The Republican journal., 1920-08-26
The Question of Gas Supply

Tile cltycustomers was held in Belfast Au-
gust 18th with W. L. Wyman of Augusta,
treasurer of the Penobscot Bay Electric
company, present. The following letter
from Mr.. Wyman to Mayor Wescott ex-
plains the matter:
- VIZ August 10, 1920
Mayor, City of Belfast,
Belfast, Maine,
Dear Sir: In accordance with our ap-
pointment, | met you and various other
gentlemen representing the citizens of
nei1ast ON the question of gas supply
read to these gentlemen the operating
n2ures of the Penobscot Bay Electric Co.
1or the year ending June 80, 1920, which
were as follows:
Gross income from sales of gas, S4,OlO.6
operating expenses, 9,94367
Net loss for the year, IS 933 OF
also made statement regarding the
agreement which was reached between
your Committee and ourselves last No
vember by which we undertook to install
Water Gas Plant in Belfast as soon as
1t could be done and the Committee
agreed on the part of the citizens to an
increased gas rate of 81 90 per month per
customer on January /, 1920
stated that the putting in of this Plant
mad been delayed and finally rendered i'm
practical by the very sharp advance in
the price OF gas oil and the withdrawal of
gas OIL from the market by the principal
OIL producing companies, such as the
Standard Oil Co., the Gulf Refining Co.
and the Texas Co. Our Company has
contracts for gas oil expiring this year
with both the Standard Oil Co. and the
Cult Refining Co. and we have been no.
titled by both of them that these con-
tracts would not be renewed at any price
when they run out, and that these COM
panies would not furnish US any gas oil.
We had the same answer from the Texas
Co. when we applied to them for OIL
There is more or less spot oil on the mar
ket which can be picked up at anywhere
from 10 to 20 cents per gallon but the
supply is very uncertain.
After considerable discussion the fol-
lowing suggestions were made:
l. That the Penobscot Bay Electric
Co. discontinue its charge of $1.00 per
customer per month, beginning Sept. list,
1920.
z. That it at once make a canvass of
the gas customers which it had on August
/, 1920, listing up carefully every piece
of gas using apparatus owned and used
at that time by its customers; that in the
case of the domestic appliances the Com
pany exchange an electric appliance of
similar character and equivalent from
point of view of service to the gas appli-
ance owned by the customer, and properly
install the electric appliance on the gas
customers premises without charge; that
the Company then make an effort to come
to an agreement with the different users
of commercial appliances regarding the
discontlnuance of their gas apparatus;
that in the case of such commercial users
as the company is not able to come to an
agreement with, the Gas Committee con-
slider these cases with a representative of
! the Company and endeavor to work out
fair and reasonable settlement of each
individual case; that in the case of com
mercial appliances which could not be
supplanted by electricity and which the
customer could not reasonably use with
out supply Of commercial gas, the Com
pany take these appliances off the Gus
TONER'S hands at the original cost of them.
3. That the Company would plan to
discontinue its supply of gas on the first
day of November, provided that it is able
I
the customers who are to use electricity
by that time. 1t being understood that in
case any great inconvenience is to be
caused the comm ercial users of gas who
are not able to replace with electricity on
account of not having time to install
their other apparatus, the Company will
continue to operate its plant for another
thirty days; that on the day when the
making of gas is discontinued, either No.
vember 1, or December 1, the Company
( will return to each one of its gas CUSTOM
ers the extra 81 per month which they
have paid to it as an extra gas rate since
Jan. /, 1920.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) W. L. WYMAN,
Treasurer Penobscot Bay Electric Co.