something of the manner in which this monopoly regulates the prices for its service. According to recent statistics, collected from 683 gas companies in the United States, 148 companies charge $2 per thousand cubic feet, and 145 companies charge $2.50 per thousand. It is thus seen that rates have been fixed to make "even figures," something which does not occur when margins of profit are reduced by competition. The complete table shows this fact more fully as follows:
| 7 | companies | charge | $1.00 | per | thousand | cubic | feet. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | " | " | 1.50 | " | " | " | " |
| 24 | " | " | 1.75 | " | " | " | " |
| 148 | " | " | 2.00 | " | " | " | " |
| 57 | " | " | 2.25 | " | " | " | " |
| 145 | " | " | 2.50 | " | " | " | " |
| 20 | " | " | 2.75 | " | " | " | " |
| 86 | " | " | 3.00 | " | " | " | " |
| 25 | " | " | 3.50 | " | " | " | " |
| 19 | " | " | 4.00 | " | " | " | " |
| 120 | companies | charge | various | other prices per thousand cubic feet. |