Evening star., 1947-07-09
Arlington PUG
Offers Reasons
For GasR RateCut


koturoI, Processed
Fuels Is Stressed
The Arlington Public Utilities
Commission. last night outlined be-
fore the Alexandria City Council the
reasons why it feels that gas rate
reductions may be obtained in the
Arlington Alexandria area.
PUG members listed the reasons
with the Alexandria city heads in
an attempt to have Alexandria Join
with Arlington County in getting an
investigator to determine whether
attempts to have gas rates reduced
stand fair chance of succeeding.
DR.. Lawrence S. Knappen, spokes-
man for the PUG, pointed out that
1t. has been customary throughout
the country to lower gas rates when
natural gas has been introduced in
place of mixed or manufactured gas.
Compares Prices.
Natural gas is very cheap, rela-
tive to processed gas" DR.. Knappen
said. He compared the prices of
natural gas in other areas of the
country to show that the rate
charged by the gas company above
the cost price of the gas is higher in
the Arlington Alexandria area than
elsewhere.
One reason the gas rate is high
in the nearby Virginia area, &C
cording to DR.. Knappen, is because
the company is charging amortiza-
ton Tor the old manufactured gas
plant that no longer is used be-
cause of the conversion to natural
gas.
He said to continue to include
this cost on bills is contrary to an
Arlington County court ruling that
a rate base should consist only of
the fair value of the property de-
voted to public service at the time
it is being used.
DR.. Knappen also saw a posi-
bility for lowering gas rates by pip
ing gas directly to the Arlington
Alexandria area from the main
natural gas pipes that come as far
as Herndon and then are diverted
to Rockville and back to Alexan-
dria and Arlington through the
District.
Objects to Route.
DR.. Knappen said he failed to
see the necessity for this out of
the-way method Of piping gas into
Arlington and Alexandria when it
could easily be tapped off at Hern-
don.
In answer to a question by Coun-
Gilman Paul Delaney. DR.. Knappen
said Alexandria could pay a share
Of the cost proportionate to the
amount of gas users it has as COM
pared to Arlington County gas users.
The council took no action on the
request but assured the PUG repre-
sentatiyes that it would consider
the proposal
The council paved the way for
construction Of a.; 1large Virginia
Electric and Power Co. building on
Glebe road near Old Dominion
boulevard by rezoning the site of the
proposed building from residential
to Do commercial. The rezoning
request was granted by a five to two
vote over protests of nearby resi-
dents who contended commercial
ization of that property would lower
the value of their homes.
Associations Opposition Cited.
Wiley Fitzpatrick and c. M. Davi-
son, both of the North Ridge Citi-
zens' Association, stated their as
sociation was opposed to the re-
zoning because the city plan
ming commission had recommended
against it. They contended it would
lead to further commercialization
in that area which is largely resi-
Dental.
1t was voted to appropriate $30,-
900 to cover the cost of converting
upstairs city hall Offices into a new
council chamber, to recondition
other upstairs Offices. to put a new
roof on the city hall and to take
care of other necessary repairs to
the building.
Also approved was a $37,50O ap-
preparation to cover improvements
to the city Jail as ordered by the
Corpora ton Court.
The council recessed until next
Tuesday night to consider what
further steps to take toward acquisi-
ton of the privately owned Alexan-
dria Water Co. 1t was learned
earlier this week that an offer of
$2,750,000 by the city for purchase
of the utility had been turned down
by the water company.