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Included ia the Columbia Gas System are many major cities, all seriously affected by
<br />price increases made by this major pipeline company. United fuel Gas Company of the Columbia System. United
<br />Fuel supplies gas to these major cities through the following distribution utility companies:
<br />
<br />· I. Atlantic Seaboard Company., supplying -Annapolis, Baltimore, Washington,D.C.,
<br /> Alexandria, Roanoke, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Richmond, Va.
<br />2. Manufacturers Light and Heat Company, supplying Pittsburgh and cities in
<br /> area, Wheeling, W.Va. .
<br /> 3. Kentucky Gas Transmission & Columbia Gas of Kentucky supplying Cincinnati, Norwood
<br /> Covington and Newport, Kentucky.
<br /> 4. Ohio Fuel Gas Company, supplying Dayton~Col.umbusj Toledo, Mansfield, Lima.
<br /> 5~. Portsmouth (Ohio) Gas Company supplying Portsmouth area.
<br />
<br /> The City of Cinainnati and Kentucky cities have joined in various action in F P C gas
<br />ra~e cases, with representation by the law firm of, Rhine & Rhine in ~ashington. Our ~eonclusions from these
<br />
<br />1. Consumers interests must be promoted by city representatives.
<br />2. The interest of above cities is on common ground insofar as United Fuel Gas cases are concerned.
<br />The measure of common ground is the number of . mcr gas delivered to the various cities by United.
<br />3. It is economical and good strategy~for cities to unite and to present a joint action before FPC .
<br />
<br /> If your City can so act,.and, is interested in presenting a strong combined effort,
<br />please let us know if you can participate with the group of the above cities. In the event that these cities can
<br />unite, we would like to arrange a group meeting a~ mutually convenient places, to arrange our action procedures.
<br /> The. issue, as it seems ro me, is whether we leave these utility costs increase by de -
<br />fault; or whether we act to protect our consumers interests. Please let us hear from you a~ the earliest
<br />possible time. (Signed) George W. Howie, Director."
<br />
<br /> "I sm certain you have been. reading aboat alleged improper actions on the part of members
<br />of the Federal Power Commission. The disclosure of closed door sessions with industry representatives, entertai~
<br />merit, and. free airplane rides make headlines and Commissioners c'an rightly be criticized for the suspect actionsl
<br />Nevertheless, this publicity totally misses the point, as to which the Commission can most seriously be criti-
<br />cized, i,e.., its total failure to. regulate. Prices have gone up and up since the famous Phillips Decision of
<br />1954~nd you are faced~with every increasing, char~es to your constituents, but in these six years, the Commissio]
<br />~zas not rendered any basic decisions by which the rules of the game can be applied and prices held. down. The
<br />wellhead price of natural gas has risen 56.0 per cen~ since 1954 while all commodity prices have risen 8.3 per
<br />cent. Despite the fact that the law directs the FPC to regulate the price of gas in the consumers' interest,
<br />gas prices ha~e-gone up~ almost seven times_ as fast as the price of the ~verage commodity.
<br /> There is one heroic exception on the five man Commission, to the do-nothing patter,and
<br />that is FPC Commissioner ~illiam R Connole of Connecticut, a political independent, and the only commissioner
<br />from East of the Mississippi where most Of the gas ~s consumed. He alone in the Commission hms held ou~ for ef-
<br />fective regulation- and reports current in Washington are that the President will not~ reappoint Connole this
<br />June, when his term expires.
<br /> As representatives of the natural gas consumer, we must communicate with the President
<br />telling him of our supperz for Mr.~Connole's re-appointment. It may not be too late to get the President to
<br />change his mind and re-appoint Mr. Connole. And even if another~ name is sentto the Senate, we still must
<br />protest the dropping of this able Commissioner. No matter how exceptional may be his suggested successor, as a
<br />newcomer, he can not be one tenth as ef£e~tive in the post as. would Mr. Connole, with his five years' experience
<br />in this complicated fight for consumers' rights. We from the areas of great gas consumption must also register
<br />our vigorous opposition to the dropping of the only FPC Commissioner from a major consuming State. Let Presidenl
<br />Eisenhower know your views and let your Senators hear from you. Senator Magnuson, the Chairman of the Senate
<br />Committee on Interstate and Foreigh Commerce, could also be appropriately contacted. (Signed) Richardson Dilwort
<br />Mayor of ~Akiladelphia."
<br />
<br />On motion of Mr. Weiseman, referred to a conference of the Council,.
<br />
<br /> 60-123 - Mr. Walker called attention to his
<br />Stores Account and asked for a report on same. ' '
<br />
<br />inquiry of April 12th, regarding General
<br />
<br /> 60-124 - Mr. Walker requested information relative to the enforcemen~ of the ordinance
<br />re~ating to dogs.
<br />
<br /> Metionof Mr. BreedlOve tha~ the matter he referred to the City Manager for his inves-
<br />tigation and correction, was adopted,.~without dissenting
<br />
<br /> · 60-125- T~ application of William C. Cherry, 4?Shea Road, for Justice of Peace in
<br />Hodges Ward, was read.
<br />
<br /> Motion of Mr. Breedlove that the application be acknowledged and that Mr. Cherry be
<br />advised that the deadline for. applications for Justic~ ef the:Peace, was April 12th, 1960, was adopted, without
<br />dissenting vote.
<br /> On motion adjourned.
<br />
<br />Approved -
<br />
<br />
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