The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-02-08
CAS- DECISION
IS SERIOUS
FOR PUBLIC
Rate Expert Of BahIesyiIIc
Addresses Utility Men,
PRESSURE RULING CITED


AN interesting and vital develop.
rcni m the utility tate rrI during
IT., ysaf." said / i. Mohay rate ~
per, connected with the FmuJe cas-.
4 Fuel company a. Bart.c,,lI.r Iu al.
dre,Iug the Oklahoma Uullllc, con.
yen,ion at 'he l,c IIurkIn' hotel THIS
morning. "lc, IN the decision OF the
Oklahoma supreme court. upho'ilng
the ruling Of the corporation commits
SION Of Oklahoma ~ the Nowlia case
,Nabl,hiug no service, no pas
theory ior charges for natural gas. u
hold, that gas OF less than \ specified
normal pressure AZ The consumer me
fer constitute, service only m such
rropof,llr as the available pre- sure
may he of the established normal mimi
mum.
Serious for Public"
This decision was hailed with JOS
by public and press, but is held hy
many 10 he as serious 70. the public
as inr the gas utilities II meets INTO
the business a theory no, only new and
novel. hu, which, II adopted universal
~. construed strictly. and taken ad-
vantage OF b. the public 20 the iuIl,
will destroy tho earning power OF
natural gas utilities. The public by
utilizing all the gas in the mans. per.
hitting /, 10 escape 10 the open air u
lou,eS be unlnhahitahle on account OF
me heat. could keep pressure at less
,han the normal minimum held TO con-
ui,u,e service and thus destroy all
,,Ns i1r payment. Federal courts II
invoked nigh, hold this taxing oi
ntopef,y without compensation hut
who wants to quarrel with the state
In Spcaking of the advance IN rates
granted many public utilities through
ou the country. due to the increase
Of operation, Mr Mckay sald
Relief Rates Justified.
III il were true that an automatic
,,ad,ustmcnt OF conditions consl'U-
ing the war emergency could nave
b,sn expected with cessation OF tight
inc in Europe tho time linn, on rate
ard other relief measures would nave
been logical, but with the impoS'''
bl,,y of such r,adjuS,men', e'thcf
automatic or other, until cost oi iue
transportation OF fuel, supplies ana
transportation Of supplies, and cost OF
Labor shall have resumed normal
level. assuming pre-war costs To be
normal. i, is clear that there cannon
lie reversion TO pte-wat rates with
ou, Injustice to the utilities and mn
pa,rmrnt OF the public in'eteS, ln-
I'll such readluStment in costs taxes
Mace the reasons that lustiiied theSc
temporarv relief measures demand
their indefinite effectiveness.
Following Mr.. McKay' talk, the
question box. IN which replies 'o inc
ope,,ion "Wha, Do Public Utilities
in Oklahoma Most Need have been
deposited during the convention, was
opened and answers were referred t'
the different round table meetings &c
which the general convention ad'
journed. The answers will be voice
on this afternoon and the prize for th'
best suggestion awarded.
This afternoons program included
the following addresses; Telephone
Equipment Maintenance by II NJ
FariS, manager OF the kellog Switch
board and Supply company, kan'a'
CITY. and "The Public Utility Wors
oi the United States Department o
Commerce" by DR. Franklin Meyer o
the United States department OF coin
merce at Washington. The conren
ton will close with banquet at o "
o'clock tonight,