The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-20
COMP AMY EXPERT
SAYS GAS RATES
ARE HIGH ENOUGH
Memphis Shown To Be Paying
More Than ST. Louls-AC-
tual Cost Of Gas Probably
Under As Cents.

loo Ia,
Memphis now has its annIlcaG IlG1I,,u" GInv al n'
fore he Tenressss ufI,Iti ~ tippaaae0n no, Heo pn
for an incraa,sa ~ u - i''Ns N""'N'seio''
The nuesfInn ~ strant ,,r ro,., q,
pending awnitInr ira ranort " nnnra antus tss -
ers while The natrons Io rspoa W nr nbpi"is-
THE henring nm tina or,,l,eatio, =, ,ho
Memphis Gna q ElactricP 90 fo, al or tnu tn
crease In gas ratss aS Il" tx obrcu, ANA
FRIDAY buf ttnrna,s 100 h,,,I,
briefs before anv dacision js ma a''''
The gas comnanv Saan,s tn avo
made an iniudiolous choice in its min. :.
eipal experf witness Georee E,vana
general manager az the IeCloda Gas
company. or III Inuia who atatad
while on the stand that he beiisvad
from estimates based upon the Man,
| nhis cotslpanyls flgures ana from HI,
| experiences of moro than al years II
4 the gas h,lsineas, that fhe cost az may,
| ing gas III his own ats Louis plant WA
about ~ per cent of the probable cos
| In Memphis
He had previously testified that tb,
charge for gas In St. Louis was
maximum OF S6 cents per 1000 cubil
feet, the cost being scaled down TO
minimum OF 56 cents for large quaint.
| ties
Welch tn paaoue
"SANA y" ~SVS'""'
/
direct examination through question:
asked him by George N. Welch, of tn,
state commission,
II his estimates are accepted as cor,
rect, 1t would appear that the price o.
| gas N Memphis right now, which is s.
for the first 1000 feet, and 80 cent
Tor amounts above that, Is already toC
high, The st. Louis rates were fixed II
June after a long hearing before thu
Missouri state commission.
Mr.; Evans stated, OF course that h
| based his estimates on the assumption
that the figures submitted by III
Memphis company we're correct III
and 1t can be more economically mad
In 2 large plant than in a small one
The Memphis company Is asking al
increase to t.25 for the first 1000 cubi
feet and $l.05 for amounts over that
with the addition Of the 50-cent ser
vice charge on all bills. That servie
charge. according to the company's owl
figures would produce a revenue OF no
less than $l00,0 900 II year,
| A, C. King, expert from Chicago, tes
titled for the cty' Ills estimates An
those of Mr.. Evans, the company's ex
pert aid not greatly vary.
On cross examination, Mr.. Evans sal
Ing the last wear Of The war was abnor
mai. the cost Of coke and oil used /
mai,,ng what ia known nc water ga
were now not much mora than balf IN
war nrica '''N" NV ''" "'" w
Ue said tbat the actual cost n, nut
t,np tbe CA in the boIding raservnjv
IN Z, Toi1is now IA ahomt "a cants '1f no
noo crtjc faat not oownttn@ ~ nn,,,aa ae
cost ,VVp NJ dist rihnt,oD or owerheaS cSsrse,
tIa ,bnu~ht that tha cnst N Ntan,Ih
aha,ia ts aho,'t An oo,,t ~ t'e"'P'''
s"Vuiu ps @oas astn,ata nv tn"t Aha oos, ,,,a
NJ, h'nS easAnsau n - ~. W. va
So,1eWiat l,,Sn'', H. "'uunp ~ ~ 40 ~ o",a,' n,n
~ ~ shows ~ ~ ~ the cot,,pahy .! tis
VI uses .naI IoS .ne i,rst s1yeh nlohtn WI
Srt, ~ a9 thare ~" ~ ',,'a ra,'t ~, ~
departments, tnere y az apparsnt oell
clt ~ revenues o. .,ooo, wn'cn Woul
,ha, Stoo non "' 'V' 'no s0"' VI N'o'