Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-31
SLIDING SCALE
PLAN ASKED OF
GAS COMPANY
Commission Seeks Suggestions
for Increase Based on
Use.
CONSERVATION IS IDEA

A request that J. D. Forrest. secretary
and general manager OF the Citizens Gas
Company, prepare a statement contain
ing cincrete suggestions along the line
OF a possible increase in gas rates for
gas consumers who burn more than a
specified quantity of gas during the win
ter, was made by E. l. Lewis, chairman
of the public service commission of In
diana at the conference yesterday after
noon between members of the comt1iS-
sion and directors Of the gas company.
This plan was discussed IS a means
of conserving the gas supply for the
winter.
Under this proposal the domestic con-
sumer would receive the present 60-ceat
rate up TO a specified amount of gas
consumed during tie winter. and for
anything beyond that would be charged
a higher rate, the amount of gas per.
mitted at the 60-cept rate probably
being 4 900 or . coo cubic feet a month.
For industrial consumers, hospitals,
restaurants ana other large consumers,
the amount they would be permitted,
Under the plan. would be based~On their
sumner consumption of gas, and above
that amount there would be an increased
charge as with the domestic consumers.
ANY ACTION TO
BE TEMPORARY.
Il was specified by Mr.. Lewis that any
order that might be issued along this
line would be a temporary order; that
any Increase in revenue derived through
it should be devoted to improvements,
extensions and betterments and that it
should be ignored for any rate making
purposes in the future.
He further explained that the public
would receive an opportunity to be
in he
suggestions are received from the gas
company.
In his statement relative to the gas
situation, which was submitted at the
opening of the conference, Mr.. Forrest
said that even during the winter months
more than 80 per cent Of the consumers
take less than 1000 cubic feet in each
month, and so per cent never take more
than 5000 cubic feet in any month dur
ing the coldest winter weather. "
Only AZ per cent Of the domestic
consumers of the city ever take more
than 10000 cubic feet in any given
month"
He said the cool days of last week in
creased the consumption of gas in In
dianapolis more than 500,o00 cubic feet
a day; that not many gas CRATES were
started, but people prepared heavier
the burner as quickly as usual after the
work was done.
ECONOMIC CHECK
is ONLY ONE.
The only satisfactory check <on gas
consumption, he said, must be an eco
nomic check.
Taking all things into consideration, J,
he said in his statement, my estimate
is that if We have no unusual interrUp-
tions to traffic by reason of storms or
strikes during the coming winter; have
no further Interruptions to the produc-
tion of coal by reason of strikes, and the
people Of Indianapolis will take no more
than 100000 cubic feet of gas a day in
mid-winter, with a corresponding econ
omy between this time and Christmas :.
we can get through. Otherwise. we are
likely to have a worse situation than we
had during April. when it was only by
raioning consumers that we could get
through"
In speaking of the present situation
be said at the present time we are
operating our ovens on a schedule which
requires about 1,sOO tons of coal a day
We have been falling a little under that
figure. but have come as close to it as
1-T21a tons.
h At the present rate of operation we
- Producing between S,5OO.000 cubic
te and 9.0OO,G00 cubic feet of gas a day
-. week there were several days when
tie present rate of production was in.
iequate and we had to make som.
vater gas.
If we were operating our ovens al
maximum capacity we should require
about 2.SoO tons of coal day
He said the company had on hand
1SenO tons of coal, or ten days supply
while on Aug. / Of 1919 the company's
stock of coal was los 5195 tors.
IN speaking Of water gas Mr.. Forres;
said in his statement:
Turning to the production Of water
gas, we have accumulated as large sup
plies Of oil as we can take care of.
we have nearly 100000 gallons on
hand
The average cost of it is around u
cents, whereas we formerly bought gas
oil at a price around 2 cents a gallon.
II do not know what shipments we can
obtain during the winter.
1T is very certain that we could not
obtain enough gas oil To run our water
gas sets at full capacity for any con-
siderable length Of~~time
"At full capacity our water gas sets
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