The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-04-12
SHORTAGE OF
ARTIFICIAL GAS
IS FORESEEN
Indiana Manufacturers May
Be Called Into Meeting to
Consider Situation - Gas
Oil Famine is Cause.
MOTORS ARE BLAMED
IRy Associated Press)

INDIANAPOLIS, April 12-The Ind
lana public service commission today
was asked by E. ]. Burke, secretary
of the Indiana Gas association, to call
a meeting of gas manufacturers of
the state to consider the threatened
famine in gas oil.
Gas men have declared there Is
prospect of a famine in gas Oil OF
such proportions that the production
of artificial gas would practically be
cut in two in the United States with
in the next few months. Mr.. Burke
believes the gas manufacturers, with
the assistance of the public service
commission. can find remedy.
The plight of the gas companies
was said to have been brought to llght
in hea rings before Commissioner F..
B. Johnson, formerly of Richmond, on
the petition of the Northern Indiana
Gas and Electric company several
days ago.
That organization has petitioned for
increased rates at Frankfort, Logans-
port, Wabash, Lebanon. Peru, Michi-
gan City, Plymouth and Crawfords-
vile.
Authorities in the gas industry de-
clare there only is about nalf enough
gas oil in sight to supply the demands
of the water gas plants next year, Mr..
Burke said.
He held that unless something Is
done to reduce the consumption many
cities in Indiana will be without gas
within year. Considerable blame for
the shortage is laid on the motorists
by the gas men, who say no effort is
being made to save the fuel.
e. ~1o q
the rapidly mounting cost of gas oil
may result in many artificial plants
shutting down unless relief is granted.
Since 1915, they say, the cost of the
product has increased 400 per cent.
Mr.. Burke said he hopes the confer
ence, if called by the commission, will
result in a movement to induce nation
al utilities authorities to take steps
to give water gas producers prefer
ence in oil shipments and lift certain
freight embargoes.
! Nimrod Johnson, head of the Rich
mond Light, Heat and Power com,
pany, said Monday he expected to at
tend the state meeting OF gas man
ufacturers.
He said he had been aware of the
facts as stated in the Associated Press
dispatch for some time, and that the
dispatch did not overstate the serious
! ness of the situation.
| Gas oil, which they used to buy
| for 3k cents, now costs 13 cents,
he said. "In some districts in the east
they are trying in desperation to use
coal oil"
To start Making Gas.
| Mr.. Johnson said he expected the
local company to begin the manufac
ture of artificial gas by Nov. 1, next
year. Improvements and changes were
| being made in the plant to that end
he said.
The Logan company. from which
we get our natural gas, has notified
! Ohio customers that they will be able
to supply gas only for cooking next
year." he said, "and it Is a cinch they
will not be able to supply us with
natural gas. even for cooking.
THE plant which we will have will
not be as large as some in the state,
he said, but it will be real, up-to
the-minute gas mandatory which will
supply Richmond's need" He esti
mated the improvements would cost
about $4,000