The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-08-13
WANTS INCREASE OF RATES IN
SERTE1CDE1 CONDUCTING
PROPAGANDA CAMPHGN
Claims Advertisements Will BE Edu-
oAttvs 10 People Who Pay
tho Bnh
BY DWIGHT II. TETER

BY DWIGHT H TETEB
Charleston. w. Va, Aug 1.-THE
United Fuel Gas company realizes that
IL is going to have hard night before
the public service commission when iiS
petition for an increase OF rates comes
up for = bearing In September. and Is
beginning to prepare for &C.
Already this company has started a
series Of advertisements IN the news
pHpers by which /; hopes to curtall
the rapidly rising public sentiment
against II. and which Is nothing moro
than pure propaEan 10 gain in n GER
tain measure public confidence. These
advertisements, according TO the an
n"uncemrnt. will ne Of an educative ma
tar" and Will, no doubt. be pregnant
with carefully worded phrases telling
only half truths. The company" says
~" first advertisement. proposes TO
at,"npt to clear up some m,sconcep-
Tons. which II is convinced are due TO
misrepresentation, deliberate or other
wise"
Copying from the first advertisement
oc the United Fuel company: The COM
p1ny expects IN series OF advertise
ncnts 20 show: % Why economy of
El> is the order OF the day II an actual
creased rates. thoroughly Justified by
reasonable expectation or a fair return
on invested capital, alone will effect
economy: t3) how gas production costs
have scared. while the retail price In
territory served by this company has
remained at the level OF twelve years
ago. when other COMPANIES have long
since revised rates upward; 90 how
natural gas has become as much lux
ury as ARTIFICIAL gas. although the latter
sells for five times its price; go how
the volume OF gas per well, both old
and new. has dvindlcd: t6) how tho cost
OF transmission from the wells to the
consumer has mounted: l) and. finally.
why Increased rates do not necessarily
mean greatly Increased gas bills"
\ '1nteroSts identical"
\At another glance in the "A me advcr-
tisement 1t says, The interests OF tn.
United Fuel Gas company and it's
patrons are identical" This statement
Is true In sense and cannot be den led.
but II 1t ia 30 we'll recognized by tie
United Fuel Gas company, why does x
not mect It's patrons on tho common
ground Of fairness? Public utilities
and the people could very easily como
to an agreeable understanding II n
mutual respect AMI understanding could
be had between them. The public as
q whole Is not out 10 heat tho pub
lie utilities and Il would meet them
moro than half way. II It could but
know that the public utilities were
playing square. II n gas company. a
water company An electric light COM
pnny. or any other public utility should
need an increase in rates, all II has to
do Is spread It's card upon tho table and
permit the public 10 see that the rate
asked for is necessary. Tho people OF
West Virginia are not pikers and they
are willing 20 pay for what they get.
but they are certainly not willing to
Ne rougrd TO death and toyed with 20
tho advantage Of some corporation.
why RIOT RAaA Showdown
II the United Fuel Gas company really
wanted 70 place their cards on the ,ablo
and show the public that 1t needs an
increase. Il would never have entered
into q series Of advertisements in
which e Is proposed To mould tn" pub
.ic mind by theoretical arguments. Tho
company may be able to put up somc
convincing arguments and convert srm\
people 10 It's way Of thinking. but II
i does II will be by telling half
truths based on theory rather than solid
Facts. No. the only way for tho United
Gas company to got the people on It's
s!f" !: 10 lay itself hare and publish
tangible evidence that n rate incrco se
is needed. II should show definitely
what its invested capital - IN dollars
and cents: II should show what its ex-
p"nscS are and how they nr" divided:
!; should show what dividends il has
been paving for the last several years:
!. should show facts OF this nature
rather than n lot OF other things which
ar" foreign 10 Its petition for 4 rate
increase. II the company In bidding
"'r public feeling and sympathy. &;
should take the public into its conf
G"ncc. rather than treat Il as child
10 hr hurnorcd and "kiddod along"
The United Fuel Gas company has
baen rather fortunate in previous appli-