The tribune independent of Michigan., 1935-08-10
2. Why Is the City endeav oring
10 bring Natural Gas 20 Detr0iti

2. Why Is the City endeav oring
to bring Natural Gas to Detroit
A. Because II is convinced that
Natural Gas Is needed by local in
dustries and that when il is intro
duced into the homes II will be the
means OF greatly reducing gas
costa
q. Is Natural Gas, then, far sup
erior 10 the artificial gas now used
In Detroit?
a. Yes, chiefly because Natural
Gas has twice the heating value OF
artificial gas; just as a better
grade OF milk might have twice the
butterfat OF an inferior grade.
This superior heating equality.
combined with its lower cost, Is
the chief advantage Of Natural Gas.
U. Is Natural Gas used more
widely than artificial gas in the
United Statesi
A. Yes, more than 5000 COM
munities use Natural Gas, and less
than 1000 use artificial gas. AS
rapidly as Natural Gas becomes
available. 1t replaces the artificial
product.
so. Can you give comparison, In
terms OF energy, between the an
nual Natural Gas and the cicetrl-
cal consumption In America!
\. In 1888 the consumption OF
Narural Gas. in terms Of energy,
was six times as great as the en-
ergy represented by the use OF
electricity
q. III Natural Gas i superior 10
artificial gas because. of better
quality and lower cost, then not
Detroit handicapped by a lack oi III
A. Certainly For example. many
products which could be made in
Detroit, IL Natural Gas were avail
able here for the special heating
treating that is required. are now
manufactured in other cities that
have Natural Gas. AT the same
time, all consumers pay higher gas
bills than consumers OF Natural
Gas cities" In the course of year
the loss of labor opportunity Of
Detroits workers. and the higher
costs OF an inferior artificial gas,
means a loss OF many millions OF
dollars to Detroit.
q. You mention that gas bills
would be reduced Ii Natural Gas
were brought here. Can you cite
some reductions that resulted In
other citiesi
\. Here are somo figures show
ing reductions in lie cost of gas
heat in variou cities for the year
1888, when Natural Gas was used,
as compared with 1928, when arti-
fetal - was ase4 A quantity OF
10000 cub ii IL D,troit's present
artificial gas - used for the COM
parison TIE foNcwing reductions
we're shown M MVar 80 percent;
san l'rauei-r9 81 percent; Coun-
cil Butts lawl percent; Mem
phs s. prcm fIouston and At
aaa I'D ne.ult salt Lake City.
Is percent; Jefferson City, Mis-
souri, p and New Or
leans ay p.r N reduction in gas
costs ti ear 1898, as compar-
o. White these cities were en-.
ioiinu such Substantial savings.
what hapncncd TO the cost OF this
amouni ol lea> heat during the
same period in Detroit?
The F INCREASED 10.7
pfNen .or gsa as compared wiki
' l i'f - A'NNl lis va
tn stae 1fy " the artificial
a.w ,w Htas per foot 10 $50
q. li wnFafi>on> are startl-
ins We're ih'>c reductions put in.
FL ritc Just ~ soon n Natural
Ca, Feplace. aflihciaI gas in ihc
riiie, mmed
Instance Usually
ur An as comsump.
uon ner Aai an important
at a uGs, be- made u
ora u praa'- uch increased
use
q. Then you must have some
Interesting figures on the con.
sumption ui ga in the cities you
named. a, compared with Detroit.
Tan }ou give them!
a. fe- hlt Tor true. compari-
son J must sate the figures in
terms cf The quality OF gas use in
Detroit Iu 1889 The per capita gas
consumption in the same cities was
as follows Atlanta. 5000 IT.; JET
tefson city 10Oo0; Council Bluffs !
e6.goo; Memphis. 10000; Denver
an salt Lake City $4,000; San
Francisco, $4,000 and New Orlean.
$4,000 CA. Il. per perrson.
q. And what was the per capita
consumption In Detroit for 1883
a. II amounted TO only 1908
feet. For example. New Orleans
used an average Of four times as
much gas hat as Detroit I'm 1898.
based on comparative populations,
despite the fact that New Orleans