The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-02-13
REOPENING OF GAS RATE QUESTION Is
REQUESTED BY CITIZENS OF ARDMORE;
MATTER OF INCREASE IN RATE DISCUSSED
AT LENGTH BY P. c. DINGS AND OTHERS


and about 150 representative citizens
of this city, held at the Chamber
rooms Friday afternoon the Chamber
of Commerce was requested TO petit
ton the corporation commission 10
reopen the hearing on the gas rate
question in this city.
What seems 10 be a fair-minded al
Tentative 10 this manner of action, and
one whidh would without any expense
20 the citizens, tend to either prove
or disprove the contention Of some
citizens that the gas rates arc too
high, was advanced by P. c. Dings, /
prominent resident OF this city and an
Official Of the Consumers Light and
Power company. Mr.. Dtngs delivered
L straight from the shoulder talk,
full of facts, setting forth that the
company lid not raise the rates for
any real gain for itself, but because
such q raise was ncces.ar to en-
able the company to continue TO np-
crate. He made proposition to those
assembled inviting them to appoint
q committee to audi. ami otherwise
Investigate the condition of the Il
frances of the company and other
matters pertaining TO It's operation,
and in tbs manner see for themselves
whether or not the company was
Justified in asking its present rates.
This committee, he stated, could re-
port back to the meeting after its
investigation, and then deliver the
information as 10 whether or not
reopening OF the hearing before the
corporation commission should De ask
ed.
II have lived in this city for dfe
past It years" stated Mr.. Dngs, 'und
l was instrumental in getting the
natural gas to this city. / have been
q stockholder in the Consumers Light
and Power company from its 3ncep-
tion TO the present moment, and the
only dividend which the common
stock OF the company has ever paid
me or anybody vino held such stock
in the company was per cent. Such
Il dividend does not make any one
satisfied"
Matter Of Securing Gas
Mr.. Dings then spoke in very sat
!sfactory manner relative 10 the i'm
preston which existed among citizens
OF Arlmore last year that the COM
pany was making no efforts to get
sufficient gas. He stated that there
never has been time in the his
tory Of the company, including last
year, when tine gas supply was short !
enough TO force the people 10 burn
coal CT wood: stating that the cogn-
pany at 10 time refused TO accept
gas when It was offered 10 it in the
-1lelds, with the single exception in
cases where mammoth gassers were
brought il and supplied more than the
ccnpany could possibly use, and this
was because the owner Gorced the
companies TO take one fourth of the
gus produced once the companies con-
nected to the well. Give Us credit for
what is fair and right" sat3 Mr..
iDings. That is all we ask
I'VE did contract with several large
gassers, and took the chance that the
gas might go down in production and
thus would save us the loss entailed
by the contracting for more than We
could sell We were fortunate enough
10 have this actually happen, and
when We took the 25 per cent after
the wells were down we were able
20 use all Of it.
Purchased All Available
We tried and dii purchase all the /
available gas. unless it was from wells |
as above stated. where the owner Of |
the well forced Us to take 25 per cent |
OF its volume. and such sj per cent |
represented more millions OF feet OF |
sas than we could sell. Not being able |
to purchase sufficient amount Of gas !
except under contracts where we were |
forced to lose by virtue of a greater |
volume than we could sell We decided |
10 drill our own wells and proceeded |
10 take leases at u great expense on |
several hundred acres. We started |
drilling at once and completed our |
firs, gas well but in the meantime |
other operators had brought IN gus
wells in The Fox field and we deemed
1, advisable 10 close in cur own well
Tor Cuture emergencies and Use, ana
10 purchase the gas from other pro
ducers Ti7@ch would have been sold
10 the Lone star and conveyed 10
Texas towns had we not made con-
tracts with them; We now holding me
leases We Purchased IN reserve TO
protect not only our investment, but
the homes in Ardmore as well.
During the war, when materials
OF all kinds were at their highest
Qrices, the pressure on tho gas was
too low, so We went to the expense
81 installing n compression station
az a cost OF $4,000 TO S75 900.
Forced 10 Meet Rise Of Lone Star
when the Lone star Gas company
was granted permission 70 Increase
its rates to 55c IN Texas towns. that
company Iffercd producers .u the field
10 cents for their gas and agreed to
date back 10 October at the new price
Naturally we were forced 10 meet the
T.. rise, and had TO raise rates accord
ingly. 1t rs the sumo as IN every
business, When the wholesaler raises
his priec so does ,fic rctall,r.
statistics show that Tor every in
crease ul one cent at the well. il is
necessary TO increase the rate three
10 five cents at the distributing end
81 the line, IN order that proportion
may be kept even. We d.d not raise
cur rates In such proportion, but less.
Unnecessary Wasiei n City
II the price OF gas had always
been so cents and above Il wJsd have
been better for all concerned. because
u the consumer Is charged a suffi-
c!cnt amount for his gas, he would
conserve 1t in more proper manner.
our gas supply viii last to 20
years longer II properly conserved
when a mans purse is hit hard, he
feels Il more. There is great and