Evening star., 1940-12-04
Natural Gas for
District Opposed
Writer Discusses Practical
Problems Involved
In Change

To the Editor Of The Star:
As longtime resident OF the Dis.
trict and deeply interested in its civic
welfare, express the hope that the
Public Utilities Commission will con-
slider very carefully before it orders the
local gas company to change over to 100
per cent natural gas. The fact that a
single engineer recommends such
change is not suficient; the subject is
too serious to jump to conclusions
because of one mans recommendation
am not an engineer nor familiar
with the technique of gas operation
but notice that the engineer who
recommends this change suggests that
1t be done next spring. 1t occurs to me,
as I should think it would to anyone
else, that where every one of nearly
100000 gas appliances in the city must
be made over, the only time to do SO is
in the summer when the load is smallest.
To give the impression that the people
of Washington can have 100 per cent
natural gas at very much lower rates
within a few months seems to me un-
reasonable. The gas must be contracted
for at far lower price than now pre-
walls, which takes months of hearings
before the Federal Power Commission;
a new pipe line extending several hun
dred miles must be built, or the present
pipe line practically made over, and all
the gas appliances in the city must be
made over, requiring recruitment and
training of skilled workers. In addition
several millions of new capital must be
raised to do all this. Such matters can
not be disposed of in hurry.
But there is q more serious question
than this to consider. I refer to the
dangers of making the citys gas supply
entirely dependent upon natural gas
fields of uncertain life which are hun
dreds of miles away. The records dis
close many breaks in natural gas pipe
lines, and each break creates a serious
or even a dangerous situation. For it
must be remembered that the large mid
western cities which are dependent en-
tirely upon natural gas are served by
numerous pipe lines, not by one as in
Washington, with the single exception
OF Detroit, where numerous breaks have
occurred.
have many friends and connections
in the central and western part of New
York State and know of a number Of
upon natural gas have suffered severely.
The New York Times OF November 27
had a short article describing the effects
of a shortage Of natural gas upon Bing-
hamton, N. Y. In fact the Federal
Power Commission has been asked to
permit an increase of 81 per cent in the
rates for natural gas in that area to cover
additional expenses incurred in replen-
ishing from other areas gas supplies
which it was claimed were being de-
pleted in Southwestern New York.
Considering the facts that rates for
gas in Washington are the lowest Of any
Eastern seaboard city and are being low
cred, under the washington plan" all
the time, cannot see the wisdom OF
changing over to natural gas all at once,
at great expense, and then perhaps
having to go back again.
One other point is that Washington
and its immediate surroundings is the
fastest growing metropolitan area in the
country. The gas company must be
hard pushed to keep up with this growth,
because of the necessity of constant
extension Of mains. Any business which
grows with extreme rapidity has diff
Guilty in keeping its net income and
profits in line with its capital outlay.
To require the gas company to spend
additional millions just at this moment
to change over to natural gas and also
to make it dependent upon a pipe line
$50 miles long that goes over 70 noun
tains and under 10 rivers and 216 creeks,
when uninterrupted utility gas service to
the Nations Capital by stable and
strong company is so essential does not
seem wise.
GEORGE F. BOWERMAN.