Evening star., 1923-03-26
CITY FACING LOSS
Of NATURAL GAS
Rate War in Cleveland Brings
Threats-Many People
Substituting Coal.
BY j. C. ROYLE.

special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, March 26.-Residents
OF Cleveland today are facing a
threat by the East Ohio Gas Company
| that the natural gas supply will be
cut Off from the city May 1, entail
! ing serious inconvenience to house
holders. The gas company has pro-
' posed schedule of prices providing
| a minimum rate of 81 a thousand
cubic feet, so cents a Thousand for
| the next 10000 feet, so cents for the
next 10000 feet and 10 cents for all
over 1900 cubic feet. The city cour.'
cil on its part adopted a schedule OF
rates making 80 cents the minimum
rate with prices ranging from 40 to
rs cents per thousand for additional
amounts.
A citizens committee is attempting
| TO mediate between the council and
| the company so that the treatened
| cutting off of supplies may ba
| avoided All the city's suburbs have
! signed contracts with the company at
rates higher than those proposed by
| the council.
| Coal stove Sales Increasing.
Purchase Of coal heating and cook
! ing equipment. especially in new
| homes being built where natural gas
| Is used as a fuel, have been so ex-
| traordinary that some leaders in ths
| gas industry now are in favor OF
| calling halt in the campaign to per
| suade consumers to supplement gas
| equipment with coal heating appaI
| atus. This is especially true of the
! Pittsburgh dist-Sts.
| Makers OF coal stoves and heaters
| have enjoyed an unprecedented bust
| ness. Back of the situation is the
| reduction In gas production per well
and lower rock pressure, together
with an increase in possible Gus
| toners.
1t is in extremely cold weather that
! domestic consumers in Pennsylvania
suffer and 1t was 10 meet those few
| days of extreme cold that gas com
| panies urged installation of EN-
| ergency heaters but the tendency u
| round is inducing gas companies to
/ test all fields for deeper producing
| sands.
| Formerly the open-f1ow gas wells in
| Pennsylvania and West Virginia was
about 100000 cubic feet a day. Now
the maximum is about 100000 feet.
The average rock pressure is now
only 175 pounds. as compared with
| former pressure Of 500 pounds
Subsidiary Plants Operated.
I Some of the larger distributing
| companies are operating subsidiary
1
products with the natural gas. 1t IS
predicted this practice will be ex
! tended, 1t is said, however. that dis
! tributing companies in the Pittsburgh
| district will apply for permission to
increase their selling prices.
| There is no immediate prospect of
| eXhauStinE the natural gas supply Of
| Missouri, Kansas. Oklahoma and
| Texas so long as it's use is confined
| to domestic cooking and lighting pur-
|
has practically been eliminated by
| the establishment OF rates which
| make it cheaper to use coal or oil.
! Development of new fields is keep
\ ing pace with the exhaustion of old
| wells.
Use for Heating Restricted.
When the natural gas first began
10 be used in that section. in 1905, il
was believed the supply was adequate
for all purposes. Nearly every home
was equipped to burn IL in furnaces,
cook stoves and CRATES. Within A
few years, however, winter brought
acute shortages and ordinances were
passed restricting its use These
were not entirely effective. however,
until prices were increased.
At present there is an adeouate
supply in the middle west for light
ing and cooking and prices are such
that natural gas is cheaper than
the artificial product for those houses
when the relative heat units OF the
two are considered.
Measure Against Imitation.
Decision of the Fall River textIe'
operators to defer action on a pos
sible strike until after a discussion
with employers April 20 had stabil-
izing effect in both manufacturing
and mercantile circles today Meas
ures advocated by the special com
| mittee on unemployment appointed
| by Secretary of Commerce Hoover. II
IS expected, will be discussed by
| governors of the twelve federal re
! serve banks now meeting in Wash
| ington. The meeting is expected 10
| determine whether the federal rel
| serve banks will take measures to
| slow down borrowing as means 10
prevent imitation in business