The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-09-30
WASTE OF GAS
CONTINUED from Page one)

there would be- a COnSrrya' ION o. gas.
In order Ia conserve gas HE (niiru
Fuel Gas Company argued that higher
! rates would al the same TIME cause
! less gas 10 be used and protect tho
! company for it rapidly diminishing
! commodity II is only fair ~ af"umr
that tho great aCrcag" of undeFrlopeu
territory now held by this company
will be pruporliunatelN productive 10
, the territory already developed. The
I United Fuel Gas Company and lis
; predecessor in the on year PERIOD
previous developed 34.3i2 acres and
marketed to consumers @-,"@.3S1 ,S"O.oO
cubic feet OF gas. This cu1paIH mas
under lease Of undeNelOped territory
almost % times as many acre q. lS II
drvrloprd in the iast ten years. NC
Curdlnc 10 this, the supply Of gas ~
! ing in normal proportion. III" md
veloped gas territory now hc'd ny me
United Fuel Gas Company wnhlt fur'
niah the same average supply lh' the
next TWO hundred years a9 II has done
during the past ten years. l'u' SUCH
an argument il only deceptive ana
does not hold water, for tho amount
OF gas under the undevel0ped terri
| tory cannot be determined by cXptr'
fence OF that which has been develop
! ed But II can hr cOnSrrrattvelS estl'
mated 10 last in It's present abunu'
apce for the next several decades.
AT any rate II Is not hrcomlHg ~
scarce all % Il sudden that the Public
sci 4.
! fled in raising the consumers rate In
order 10 bring about Il spectre con
sumption conservation of natural gas.
Carbon Black Waste
The gas companies of West VIZ
ginia are not consistent In their ad'
vice relative to the conservation OF
natural gas and thereby lCnsthen III
supply. The carbon black industry
is one Of the largest users or natural
gas In the state and one Of the largest
MASTERS OF gas. This Industry Is not
curtailcd by the various ehs compan'
les, rather the gas companies them
selves own and operate Il large NUM-
/ Der Of the concerns manufacturing
carbon lamp black. Particularly is
! this true Of the United Fuel Gas Com
yany.
, Samuel s. Wyer, one OF the best
authorities on natural gas IN the
wealth Of Pennsylvania and the State
OF Ohio VS.. The State IF West Virginia
! In regard to the carbon lamp black
! industry a. follows: In making
! lamp black. the gas IS burned without
any air AT all, with view or getting
the most imperfect combustion that
YOU possibly can get. so Us TO make
the largest amount Of SCOT. The Tame
from the raw gas IS made to impinge
on Il metal plate, and the lamp black,
which Is merely ordinary SCOT, Such
as we have in the Pittsburgh air. Is
precipitatrd on the plates and then
scraped off 1t Is 4 negligent and
gross misuse OF natural gas. and a
! use that ought moi 10 be- permitted
under any consideration where the
/ gas could be used for pablo utility
! service. ........ About nine per cent
of the states production Is misused
4 in carbon black manufacture. .......
The carbon lan.I black industry in
West Virginia uses about 80 per cent
more gas than Is used by all the do
nestle consumers within the state or
West Virginia"
Why Not Dicard III
! II Is only reasonable TO presume
that II the shortage Of natural gas is
as acute as the gas companies would
have us believe that the manufacture
OF carbon lamp black by the uSe Of
natural gas would be the first thing
to be discarded. Surely This would
be done long before the people would
have TO pay eXhorbi,ant rates solely
10 protect the supply OF gas. At least
the gas companies. themselves. would
only be too glad TO give up their car
bon lamp black plants TO help con-
serve the supply OF natural gas for
their consumers II Is true that this
industry in West Virginia is on the
decline, but not to the extent that
the saving in gas has been felt 10 any
appreciate degree.
There can be no question that the
supply Of natural gas IS cxhaustable
and that a time will come when the
known deposits will all have been
drained. but the sincerity Of the gas
companies in stat:nI that that time is
almost at hand is offset considerably
by their contradictory actions and the
fallacy Of their propaganda
Fluctuaton Of Rates
The Industrial consumption OF gas
in West Virginia, supplied BY the
United Fuel Gas Company is the chief
source of revenue by This company.
These consumers use practically
twice the amount of gas required for
the domestic consumers. and the fluc'
uation Of the rate for his gas since
the United Fuel Gas Company began
business in 1916 IS no more interest
ing than II IS startling.
Early in 1916 the price charged by
the United Fuel Gas Company for In
dustrial gas in Charleston and vicinity
over and above 100000 cubic feet per
month, was 6 cents per thousand
cubic feet. This IN" company de-
cided was not enough and II petition