Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-12
Data Furnished House District Com
mittee by the Commissioners.
AVERAGE COST In FORTY-SII STATES
Rate Fixed by Congress for the
District Service.
FOR INCREASE


House bill 1886, for reduction in the price
of electricity in the District. The commit
tee stated that it desires the data which the
Commissioners have relating to the cost Of
electricity in other cities, and also any in
formation they may have received from the
local companies as to the cost of electricity
here.
Replying to this request of the commit
tee, the Commissioners have transmitted to
1t statement showing the amounts paid
for electric are lighting in forty-six states
and territories, some of which are for all
year service, some for a part of the year
and most for overhead construction, indi-
eating the average amount paid for each
light to be 1910 The Commissioners state
that they submitted statement regarding
the cost of electric lighting in Washington
to the House committee on appropriations,
which was published as a part of the pro-
ceedings before that committee. An ex-
tract from this printed report Is submitted
by the Commissioners to the District COM
mittee, from which, they state it will be
seen that the actual cost of furnishing each
arc lamp by the local companies per an
mum is more than 800.
1t appears, from a pamphlet transmitted
with the Commissioners supplemental re-
port, that the data regarding the cost of
electric arc lamps in the forty-SiX states
and territories was obtained through the
General Electric Company, the principal Of
fees of which concern are situated at Sche-
nectady, n. Y. the pamphlet having been
published by the company as Bulletin No.
41@. the 18th Of last August The figures
in this bulletin, according to a note insert
ed in the pamphlet. were carefully COM
piled from data secured through the court
esy of various station managers through
out the United States. The prices quoted
have been in force during the past winter
No statement appears in this bulletin from
either of the two District companies.
Average Price Per Lamp.
The average contract price per lamp per
year in each of the forty-six states and ter
ritories mentioned in this pamphlet is as
follows: Alabama, $50: Arizona. sl21.5o;
Arkansas. s12S43 California, $500 Colo
RADIO Sl29.50; Connecticut, SS4 10: Delaware,
500: Georgia. $s415: Idaho. SIP: Illinois,
sIo.I -: Indiana. $3.50: Iowa S74.3O; Kansas.
s71.39: kentucky, $3.50: louisiana s11a.7
Maine s6s 10: Maryland. ssi.5l: Massachu-
sets, sd; Michigan. s14.$o; Minnesota.
ssa.o6; Mississippi slo1.:3;;: Missouri, $3.50;
Montana. s137.90; Nebraska, $1O4S5: Ne
vada. s1oG: New Hampshire ssl.5o: New
Jersey. $1,000: New Mexico, s127.50: New
York $3.50; North Carolina s9o3s; North
Dakota SOS. 40: Ohio. s77.5O: Oregon, s1O757;
Rhode Island. s11I.O6: South Carolina
S7.40: Pennsylvania. s1790; South Dakota,
Sl'S.3 Tennessee. $500: Texas, s1OS.1O:
Utah $l623; Vermont, $500; Virginia,
$3.50: Washington tstate). Slo3.6l: West
Virginia. 5000: Wisconsin, $T7.10: Wyom-
ing, 5000: Hawaiian Islands, SIS Total
average. 1910.
In statements submitted to the House
committee on appropriations by the two
local electric lighting companies it was de-
clared that the cost for furnishing one
standard 1000 candle-power arc lamp every
night for one year is s11J1I. In arriving
at this estimate the following figures were
given: Per arc lamp per year-station cost
and maintenance costs, S16.35; carbons and
globes, Sl,22; wages, supplies, material and
i. -.
portion of executive managing and book
keeping expense, sos: taxes, SITS: fire in
surance As cents: liability insurance 81,
and increased cost of coal at the assumed
advance of 81 per ton, 1886. a total for
above items, $5i.29. Depreciation on land
on buildings. per cent, 500: on steam
plant, I per cent, 80 IS: on arc-Iight ma
chimes and details. 10 per cent s. 93; on re-
duits, D per cent, $50: on cables : per
cent. $685.: on iron poles. ) per cent. $50:
on arc lamps. 10 per cent, $40; on hand
holes, per cent, A cents and on manholes
10 per cent, SLAB: total depreciation ac-
count. $40 &c; interest at 6 per cent on total
Investment, per arc lamp of SJ2S. Do S31. 60
Recapitulation-Total cash outlay coss,
$54.29; total interest cost at 6 per cent
S1.60. and total depreciation cost. 500. &c
making the total cost for the furnishing of
one standard 1000 candle-power arc lamp
all and every night for one year, s115.74.
Asks for Increase.
In submitting this estimate of the cost of
arc lamps to the House committee on ap-
preparations Mr.. George Truesdell presi-
dent of the two local electric lighting COM
panies, requested that the maximum rate
of 81 per annum for such lights of not
less than 900 actual candle power provid-
ed in the current District appropriation act
be increased to % cents per night for each
lamp burning the number of hours now
provided for by law.
r1N.. Sir,
dell to the committee, under which the
rate of 81 was established in the appro-
priation act for the current fiscal year. to-
gether with the language contained in said
act. would seem to indicate conclusively
that said rate was imposed upon the cleo
trio lighting companies as a tax for the
right to use conduits heretofore built or
which might be built under the provisions
OF SAID act. That the rate was considered
by Congress as inadequate is further shown
by the fact that the rate for lighting public
parks, fixed by the act making approprfa-
tons for Sundry civil expenses.sor the Cur
rent fiscal year. was % cents per light
tSol.2o per ,annum)- The electric lighting
companies respectfully submit that no
other corporation in the District of Column
Ola is required to render any service to the
public at less than cost as a consideration
Tor the right to occupy public streets. and
that. therefore. this requirement of the
. ush'ins companies is an unjust discrimina-
tion against said companies. If it is to be
the hxed policy OF Congress to impose upon
corporations a tax for the right to use
public streets it is respectfully suggested
that such tax should be uniform in it's an
piication and be fixed with some reference
to the value of the franchise er,joyed nv
the corporation.
COnduits Expensive,
THE electric lighting companies have ex-
pended large sums of money voIunta rilv
during the past summer in laying expensive
conduits and placing their overhead wires
therein. Moreover, they have been REQUIRED
by law to furnish, free of charge, in each
conduit, three ducts for the use of the
United States and the District of Columbia
1t would seem that these ducts ought to be
sufhclent compensation to the public for the
right to occupy the public streets and 10
furnish lights to public and private con-
sumers. without the additional burden OF
being required to furnish public lights at a
figure largely below cost 1t is believed that
nc other lighting company in the United
states is required to furnish lights to the
public at loss, and that such a policy is
not only unjust to the electric lighting
companies in the District of Columbia, hut
Is one that in the end will prove detri-
mental to the public interests as we'll as 10
the interests Of the lighting companies
Large expenditures will be required on the
hoe