The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-07-12
NATURAL GAS AND THE PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMISSION

In another column of the In;elrenccr today appears
Teter which preliminary study
prpcced,nss West
Virginia with particular fr"n" to IL"
gas companies. the natural
great of irritation been caused in ~"
of West Virginia by the constant advances N
Public Commission public
utility Electric Tight companies, companies power
steam railways during the past TIRE" or for
years Public Service Commission in West
Virginia and that body has most chT"y and
uniformly ~r,ned them considering
special referring record Of continuous PERFORM
ances record which, has the approval q"
the and which has not been Justified by any safe
rnent of that been made public,
Among the principal bcray and comaccn"r
III" companies producing
and sea Their particular
consptcuousy in long record Of HaF with me peoples
funds In spite conditions ha" ended and
prices they have continued 10 cev" unusual
and extraordinary IN" past few months
companies in various
parts h"s" advances have hn
,na and each advance seems TO be the signal
these corporations Concerning these
demands s pertinent TO point out three facts
First advanced compared with N"
rates previous justified by showing OF Increased
costs Has natural gas company mad" showing OF Nc
costs utying the selling price OF rs
product The b;
The has caused advances IN The cos " pipe ann
other material going down A. the present. time
material costs probably than cent higher thin
they were in 1915: than :" p'r
cent higher 1915 natural couin" in N"
Virginia are receiving by the grant ~ A' Pubic
for natural gas from "o' - ' peg ''
higher than he paid in 1915.
Second advances natural might h justified
bv has been shown that h"r" + IN
excessive On the contrary m" facts Shw
thar The natural Gas companies wells made less "Hc1
70 nroduce natural gas lHlf that they drilled
fewer wells and produce na'ur 1918 han
fhev did in 1917 they drilled fewer wells and mad" ~ effort
10 produce natural gas they did in HlN md finally they
drilled fewer and prr" natural gN IN
1920 than In other words n" "'f Z" "h'h
has been mad" n" h' ''r
indous propagarda deudinr Of this and Other states ana
h,v some ., tho members Of the Public :or'
~ ny tho main
themselves Five Years drilled well" and mad" NOR"
-o - n-odncc -s than made and fv
ago they abr roftahly price from on'hIrh
70 onahal, OF re present price
excessive prices might b" excused i tho"
exhaustion oH ~" natural
,rpnIv n his the f2ct Natural 80 companies
IN Vest Virginia "a" nearly %5o0o aero" q"
.,., one lands So far n ,c past oM'r
partially developed million acres In Other word" y"
Virginia almost f1nr n'| a. '!'
hitherto been developed and all ~
hs vas, tract o. nndeveopo being hold by -" IA com
their assets Tho people {" ""''
VIRGINIA VINO nrv Gas arc sufficient 20 enable
the the rental N'w companies ''' NIX"
develop are kept out monopoly is created and com
grants 20 -" "''FS % '
th"i- ra"S 'or ShS IN " "
unequalled BY any other industry in tn" country
follow his 0r'llmnar" sui' " go
Natural cas- situation with a number o. which h"v"
Of Will read with NOR" fhan ":'2"'' '
They will portray affairs whi" IA m"n ~
and shame disgrace Intelligent 500 governing " J. WIZ
e,,oss conspiracy Of IN" producers and " h
gas IN this Of fixing upon y" NN" d
1,o roononoIv cxoronatn operations hrr"n'U" - or
rsrrv destructive A. n" sa;n % %@""
designed TO be ritprpetuating for III" mex hair century
+