The tribune independent of Michigan., 1935-08-10

A. The answer lies in the super
iority OF National Gas. used in New
Orleans. as compared with the ar
tificial gas used in Detroit. Be-
cause Natural Gas in New Orleans
has twice the heating value of the
gas used in Detroit. in addition to
a lower cost, 1t is used extensively
by New Orleans industries.
z. Continuing this comparison
between Detroit and New Orleans,
how much gas was used by the two
cities In 1888, and what proportion
was used by lndustriesi
A. Metropolitan Detroit. with a
population of l.650,0O0 people con-
sumed approximately l9 billion Gu
bic feet. New Orleans with popu-
lation of 475,000 consumed nearly
22 billion cubic feet. or course. !
am giving these figures on the
basis OF the quality OF gas used in
Detroit. Less than 10 percent OF
Detroit's consumption was con-
sumption was consumed by indus
ties. while New Orleans industries
used IS per cent Of its 1888 con-
SUMPTION of gas.
U. That indicates that New Or
leans Industries used more than
eight times the gas used by De-
troit industries In 1888, doesn't IL
But what about the domestic con.
sumption OF ga> In the two cities J
A. Here again the figures point
TO the overwhelming superiority OF
Natural. over artificial gas. BY di- |
viding the numbe OF domestic me-
ters into the total domestic sales,
we learn the average consumption
Of gas for each meter located in
homes and apartment buildings
The average for Detroit was about
80 1000 feet. but in New Orleans IL
was nearly $1,000 cubic feet for
1888 This create average was be-
cause lower costs made Natural
Gas available for house heating in
New Orleans.
q. Just one more comparison.
How much does 10000 cubic feet
Di artificial as cost in Detroit, and
what does the equivalent amount;
oi gas heat cost In New Orlcansl |
A. The cost TO Detroiters inl
1888 was $40. Today 1t - $500 be-
cause OF rent rate increases which
the City is resisting on behalf oil
the citizens. In New Orleans
where Natural Gas Is used. the
cost in 1888 was only $4SS
q. Now let's get closer to home
with these comparisons. I'm sire
that when the citizens OF Dcis.t
understand what the City Is cn-
dea,orlng to do for them. there
Will be an immediate and OVER
whelmlng support OF the tiil'>
program. I've been Informed that
Natural Gas was used IN Detroit
many years ago. What were the
facts?
A. Yes. Natural Gas wa as,l nI
Detroit between 1887 and ia1l bur
artificial gas was also dis'ubutCa.
In 1894 the two compeiin arfiH
cial companies and the natural ras|
company were combined .rf- tL,
Detroit Gas Company, wh.h re-
ceived I0-year franchise from tI
city. In 1898 this company ags ac-
Quired by the present Detr Ciu
Gas ompany.
Where did Detroit get it, Natur-
al Gas In those days and VIII, wn>
the service discontinued!
A. Forty years ago the %uuralI
Gas Industry was in its rnlancy
None Of the great gas fields had
yet been discovered and 4raf
waste prevailed and ti,ri,g
these early gas fields be,ai.
haustd. Natural Gas was iiis
brought in here from near iln
lay Ohio Later 1t was nh.rvl
near bennington. Ontaro T sga
ply to Detroit was cut oil ia igs.
when the Ontario goyerunn far
bade the exp rtation OF Naiurall
Gas to the United States.
q. What were. the prevailing
rates for artificial and for Natural
Gas In Detoit those early da,> ;,
A.Prior to 1894 the artificial sas
companies were charging S150 per
1000 ca. IT, as compared to 30 cents
per thousand feet charged by the
Natural Gas Company. Thus. urti-
hcial gas heat cost was in the pro-
portion OF $3.50 as against about
Is cents, because Natural Gas had
twice the heat value OF artificial
gas. The franchise granted in 1924
reduced artificial rates to so cents,
and set the Naturarl Gas rate at 80
cents.
q. understand that Natural Gas
service 20 the Border Cities has
continued during all these years.
Have you some comparative fir-
ures on gas costs In Windsor aud
Detrolti
A. Here are many very interest
ing statistics on that very subject,
an dtey support the City OF De-
troit's program for introducing