Evening star., 1941-01-23
Company Offers
Reasons Against
Natural Gas
Havoc Sabotage
Could Cause Is One
Argument Advanced

The disastrous" effect on the Dis
trict's gas supply that would re-
suit from effective sabotage OF the
supply line was raised today by the
Washington Gas Light Co. as a
major reason why the Public Utili-
ties Commission should not order
full use of natural gas in supplying
its customers.
Direct proposal for the conversion
of the company's present method
of producing gas, to use of the fuel
piped here from gas fields in Ken
lucky, West Virginia or more dis
tant points is pending before the
commission in a report from its
consulting engineer, Frank P.
Fisher.
MI. Fisher, in concluding 10
month study of natural gas possible
tiles, declared its use could be Or
dered and that a fist-year saving to
consumers of S745.00O could be ef-
fected by applying natural gas rates
to houSe-heating customers. He
went further to suggest an even-
tual annual saving of some $780,
900 if natural gas rates were made
available to all the company's GUS
toners.
In its reply to the Fisher report,
which it filed today with the COM
mission, the company also said it
would be necessary to recruit 1000
skilled mechanics to effect the
change-over. 1t also cited the ma
tional defense program as an essen
tial factor, along with "disarrange-
ment" of the normal life of the city
and diversion of natural gas away
from industrial centers," the latter
cited as being In conflict with the
Nations mobilization for defense.
Authority Lack Claimed.
The company whose brief was
filed by its counsel, E. Barrett
Prettyman, also protested that the
District commission did not have
the power to fix or regulate the
price of gas charged by pipeline
companies to the Washington COM
pany nor authority to require install
lation of two or more compressor
stations along the pipeline, which. it
said would be necessary to assure
delivery of an adequate quantity of
natural gas.
The company said this manage
ment cannot accept responsibility
for these features without the spe-
ciflc approval of those authorities
vino have charge of such matters
nationally"
Utilities Chairman Riley E. Elgen
said the commission was fully aware
OF the need of action by. Federal
! agency as to the gateway price of
gas delivered interstate, or for in
stallation of any pipe line compress
sors or other equipment outside the
District. Mr.. Elgen said if the local
agency decides to proceed with a
plan such as suggested by Mr..
Fisher, it contemplates filing a re-
quest with the Federal Power Com
mission to lower gateway gas prices
and order any necessary new plants
along the pipe lines.
The District commission so far
has taken no action except to give
| notice of its intention to hold a
public hearing on the Fisher pro-
posal. Commission officials indi-
Gated today it was likely this hearing
would not be held at least before late
next month
Brief Referred to Experts.
The company's new brief was re-
ferred today by Chairman Elgen to
experts on the commissions staff.
to Mr.. Fisher and to Corporation
Counsel Richmond B. Keech. who
is counsel to the Utilities Commits
sion.
The company'S statement said the
Fisher plan would require that the
Atlantic Seaboard Corp, which
owns the pipe line, install from two
to six new compressor stations at a
cost of between S1,2Oo,O0O to $780,
700. in order to insure a sufficient
supply of the natural fuel.
The company said Seaboard cor
poration engineers insist it would be
too risky" to operate the single
pipeline at maximum pressure
throughout its length and. the COM
pany went on, to lay a duplicate
line would make the project too
costly.
Alluding to possible conflict with
the national defense program the
company said $4,000 tons ofxsteel
would be required to duplicate the
interstate pipeline. The company
also insisted that Mr.. Fisher had
failed to give any reliable assurance
of natural gas supply for more than
10 years, and suggested that the
commission should not order the
change-over on a mere assunp-
ton" that an adequate supply was
available. 1t suggested further that
no steps should be taken until the
interstate gas rates were fixed at a
price which would make the project
possible.
The company also raised the ques-
ton of what views national author-
tiles in charge of defense prepara-
tions have on the proposed change
over.