The New York herald., 1922-10-02
THERMAL GAS UNIT
CALLED A BENEFIT
Chairman Prendergast of Util-
ity Commission Answers
Complaints.
Special Dispatch to THE New YoRK HEaALp.
New York Herald Bureau.

Special Dispatch to THE NEW YonK HEaALp
| New York Herald Bureau.
Albany, Oct. I.
In a letter TODAY to Gov. Miller
| William A. Prendergast. chairman OF tho
Public Service Commission. denies the
charge that the change to the British
thermal unit standard more than offsets
the reduction in gas rates. recently or
| dered for New York and many Of the
| other cities of the State. Gov. Miller
! had received many complaints concern
ing this order and he wrote to Chair
man Prendergast for an explanation.
The Public Service head In reply m
sists that the public will not only ban
eft from saving In its gas bills but
will have a better gas. He gives these
as the three results achieved by the
change:
A more serviceable quality of gas.
A saving due to the lesser quantity
of oil used
/ A further reduction outside Of tais
saving, making in all q reduction OF 10
cents.
Commissioner Prendeygast explains in
his letter to the Governor that a revold-
tionary change in the use OF gas In
recent years has made the British ther-
nal unit desirable, as against the waste
full and inefficient candle power staI.d-
ard. Formerly gas was used aim ost
entirely for lighting In open flame burn
ers and brightness Of illumination. not
the heat 1t would give, was the destdera-
tum.
Candle power is defined as measure
of flame brilliance, so that IL the gas
used in illumination were not of uni-
form quality the result was merely an
increase or decrease IN the quantity OF
light given which could be corrected by
using a greater or less number OF burn
ers.
The flame burner being obsolete now,
the principal use Of gas Is in cooking,
water heating and for lighting in mantel
Lights, for all Of which heat Is the quail
ity desired The quality Of gas furnished
under the 537 British thermal unit
standard will be more constant than
under the candle power standard here
tofore in force. the Governor Is Informed.
and it Is pointed out that the corr
mission in its recent order fixed max
imum and minimum limits to assure
this, giving figures above and below
which the heating value Of the gas must
not be allowed TO go.
The heavy illuminating constituents
used in twenty-five candle power gas
coming principally from the gas OIL
which Is used to enrich the product, are
not required in the same proportion In
gas of the new standard. and reduction
in the amount of oil therefore makes
1. possible for the companies to sell gas
at a lower rate. This saving. 1t Is said,
Is only about half OF the reduction the
commission has ordered.
Replying to the charge that the new
standard will cause the domestic con-
sumer to use more cubic feet or bas
under the twenty-five candle power SIS
tenn. Commissioner Frendergast states
that examination by the commission or
experts and the experience Of other COM
munities indicatethere has not been an
increased consumption because OF the
change. He concludes that the gain In
efficiency and decrease in waste under
the British thermal unit standards which
have been adopted In various places
have nearly, IL not, entirely. offset the
decrease in the number OF units per
cubic foot of gas.