The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-10-18
City Council Asks CONNER
cial Club to Interest
Private Capital
ENGINEER COLLINS
MAKES HIS REPORT
He Estimates that Complete
Distributing System
Will Cost $42,467

The city council at the regular
meeting Tuesday evening went on
record as not in favor of the city's
installing a natural gas distributing
svstem to take advantage of Eugene
Enloe's proposition to pipe gas from
the Rattlesnake field to Kennewick
and Pasco.
This does not mean that members
Of the council do not look with favor
mon Mr.. Enloe's proposition but that
that they do not consider municipal
distributing system advisable or prac-
tical.
After hearing the report of Engin-
eer C. r. Collins the council voted
to refer the report back to the Com
mercial club with the recommendation
that it make an effort to enlist pri-
vate capital to install the system
and distribute gas under city fran
chise.
Mr.. Collins estimates that Kenne-
wick at its present size will use for
domestic and commercial purposes a
daily average of 10000 cubic feet
Of gas or an annual total of 38,00O,-
600 cubic feet. The possible industrial
consumption by the plants now using
electrical power is estimated at 3d.
100000 cubic feet annually but he
disregards industrial use entirely in
figuring the possible earnings of a
distributing system.
In the introduction of his report
he says: "There are two distinct uses
for natural gas, domestic and indus
trial Domestic use comprises con-
sumption for residence cooking, heat
ing and lighting; all commercial uses
such as the consumption for business
places in general; heating plants;
laundries; garages; bakeries; con-
fectioneries; restaurants, and all ac-
tivities directly related to the domes-
tic ard commercial life of the COM
munity. Industrial use comprises man.
ufacturing and power installations,
calling for large consumption at low
rates. The more profitable and less
wasteful use Of natural gas is in
supplying the domestic demand and
from an economic standpoint it
should be supplied first. Industrial
development will naturally follow
AS basis for his report Mr.. Col
Inns made complete census of the
buildings in the city. These he lists
q residences 1913, business places rs,
public buildings 2. "This is record
Of the entire town." he says, "and it
IS complete. The present population
IS estimated at 1901"
He figures that 80 per cent of the
homes and business houses will use
gas Tor cooking and heating purposes
which gives him $50 domestic con-
sumers. The average quantity of gas
used by each consumer is based upon
government statistics of consumption
IN gas fields of the United States.
10 install a complete system COW
erlng all parts of the city will re-
qulre 11.29 miles of pipe lines. The
cost OF the system complete includ-
ing meters, regulators, etc., he es-
Inmates at $42,467.
Figuring the average residence
cooking rate at $1.OO per thousand
cubic feet, the average residence heat
ing rate at IS cents and the average
commercial rate at IS cents, the sale
OF 3O,O00,000 cubic feet would bring
IN an annual gross revenue of $685.
4O5. The annual cost of the gas would
De $l1 400; annual operation and
maintenance $1,000. Allowing 2 pei
cent fir depreciation, and providing
Tor amortization in ten years, and
per cent interest on the invested
capital, this volume of business woulc
return an excess profit of S1491.
Regarding the coal consumption as
a basis for figuring probable gas
consumption, Mr.. Collins says
Coal and wood deliveries involve
too many indefinite and unknown fac
tors. The efficiency of each class Of
stoves, furnaces, boilers, etc., are un
known. The result naturally becomes
q conjecture based upon uncertain
factors, varying with each estimator:
opinion.
"The railroad deliveries of coal an
nually at Kennewick are 1864 tons
OF which two-fifths are estimated a.
used outside of the city, leaving g.,
5lS tons as the probable town con
sumption. Converting this latter ton
mage into terms of gas gives the es
tlmated gas consumption as S4,432,
200 cubic feet. This is more thar
twice the recognized maximum ca
pacity for the known population OF
natural gas basis. I, therefore