The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-09-19
GAS, FARES AND
TALK MAY GO UP
Rate Increases May Hit
Tulsans In Three Diff
ferent Places
RELIEF IS NOT LIKELY
Corporation Commission Has
Been Giving Companies
What They Ask For

publlo service corporations arc ih'-
ing Tulsans. Thcsr concern gna'
telephones and street car fares. That
eaeb OF tho companies. tho oklahoma
Natural Gas company, tho South
western Beli Telephone company
and Tulsa street Railway company
will be given what thoy are asking
from tho corporation commission
now appears probable among local
business mon, who base their opln
ions on recent dcciaious handed
down by the corporation commits
sion.
Neither the gas company nor tho
telephone company has asked for n
specific amount Of Increase, TINS
matter is left by them to tho dis
crction Of tho corporation commits
sion after n has w'rutinizod the mass
OF valuation papers submitted by
attorneys for the corporations. Both
ask that they be granted ratea IN
keeping with the amount OF lhelr
Investments. with the additional plea
from the gas company that cry
gate rate be established over tho
state IN the cities and towns In which
Il docs business.
CITY Attorney Frank E Dunpn ial
directing the etrongcst fight IN bo-
half Of the city against the proposed
increase In gas rates because OF tho
seeming Inconsistency OF tho gas
company IN demanding a higher rate
without promising additional service
or "A greater supply of gas this win
ter, and because the rates wcre only
recently Increased from 3a cents
n thousand net Ia AZ cents.
Duncan'B plea to the corporation
commission In that the temporary
rate OF As cents In returned to 80
cents; that The company guarantee
100 por cent gas pressure and service
at this price and be forced to allow
a proportionatc discount when pres
sure is loss than 100 per cent, that
Industrial users be completely cut
off. that the rate per thousand over
the average amount used by the av-
erago family during an average
month be determined and each sue
cedlng thousand feet be sold at a
higher rate rather than Mt n lower
rate. and that a zone system be cs-
tablished radiating from the source
OF supply OF gas.
He would return to the old rate
because he believes It comes nearer
representing the actual valuo OF nat
ural gas to Tn consumer; he would
insist on the 100 per cent guarantee
In order to insure sufficient supply
OF gas during the winter months
when it's use Is heavy and when
pressure is always so low that Tul-
sans shiver beside a gahloB stove;
the using by the gas company OF
less than normal pressure would
bring about discounts on all gas
hn s.fE lsa.l tf.l
users because sooner or later the gas
supply must be exhausted. lie
would ponalize tho wealthy family
which operates five or ten stoves In
Its mansion, because II the rich man
Insists on using large amounts OF
gas he should pay more for II than
tho ordinary citiSen who tries to hold
his gas bill down. He would estab-
lish zone system for determining
rates so the cities and towns at
great distance from the gas fields.
which are selvtd through large and
expensive pipe lines, would pay for
their own lines and convcnicnCes
and not allow this expense to be
shared In unJustly by cities and
towns located almost within "A stones
throw of the gas fields.
The date for local hearing ~
corporation commission has not yet
been set Art l.. Walker, chairman
of the commission, said attorneys for
the city would be allowed to cross
examine all witnesses during the
Tulsa hearing, privilege that was
denied attorneys who appeared be-
fore tho commission when II received
the Oklahoma Natural Gas COM
pany's petition for establishing the
city gate rate and papers pertain
ing to It's valuation.
While "A formal protest may be
made Sby the city against the pro-
posed Increase in rates by the South
western BcN Telephone company, Il
is not probable that the fight against
its request will be 10 strenuous as
that TO be directed against the gas
company While the city officials
are OF the opinion that telephone
rates are high enough at present and
that the compRny's return on It's in
vestmcnt Is sufficiently high at pres
ent, they feel that the company 4,
striving to enlarge It's plant by tho
actual investment OF more capital
and that, put side by side. the tele.
phone company Is more worthy OF
an increase than the gas company
No protest Is to bc made by either
the city or the chamber Of commerce
against In proposed increase I'm fares
by the Tulsa Street Railway com,
pany. Apparently they consider thh
the most just and deserving Of IN,
three petitions for increases. Tn,
street railway company has it's pc,
tition In the hands OF the corpora,
ton commission AT present and cN
poets decision within the next 81
days.
This company has requested an or
der for an increase of from 3 10
cents cash fare; ga cents IL tickets
are used, making tickets four 10
2j cents.
Both the gas company ana tn
telephone company nave been giyei
substantial Increases during the pas
three years, Street car fare her
is the same as II has always been
This is one reason assigned for lacl
of desire TO fight the railway com
pany's request.
Apparently few demands hav
been made of the corporation com
mission by public service corpora
tions within the 'past two years tina
have not met with the approva
of that body.
So, before the first of the year
IL Ia probable that Tulsans will b.