The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-07-20
GAS SHORTAGE
CONTINUED from Page onel

cent ~ III" total productirn. III" natural
! 80 comma MES IN 1918 owned - had
unt~p }eas" 22lS >9G "rr"s IN We: N.r-
GINA an area slightly NOR Than one
! fourth "f the total acrvaE" Of n" whole
state
Now that some conception . had 81
m" stz" and Importance - the ga in
dusiTN n West Virginia., it uS look moro
> Ca-"fuiE int" a few 0f these larger
Items and see what they moan :" tn"
consumers IN West Virginia. Euc T.:
! T. t." born" IN mind that the seven arg"
C"w3an." -. referred g. ahov". control
ahou, ~ r"r cent e he :n'a' aas in
: tuSrry IN W">: Virviuta.
They Control Production.
Tt" lazy" Acreage h"lt ~ -, .;aS
C0mnaUI'S in Nest Ni-su3n }- N.-'ny
Of II" Nttl" comment. CO -" ...tsc-
holds. iota.!nc &%l,.>?f acres. .c$. '"nn
, oH"-tSiri - Developed territory. ~. res,
- h"!ug held c.r Iutur" use" Or r"u:G"
Ia" various companies pay rentals FOR
IT," l"aS"h"ldS a. approximately IN"
dollar per year I"r aCr" N "rd"- ~ l",i
th'm. nad BY thus holding ,h,", 'h"y
are ali" - keep OUT competition .trd
. 70 govern ;hc supply Of gas NJ viii. Gas
wells IT," not flow forever. and gas ter.
ri'orv gradually runs "u'. bur or " "Il.'-
fAl!G o. Sur!. territory NOW undrr l,",r"
il Wrs' Virginia has yc' hr"u H"N"i.
ODad ;rI tn r"Sr ~ @'lli virgin raS
LANDS Ina; = great portion Of tits -.
r'iorr contains gas can hardly hc GiI"S.
toned. since tho gas companies hold
. onto It 50 generously and pay such =
!a-E" sum ~ money each year I" h''"w
= T." k""niuI; this l;r"tt aCrctC" ~
~ territory IN their control, tn. rIs
companies can and de- regulate IN" pro-
duction OF gas and arr abb. hl cu--
failing their development, 10 c;Cus" Il
d"creas" In tho supply oE gas and -
create tho opinion that the total supply
Is fas; diminishing. AMI consequently
are Shi" 20 get an increase Il rates.
One oc tho most pnra1oxlCal CIrcE'r.
stages n the matter "i Households ~
thai IA" consumers pay indirectly III"
rental 81 this Who'll" acreage. ~" ca~
companies ar" permitted 70 carry this
item a. y necessary "rp"nse "t oyer
alton, and ~" cuLSun'rS are forced ="
pay for tho hnidiir Of tines" ica%"holGs.
that no o'hrr CulnVAny or pa5lc"
may get hold OF enough territory /"
stnr. production nt rIS and hcron." COM
p.'i,,rS- tho production az n;,!ura. gas
mirht u" increased until IN" rates
~auIG have 20 he lrw"r"G. This IL "
very S'rtrGN condition. indrrd Yet It IS
just what Is going on and has boon going
~ "I'r aInr" the gas companies began
doing huNlr">s on u largo srAlr,
Made No Effort
Tho great tu!k OF gas shortage began
;th,W; -" y"Nr 1fi9 which y"nc AN"
tho ono IrcyiSus hogan to show IL
r.irl fn'iIuu of ia ia" 'r':. r~n1I"tiuu
~ .ns IN W"st Virginia. Th"r" Ma
no i"I-ur fl u" druauh TER E"N hat
whrnoyrr nv uculrud s. greater th""
tho .,upn!Y. thcu ih" I,ri"" Rises accord
inglE. amt tho ga companies knew this.
Tho r,ndr no Effort tn increase III"
aurily q: gas but rlth"" caused de-
, crease.
In 1917 the total amount of gas
produced was 223 billion cubic
feet, the companies increased their
developments by the addition OF
'342 wells; in 1918 the production
was 201 billion cubic set, and the
number of wells drilled was 593;
IN 1919 production fell off to l64
billion cubic feet, and the compa-
MES only drilled 467 wells.
u -" gas COMPANIES NaI Desired n
':vr"ts, tnrir p-oau,'iau ct. at .o,"'.
:" R'rp I n,Iul.,I hoy would have
G'.''"i ~" sam" nun.'..~ "r wells IN
1919 ~ they had In :.rr....i+ Yeats Ia
o'...2 II tnis. tNc" d'...,,I '...y"r wells
T. 't.- y",r 'hr" 80 o. +,r: hir'us
the yen 5.".~s prof. e.. n.,r,-, IN"
NJ ,l-l' r.,l ..,..,. C-p,u