerlhips of publ,
utilities. Wheeling still owns her ga
works, but they have ceased t,
junction anu are at present De12I
junked. Her citizens are now liqTi
dating the former benefits they en-
ioyed at probably much less thai
actual cost. 1t may be set down a
an axiom that if the people of an,
municipality receivs the services O
any public utility at less than cost o
|. at less than fair profit, they vii
, later either directly or indirectly b
compelled by memorable economi
law as Interchangeable as fate itself, t
make up that deficit and often muc
more
DR.. White said also: "The inistak
OF the early producers of natural ga
in fixing prices too. low for profitabl
operation was a natural one. TIL
average business man assumed tina
the supply of natural gas was unliu
fitted, and while turning deaf ear [
the biologists who always warne
him that the supply would eventual
fail through use and waste, he lister
ed willingly and apparently approx
ingly to the fakirs in science who al
sured him that the supply of natur;
gas would never fail which false do