52

public to avail itself of this facility for supplement¬
ing the inadequate supply of domestic coal coming
into the market. It was apprehended by the Company
that the demand for gas for house heating might become
so great as to tax the gas manufacturing plants beyond
their capacity. Fortunately, the winter, thus far, has not
been severe, the coldest periods having generally occur¬
red late at night or very early in the morning. The
increase in output of gas over the prior year has
not therefore been very considerable. The increase in
October, 1922, over October, 1921, amounted to 4.32 per
cent.; in November, it amounted to 8.24 per cent., al¬
though the maximum day in November, 1922, exceeded
the maximum day in November, 1921, 13.36 per cent.
The December, 1922, output exceeded that of December,
1921, 9.71 per cent.

GROSS CAPITAL EXPENDITURES

The aggregate capital expenditures of the Consoli¬
dated Company and its affiliated Gas and Electric Com¬
panies for the year 1922 amounted to $33,875,833.27. For
the year 1921, they amounted to $42,396,100.98 and for
1920 to $29,817,035.96, an aggregate for the three years
of $106,088,970.21. Credits to capital account, due to the
withdrawals of plant and equipment from service, and
sales of real estate, aggregated $12,334,109.77, leaving a
net increase in capital account, for the three-year period,
of $93,754,860.44. It is estimated that it will be necessary '
to expend in 1923 for additions and extensions to the
gas and electric producing and distributing systems the
gross amount of approximately $45,000,000.