Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-07-11
Plan toCurb
Gas Use Stirs
Alexandra

Council Asks State
To Probe Compony's
Request for Freeze
The Alexandria City Council has
added its voice to opponents Of a
requested freeze on natural gas
consumption in the Washington
area.
BY unanimous vote last night,
the Council asked the State Cor
poration Commission to determine
whether Northern Virginians
would be Disseminated against by
the proposed restrictions.
Subsidiaries of the vast Column
bia Gas System, Inc, have petit
toned Virginia, Maryland and the
District of Columbia to prohibit
further installation of gas fur
naces in home; conversion of oil
and coal furnaces to gas, or in
crease industrial and commercial
consumption of the fuel.
Councilman Leroy S. Bendheim,
who offered the resolution, said
the action put the Council on rec
ord as opposing the proposed gas
restrictions and is intended to
compel extension of gas service
to any Alexandria resident not
now supplied.
Officials Told to Appear.
City Attorney v. Floyd Williams
and City Manager w. Guy Ancell,
or his representative, were in
structed by the Council to appear
at the sec hearing in Richmond
on September Is to present the
city's stand in the matter.
The gas curb petition was filed
with the sec by the Virginia Gas
Transmission Corp. a subsidiary
of the Columbia Gas System, Inc,
against the Rosslyn Gas Co.,
which serves nearby Virginia.
Columbia wants the restric-
tons because it fears supplies will
become inadequate at the present
rate of gas Use expansion.
Copy of Petition Received.
The matter came before the
Alexandria councilmen as they
received, from the sec. a copy
of the petition filed by the gas
supplier.
II think this is rather impor-
tant to U.S." said Mr.. Bendheim,
especially since there are still
some residents in Alexandria who
are without any natural gas sup
ply"
He said residents at the end
of Prince street, for instance,
have tried to get gas line extern
sions without success. Mr.. Bend
helm said he was told by resi-
dents that the Rosslyn Gas Co.
has refused to extend mains to-
that section, unless the Gus
toners agreed to heat their homes
with gas.
eff these gas firms take the
position that they can arbitrarily
refuse to give service, it would
be a sorry situation for modern
city" said Mr.. Bendheim.
Mayor Franklin P. Backus said
he agreed but that he does not
think it is the Rosslyn Gas Co.
that is trying to curb extensions.
Backus Blames Supply Firm.
"It's the supply firm-they're
trying to stop further gas extern
sions at this end of the line" Mr..
Backus said. why do they pick
on Northern Virginia?
81 think the sec should really
go into this matter to make sure
Northern Virginia is not discrim-
mated against"
The councilmen feared the re-
strictions also would hamper de
velopment of new areas. Alex
andria expects to annex 712 square
miles from Fairfax County next
fall.
A new ordinance regulating pri-
vate and nursery school vehicles
was adopted.
The ordinance, proposed by
Councilman Marshall j. Beverley,
requires that every motor vehicle
carrying children to and from pri-
vate schools be marked as school
vehicle and that there be one dis
tinct seating space for each child
transported.
Three Bids Rejected.
Three bids offered for the city
owned Taylor Run housing project
tract were rejected. Instead the
Council decided to wait until it
acts on a proposal to rezone the
property. The tract on Duke
street contains about SO single
house building lots as it now is
zoned. Highest bid opened last
night was $144, 500, but it was con-
ditional on different coming and
offered payment on terms. The
other bids were $62,680 and
$4,000 cash.
An appropriation Of 81 400 was
approved for employment Of Har-
rison, Ballard and Allen to consult
with the planning commission on
a revised coming ordinance and
coming map.