The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1922-01-19
cHIcKAsHA ENTITLED TO NATURAL GAS.

Chckasha alone among the larger towns in Oklahoma is re-
ceving no benefits from the immense gas fields in the state. One
OF the largest OF the producing fields, that contiguous to Duncan
is only a little over forty miles from Chickasha. Gas from the
Duncan field goes to FL Reno. Oklahoma City, Shawnee and a
number of other towns north Of us and the main carrying this gas
runs within four miles Of Chickasha. This main is the property
of the Oklahoma Natural Gas Co, the largest wholesaler Of gas
in the state.
The Chickasha Gas & Electric Co. after laying a main to a
point near the Oklahoma Natural line, at great expense, is asking
the State Corporation Commission to make an order requiring
the Oklahoma Natural to permit a connection with its line to
be made and TO supply gas for distribution in Chickasha. The
reports OF the Oklahoma Natural to the commission show that il
IS using only a small portion OF the gas available in the Duncan
field. Officials OF the company argue that this gas field will
soon be depleted and that it will be exhausted the sooner il they
are required to furnish gas for Chickasha and thereby the COM
pany will be put to heavy expense to take up its lines and lay
them elsewhere in order TO tap some other source OF supply which
IS not now in sight.
However. it would be d~scredtable to the intelligence Of the
management of the Oklahoma Natural to presume that they did
not understand the hazards incident to their business when they
launched it. Certainly we must assume that they were well aware
of the responsibilities the company took upon itself as a public
service corporation and must have been aware of the fact that the
carrying out OF those obligations would entail constant expense.
since It would necessitate extensions OF their facilities from time
to time il, order to maintain their supply of the product which they
have undertaken to deliver to the public.
The people of Chickasha are strongly inbued with the idea
that they have 50 much right to this one Of the great natural re
sources Of the state, as any other community and that they are
entitled to their share Of it as long as it lasts. And since the
Oklahoma Natural IS the only source from which they can get
gas, they believe that this company, as a public service corporation
obligated TO serve without discrimination all the sections through
which It's lines run, should be required to supply their needs. The
company IS not asked to spend a dollar in order TO give this ser
vice all that is sought IS its permission to let us buy the product
which it sells.
It is now generally admitted to be good public policy to con
serve the natural gas Of the state for the use Of domestic con
surners. In the hearing before the State Corporation Commission
it was developed that the Oklahoma Natural is now supplying APP
proximatey 100000 feet Of gas a day to the Oklahoma City Gas
and Electric company for the purpose Of keeping fires going under
the boilers in its plant. This quantity Of gas is far more than is
needed to supply domestic consumers in Chickasha. BY cutting of
the industrial use Of gas at Oklahoma City, Chickasha could be
amply supplied without detnment to domestic consumers in any
other city that is served by the Oklahoma Natural.
To set forth the difficulties which the Oklahoma Natural has
when III the midst Of extremely cold weather it is forced to shut
oil industrial consumers, is not q sufficient answer to the demand
that the company supply Chickasha. This attitude ignores the
fundamental fact that the company is obligated to serve alike the
communities which have access to its lines and this obligation is
not contingent upon the state Of the weather. A local gas COM
pany with a franchise to serve all the people OF Chickasha would
not be permitted to plead such an excuse for failure to serve its
patrons or to take on" a new customer desiring gas. The peo-
pie Of Chickasha believe that their demand that the Oklahoma
Natural supply their needs is grounded upon a plain principle of
Justice and is supported BY the law governing public service cor
porations.