The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-05

most surely promoted by ready rec
ognition that a portion of them belongs
to the corporation. The reasonable
price to be charged is therefore not to
be determined by prices which may be
paid elsewhere to other less fortunate
companies, but is to be one which this
company with all its facilities and adj
vantages may reasonably be required
to make.
| We cannot, however, require such
division of profits to be carried so far
that any portion of the company's pro-
duct chould be sold at mere cost with
out profit, even to the municipality. In
recent decision on petition against
the Newton and Watertown Gas Light
Company, the Board has stated that it
could not approve a policy by which
the rates for municipal use are made
i SO low as to impose upon private con-
sumers the entire burden Of the in
vestment."
In the present case the investment
| necessary to do the distinctive work
of the municipality the lighting of its
streets, constitutes large proportion
of the entire construction expenditure
| of the company. This investment ex-
| poets a return; it is made for that
| purpose, it is clearly entitled to it. If
| this be not paid by the municipality
it must be paid by the private con-
sumers. The lighting of the streets is
| general public benefit, or 1t ought
not to be done from the public purse.
The municipality no less able to pay
a fair price for what 1t receives than
are private consumers. The one thou
sand customers of this company have
as much right to demand that the en-
tire burden of public lighting shall be
borne by the thirteen thousand prop
| erty taxpayers of the city as the lat
ter have that any portion of it shall
be borne by the customers of the COM
pany as such. Nor is the opposite con-
tention sustained by the mere fact that
the company in a peculiar way occu-
pies the streets by permission of the
municipality. Authority for this is
granted by the state, not for the pur-
pose of revenue to the city but be-
cause 1t seems to be the only practica
= way of securing to the city and its
citizens one of the great conveniences
Y the necessities it may be, Of modern
life in the most economical and salts
t factory way.
= The corporation is bound in com
a mon with all other citizens to pay it
t proportional share for the support o
e the government, to perform its worl
e in a way that shall interfere in tn
least possible degree with the publf
e
municipality to the last dollar for an!
/ expense imposed upon 1t, and to rem
der the public service for which ii Il
created, to the city and all the cit
+ liens who may desire 1t in the hes
manner and at the lowest REASONABLE,
cost. These duties fully performed i
) is doubtful if the company has AM
z other.
This position. however. does not nee
y nggariIU QnnHi0f Unit ha at I,oA . !,
municipality may be entitled to SOM
differential advantage as compared
with private consumers generally. Thu
city is the largest customer of the com
pany, and like other large customers
has the right to supply it's own cleo
trio lights If 1t shall think advisabl,
so to do, and just as a large privat,
consumer may be entitled to price a.
low as he himself could make the light
so the municipality may be entitled t
price as low as it could render equa
service with it's own plant.
These are the propositions which the
Board has endeavored to follow in de.
Gliding this petition. The offer of tht
company seems to be so far in harmo.
ny with the principles stated, that very
little reduction can be made by the
Board. Some further concession, how.
ever, may fairly be required The
Board therefore recommends:
That from and after twelve O'Clock
noon on the 18th day of October cur
rent, the price charged to the City OF
( Worcester by the Worcester Electric
Light Company for street arc lights
of the same quality and operated sub
stantially as heretofore shall not ex-
coed thirty 500 cents per light per
night.
For the Board,
Forrest E. Barker,