Evening star., 1948-03-15
Utility Official
Backs Limit on
NewGasHeatinu
Fuel Won't Be Ample
If Conversions Go On,
PUG Hearing Is Told

It Is neither practicable nor safe
for the Washington Gas Light Co.
to expand its service beyond $4,000
new gas heat customers from now
until the end of next winter, a
company official testified today at
q hearing before the Public Utilities
Commission.
Appearing before the PUG hear
ing into the company's decision TO
accept only new homes and build
ings as additional gas heat Gus
toners during an emergency fuel
period, Everett J. Boothby, vice
president and general manager Of
the company declared there just
will not be enough gas to 60 around
if coal and oil-heated homes are
permitted to convert to gas heat
between now and March 1s49,"
Conversions Held to 1000.
Under questioning by company
attorneys, F. G. Await and c. Oscar
Berry, Mr.. Boothby said the gas
company is prepared to take on an
estimated 14,000 new gas heat Gus
toners for next winter.
OF these, he said, only 1000 would
be conversion from oil and coal to
gas. Another 1000 would be med
ical hardship cases and the remain
ing $4,000 would be newly con-
structed homes and buildings.
If the number OF gas heat In
stallations is not limited as the COM
pany wishes. the witness testified, an
estimated $4,000 new installations
will be sought by customers. At
present the company serves approx
mately $4,000 gas heat installations.
A similar hearing will be held in
Richmond on April 8 before the Vir-
ginia State Corporation Commission
on the same kind of limitation
imposed by the Rosslyn Gas Co.. q
subsidiary Of the Washington Gas
Light Co. The Maryland Public
Service Commission also permitted
the February 27 limitation by the
gas company but no hearings have
been scheduled because no OPP
position has developed.
Opposed by Plumbers.
The company's restriction plan.
which has been effected temporarily
since the petition was filed with the
PUG on February 27 pending today's
hearing, is opposed by at least one
organized group-the Merchandising
Plumbers of the Master Plumbers
Association. The meeting is being
conducted by PUG Chairman James
H. Flanagan, Engineer Comnis-
sioner Gordon r. Young and PUC
member James w. Lauderdale.
Mr.. Boothby said the company
already has contracted for the es-
4 timated larger volume of gas needed
! for next winter through its supplier
the Atlantic Seaboard Corp. Some
4 Of the additional supply Of natura
gas will come all the way from
/ Texas via the Big and Little Inch
Pipelines, he explained.
He indicated that the restriction
need not necessarily apply past next
{. winter. A 26-inch pipeline fol
natural gas transmission from
Charlestown, w. Va, to Rockville
is expected to be completed in 1949
Mr.. Boothby said, and will greatly
increase the amount of gas available
to the company and its subsidiaries.
! In his opening statement, Mr..
Boothby pointed out that the limi-
tation order permits continued use
of gas for space heating by all per-
sons who were using gas on Feb
ruary 81 this year and permits use
of gas in newly constructed homes.
1t prohibits replacement installa-
tions, he said, but allows continu-
alton of the normal anticipated
growth of business.