486 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



When applied to manufactures it is doubtful whether natural 

 gas works in the interests of the general good. It is true that 

 the cost of manufacture is cheapened and the quality of the 

 production is likely to be improved by its introduction. But 

 the fortunate manufacturer who can avail himself of it at once 

 begins to undersell his competitors who are working under the 

 old conditions, because his fuel, which is often the most costly 

 element in his business, costs him nothing. In this way the 

 most prudent manufacturer carrying on his business in the old 

 way may find himself forced to the wall. Competition for him 

 is simply impossible till the storm is past. Meanwhile the 

 manufacturer who uses natural gas finds his business greatly im- 

 proved in volume for the time being, because of the discourage- 

 ment and failure of his natural competitors. 



Such a state of things is not good for any community. It is 

 much worse when the towns that find gas within their reach 

 invite in manufacturers by municipal grants and the like. Fac- 

 tories come to be established, far from all supplies of essential 

 materials with the one exception of fuel. As soon as fuel fails, 

 the factory is bound to disappear. In many such cases, the last 

 state of the town is worse than the first. 



One of the evil results of the use of natural gas in manufac- 

 tures is the development of the speculative fever called a "boom" 

 in the towns that find gas at hand. Real estate feels the effect 

 soonest. Inflated values derange legitimate prices, and the re- 

 actions that are inevitable are always hurtful. 



From the temptation to the shameful abuse of applying 

 natural gas to manufacturing purposes the newly developed gas 

 fields of central New York are delivered. In but one of these, 

 i. e. the Baldwinsville field, is the amount of gas large enough 

 to make any figure in such an application and a brief experience 

 in attempting to supply 1,000,000 or more feet a day to individual 

 consumers will satisfy the owners of the Baldwinsville wells 

 that this policy must be short lived and ruinous. 



The proper use of natural gas, i. e. household use, is the only 

 one that can bring adequate return to the company undertaking 

 to supply it. It is a source of satisfaction to find that the true 

 use pays best. 



