Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-27
White House Conference DEL
egates Report Huge Pro-
gram of Expansion.
FARLEY is CONCLUDING
ONE OF BUSINESS HEADS
Meeting in Nature of Surprise to
President, Who Expresses Graft
fcation at Cooperation.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The public utilities Of the country
propose to carry forward program of
maintenance, expansion and improve
ment In their fields which will cost
approximately $4,000 0000 900, President
Hoover was informed today at con-
ference with leaders among the public
utility executives at the White House
today.
This huge program will be pressed
forward during the coming year. the
President was told. The public utility
executives came to washington for con-
ference with the President following an
important meeting which they held In
New York yesterday.
The conference with the public utll-
tty executives is the flnal conference
planned by the President at this time,
in the drive for cooperation ot lnous-
try. agriculture and labor and the Gov
ernrner1t to stabilize business conditions,
to insure advance in prosperity ana 10
prevent unemployment.
The companies represented at the
conference today included those Wnlch
deal in electric light and power, manu-
factured and natural gas ana WHICH
operate electric railways. Their pro
gram adds materially to the plans OF IN
dustry already announced.
Sloane Makes Statement.
Matthew Sloane, president of the Ma
tfonal Electric Light Association, mace
a statement for the combined lnteresS
reuresented at the conference, follow-
tng the White House meeting He SAID
'The electric light and power, manu-
=
railway utilities contemplate the expen-
diture of 81, 400, ,000,0 900 during 1880 tor
new construction and expansion OF IA
cilities. an increase over the correspond
ing expenditures for 1923 OF $l1U'-
I'm addition to this amount, they
will spend to maintain existing proper
ties $410, 900 ,000."
Separate statements we're issued also
covering the plans of the electric light
and power companies, the gas COM
paries and the electric railways. Mr.
Sloane was the spokesman for the cleo
trio light and power companies. his
announcement regarding the huge pro-
gram of these interests follow:
"The electric light and power utility
companies of the country contemplate
an expenditure during 1880 OF $685.
600 900 for expansion of their facilities,
spending expenditures for 1929. THIS
does not include expenditures for main
tenance.
Progra ms Provide Expansion.
"The programs provide for expansion
and development in all sections OF the
United States.
THE electric utilities must maintain
themselves in a position to meet IN
Sr FANa q
develop, and they, therefore, plan their
construction we'll in advance.
THE plans for 1880 are completed,
large commitments have already been
entered into and many contracts for
equipment and material have been
placed. Careful consideration OF exist
ing conditions has justified this expan-
sion in anticipation OF the growing re-
uuirements of industry for power and
consumers generally for increased elec-
trio service"
On behalf of the American Gas Asso-
ciation. its president, B. j. Mullaney
made the following statement
THE American Gas Association sta
tistical department estimates that ex-
penditures for construction by the
manufactured and natural gas industry
of the United States in 1880 Will aggre-
gate approximately $425 100000, an in
crease OF about per cent over the cor
responding expenditures in 1929. An ad-
ditional $50. 900, 900 will be expended to
maintain existing service facilities.
The construction estimate is based
primarily upon budget provisions al
ready formulated for 1880 by companies
representing the major part OF gas pro,
duction and distribution in the United
states. The conclusions thus indicated
have been checked against the factual
experience of the industry for many
Years. as we'll as against current OBJ
servation and information, and have
been correspondingly strengthened.
Gas Industry Growth Steady.
pGas industry growth. while unspec-
tacular. has been marked and steady
for upward OF 20 years. The latter
,art of the period has been its time Of
most rapid gain. Complete statistical
renorts for nine months, and covering
inward of 85 per cent of the output.
indicate that the total output for 1923
should be about per cent ahead OF
the 1928 total.
Construction programs have to an
ticipate this growth, as we'll as provloe
for the consequences of new trends and
changing conditions, such as more Ano
more large volume industrial use Of
Gas. accelerated use for additional do
Tnestic purposes, including house heat
ing: increased density OF population
and use where large apartment houses
supplant single-family dwellings. Ex-
pansion is. further stimulated by the
growing popular recognition of gaseous
fuel advantages and by the research
that develops better utilization
I'm the natural gas branch Of the
industry the existence of vast known
reserves, coupled with large increases In
production, is making long distance
Transmission economically practicable
to a degree not anticipated few
wears ago. Development along this iinC
will undoubtedly continue for many
years.
"These and collateral facts, trend
and factors have been co-ordinated will
obvious necessities in estimating tn
construction requirements Of the indus
try for 1880. The net results, a
summed up in the first sentence Of thi
statement, have been reviewed by ON
GERS of the larger gas producing an
distributing companies, assembled 70
that purpose at A. G. A. headquarters II
New York yesterday, and have been ap
proved as a reasonable forecast.
THE customer contacts and day-to
day experiences Of the companies rep
resented in the conference reflect n
disturbing change in business condi
0ntions or trends They suggest no rea
on at this time for curtailinE the con