The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-09
COMPARING FIGURES
An AldeTmaniC Council Held With
Manager Turner.
TWAS A PLEASANT SESSION
It Was Explained How the MONTHLY
Ellis Varied in Amounts
Tho Rates Charged in
Other Cities.
TWAS A PLEASANT SESSION

The members OF the aldermanic ngh'
| committee. together with Mayol
| Thompson and Alderman Cannon. hac
a conference last evening with Mana.
| ger II. W. Turner of the Butte Genera
| Electric Light company. Several Of the
aldermen had heard complaints from
various business men and other con.
sumers in Butte that the rates for cleo.
trio lights had been raised materially
and their bills each month were grow
ing. At the last council meeting atten-
ton was called to these complaints and
committee was appointed to investi-
gate the matter. 1t was decided that II
the company is charging rates higher
than are allowed under the franchise.
the franchise should be revoked at
once. The session last evening be-
tween Mr.. Turner and the members of
the committee was pleasant. The fran
chise was looked over. but IL was found
that the franchise for this particular
company contains no limitation as to
the rates which should be charged
Mr.. Turner then produced schedules of
rates from various cities which showed
that Butte is charged about the same
as is charged in cities generally and is
da, in Helena before the electric light
war, in Great Falls. Salt Lake, Denver
St Paul, Minneapolis and Chicago. The
printed rate schedule Of Butte was
shown. Incandesccnt lighting for resi-
dences is III cents per ampere hour for
stores, lodging houses etc, $40 cents;
all night lighting saloons. etc, $40
cents per ampcre hour. a discount of
10 per cent is given for bills paid by
the 9th Of the month, so that the rate
Is about l cent per ampere hour for
residences and much less for stores
etc
The ninth annual report OF the board
OF gas and electric companies Of Mas
Fochusctts was produced by Mt Turn
er That states that the average rate
for electric lighting in the cities of the
United states is one cent per ampere
hour.
one Of the committee asked MIR. Tur-
ner whether rates had been raised re-
GENTLY 10 consumers. Mr.. Turner said
that rates had not been raised, but he
admitted that they had been advanced /
'eyond what they were at the time Of I
he electric war year ago. Last wear
here was fight on between the Butte |
General company and the Phoenix COM |
'any, and lights were furnished by both |
AZ much less than cost. Both compa- |
HES came 10 the conclusion long ago |
nat while the low rates were beneficial |
q the public. they were causing the |
companies TO do business at a loss. |
Rate cutting and slashing was stopped |
'ut. Mr. Turner said. they had not been |
earored as high as the schedule which /
Prevailed IN Butte before the war be /
fan Regarding the complaints that |
January bills were much higher than |
December bills, Mr.. Turner said that in |
20 month were bills sent for exactly 80 |
lays The November bills. as wen a. /
he January bills were higher than the |
Ills for December. This arose from |
The fact that employees of the com
amy read the meters earlier in the |
Month than usual in many cases as |
arly as the 23rd. on account Of desiring |
o rest during the holidays The De- |
cmher bills therefore, were not for the
-hole month Of December. In January |
he meters were NOT read until the last |
ay or two OF the month, and the light
sed in the last week of December was
harged for in the bill for January.
The committee took no action i'm the
natter. Eut after listening to the eX-
lanatiOns made by Mr.. Turner accept
q an invitation from him to go with
i'm this evening and examine into the
ystem OF running the meters.