Summary by Business Segment (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2014

Segment Reporting, Measurement Disclosures [Abstract]

Financial Information by Segment [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended									Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2014									September 30, 2013
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total		Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total
Gas and rent	$	718,743	$	147,821	$	(8,049	)	$	858,515	$	681,389	$	149,313	$	(7,916	)	$	822,786
Hardgoods	498,267		974		(1		)	499,240		458,187		997		—			459,184
Net sales (a)	1,217,010		148,795		(8,050		)	1,357,755		1,139,576		150,310		(7,916		)	1,281,970
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	531,867		76,717		(8,050		)	600,534		491,660		79,268		(7,916		)	563,012
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	452,467		47,908		—			500,375		427,351		45,412		1,692			474,455
Depreciation	66,949		6,211		—			73,160		62,865		5,622		—			68,487
Amortization	6,881		1,024		—			7,905		6,193		1,054		—			7,247
Total costs and expenses	1,058,164		131,860		(8,050		)	1,181,974		988,069		131,356		(6,224		)	1,113,201
Operating income	$	158,846	$	16,935	$	—		$	175,781	$	151,507	$	18,954	$	(1,692	)	$	168,769
	Six Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	September 30, 2014									September 30, 2013
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total		Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total
Gas and rent	$	1,415,308	$	283,913	$	(15,115	)	$	1,684,106	$	1,353,875	$	295,180	$	(16,377	)	$	1,632,678
Hardgoods	985,314		1,925		(3		)	987,236		926,785		2,400		(2		)	929,183
Net sales (a)	2,400,622		285,838		(15,118		)	2,671,342		2,280,660		297,580		(16,379		)	2,561,861
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	1,052,800		146,258		(15,118		)	1,183,940		996,787		158,147		(16,379		)	1,138,555
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	902,106		92,982		—			995,088		854,582		88,952		4,396			947,930
Depreciation	133,411		12,384		—			145,795		124,529		10,988		—			135,517
Amortization	13,605		2,052		—			15,657		12,255		2,221		—			14,476
Total costs and expenses	2,101,922		253,676		(15,118		)	2,340,480		1,988,153		260,308		(11,983		)	2,236,478
Operating income	$	298,700	$	32,162	$	—		$	330,862	$	292,507	$	37,272	$	(4,396	)	$	325,383

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^(a) Amounts in the “Eliminations and Other” column represent the elimination of intercompany sales and associated gross profit on sales from the Company’s All Other Operations business segment to its Distribution business segment.