The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-10-05
COMPANY AFLLY1Na FOR 1NcEEAsE
AT HARRISVrLLE CLAIMS AUDIT
OF BOOKS WOULD DO GREAT
DAMAGE
TOWNS OF HAA11SvILLE, PULLMAN
AND ELLENBOEO ENGAGED IN
FIaET AGAINST HIqHE1
BATES
b. HARRY HARPER DAWSON

F:!lcnhuru. W. Va. oct. THE recent
hearing Al Ilnrr!Sv.Ue hy the Public
S.rv!r. Commission on the application
rt The Utility Gas C"mpsny for an In
crr.,s, 10. forty cents per thousand for
gas used by the towns uf Pullman ana
Elltnhuro LIS excited much interest.
Tho ease Is part ~ tho proceedings
by which the gas company has been
cntlcnvnrpg to secure an inCreae" III
rates for tho past ten months. Notice
was served In November. 1920. hy the
Imperial oil 4 Gas Products Company
OF an arp!iration before the Public Ser
vice Commission for an increase in
rates. Hearing was set Cor IN" cary
part Of December. Attorney Robert >.
BAR. then mayor "f Harr!sN'l.". ana
Attorney =. .. rrunty appeared for the
town of Hurrisrllle. and Homer Adams,
n former prominent attorney OF Rltchin
county. bur now genera! counsel Tor
the nus cumluny. appeared for thu I'm
perial rr"rl" Robert Morris. editor OF
tho Harrisvtie Gazette. also presented
a printed protest against III" Increase IN
rates clhirlirr thar the rates SHOULD In
fact be reduced. As tho towns or FulI-
man and Fllrnhorn han no representa-
tives before the Public Service Fom-
mission. Morris appeared for these
towns lIia printed protest contained
some rather pointed Intermediates. ana
rather thnn permit an audit OF Its books
by AN orr,ilntaut rf TN" l'uhli" Service
rnr,mias,nn - 10 mad" runI!c. the gas
cuu,any Withdrew it's application. an
upun,!n" th.t /; preferred tn Withdraw
~ arbitration 20 ;'ir injury that might
result I, !tS business from the facts
thai n!ghi Ia, disclosed from an audit
u: "a books and published IN the press
+ the state.
The SKY the Limit
shortly after tho Withdrawal! OF Its
Application by the ras company. when
""rra'eh under T." name az the Imperial
on & Gas Products Company, tho DIFF
i..:"ut towns wee surprised I" learn
that tn" V'lI;y tias Company had ap-
pied for an Increase In the gas rates
for the Iar:"u~ towns that had been
served by the i:unerlri pi"rle. this being
~, first k'nw edge the public had TINT
such a rrinI?uy ~ the ttil!ty was in
sNiStcu,r. ana i WAS L notice that tho
':.;h; "G III" gas rates WAS not ended,
At the FIR; hearing before the Public
Service r"mr,!s>i"n. in reply to query
ny Mavnr HaIr. thu attorney FOR the
,:rS company intimrt"d that his com
rnny wrVlh mike tho sky the limit for
gaa rates. II Developed upon lnveStlEa-
Ton. '|"' -" ll!ltN iiOS ' HnplH! "ds
hu: ihc ,hill "t The Imperial concern. =
nrw COMPANY nrraI!zcd with the same
nvuerSh'n .ud almost the same d'rcC-
tors mi n"i,rra. Ther" had been a
,.r.n.r &C name I'M no real change In
intrrr.' "r ownership. The principal
.lnunI - up by tn" l'u'lty Company
''ur au ;n,r'aS" IN ra'"s was mat II had
w. :n~ - rs own nnt w"nd have Ia 80
INTO the mnrhr' and purchase gas and
that Il anticipated That the wholesale
ur1rr !, would hay" ~ pay for gas
would lie in ihc n"iE Ahnrh""d or thirty
,'t'T.
7o"; PROFIT
\ date was 50; for y hearing last
Mnrch, a thai lin" !. \. Powell and
s - P,uu:y appearing f"r TIA" town OF
Iinrr,Svil." and S. q. Prunty for the
town - lmiiman and Ell'nh"rn.
SlCniHran, fact brought out At this hear
inY Was that the Imperial Company was
mylrr Eas from several sources NJ
,;,r... cents thruSrnd feet and was
selling lrrr" uuun:l:!". Of gas ~ '"h
cents thousand fcrt. Figures submit
tod hv ,ho gns company showed that
taking ,"r'c a" = ha>ly wholesale prize.
IN. Imperial concern made something
over seventy Her cow on It's investment
in ,re IInrriSl ~" flnnt in 1890. II also
Geyc'upcI ;'r,t =. lriiic,l some dry holes
rnd sma, EuS,S"s nrf wanted the In
crease If r:.rs - make UP IN" loss
irn,u ths ,y'ur,". u ala" deTcl"peo
rhr, Tho I'.n.,v r"rUani Was hutinR
~ ItS .,:e t~..r til ~ :cr!ai tomrnnH
Several suhsr,n"': da'"s were So for