The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-07-30
PRES. STORR'S
OPEN LETTER
ADDRESSED THROUGH PALLA-
DIUM TO CITIZENS OF CITY
ERRONEOUS STATEM'TS
That Have Been Afioat Corrected
Letter of the Oficials-Matter
of Furnishing City Lighting.
ERRONEOUS STATEM'TS

The matter Of furnishing city light
ing has become very interesting of
late, especially so since the Richmond
Light Heat and Power company made
its proposition to council. The Pal
ladium was handed the following open
letter today for publication, which is
given without comment:
To the Citizens Of Richmond. Indi-
Without any desire to enter into
controversy with any one, we feel that
in justice to ourselves we should be
permitted to correct some erroneous
statements that have reached our ears.
and We first of all desire both to dis
claim responsibility for the policy,
actions and mistakes of the former
management and owners of this COM
pany, and also to state that we claim
no credit for any Of their good ac
tions.
Less than year ago there was
change of ownership Of this company
and the present management acquired
control. We found the physical, po-
litical and financial conditions of the
company to be unsatisfactory, and at
once began, by careful study of the
requirements of the situation, to cor
rect the evils in existence and to put
the company into position where it
could properly and effectively serve.
its patrons.
The former management made a
contract with the city ten years ago
for certain number of arc lights, at
rates reasonable at the time but al
together too high today. That such is
our belief is shown by the offer re-
Gently made to your common council.
We need not discuss such proposal
here, as it is definite and speaks for
itself.
Since the present management as
sumed control we have installed new
apparatus of greater efficiency in the
electrical department, have practical
| ly rebuilt the generating plant, and
have inaugurated reforms in the gas
| department that have been needed for
years. Large outlays Of moneys have
been made, and the company is today
physically in first-class condition.
On taking hold Of the company we
| hof ,c+, al
sets of pole-lines in the city, one be-
longing to the Municipal Plant and
! the other to the Richmond Light, Heat
and Power company, and that each
company, with its separate sets of
employees were naturally in rivalry one
with the other in covering territory.
Since assuming control Of the COM
pany our policy has been to work in
harmony with the Municipal Plant,
and to that end we suggested and
have put into effect an agreement be-
tween the two Companies to do away
with one pole line and to use the other
one jointly, thus removing, as far as
possible, all unnecessary poles and
wires from the city streets.
Naturally the Municipal Plant and
the Richmond Light, Heat and Pow
er company, serving the same COM
munity with the same commodity, will
always be in close competition one
with the other. Our policy, however,
will always be "harmony,' coupled
with an endeavor to serve our GUS
toners to the best of our ability.
AS to the financial situation, the
credit Of the company will be careful
ly upheld. On the question of rates
for both gas and electricity, our policy
will be to give the best light that we
can make at the lowest price at which
we can afford to sell it. AS a matter
Of fact, in the city Of Richmond there
prevails the lowest scale of prices ex-
istent anywhere in the State of In
diana. With improved apparatus and
increasing business we hope, in the
early future, to- be able to make it
still lower.
We offer no excuses for some of the
/ fCnntipuod IN oiuhth no0oN