Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-07-28

also the rates paid In other places tina
have about the same or less am0un
Of street lighting have been considered
As FAR a. a short investigation de-
vel0ped the meter rates to private con-
sumers for incandescent lighting Il
Brattlebor0 range from Is cents dowI
to 10 cents Der thousand watt hours
The largest consumers Of electric
lighting found In your village hat
lighting bills Of less than SIS each iol
January. and only about one third OF
this amount each for last May. II
contrast with these figures the village
Of Brattleboro is' paying fully $500 pei
month or over $500 per year fol
street lighting, This amount is paid
for street lighting not only because the
load OF street lamps is greater thar
the load Of lamps for any private con-
sumner but also because the street
lamps operate more hours per day
than do the lamps of private consum-
ers. 1t follows that street lighting IL
the most desirable load connected with
the electric system In Brattleboro. and
since private consumers are supplied
at the rate of 10 cents per thousand
watts. street lamps should be operat-
ed at lower rate.
Comparisons with some other places
that have about the same or less street
lighting than Brattleboro indicate that
the rates suggested for your village are
high enough. In making these COM
parsons II should be held In mind that
the 80 arcs and 81 incandescent lamps
used for street lighting in Brattle-
boro are the equivalent In the con-
sumption of energy of about IS arc
lamps of 1000 nominal candlepower
each. or of about 277 incandescent
lamps Of 25 candlepower each. Fol-
lowing are some of the rates per
thousand watt hours paid for street
lighting in Vermont in 1902. Bellows
Falls paid at the rate of SIS cents or
SO arc street lamps. In Bennington
the rate was 7.3 cents with 65 arcs. st.
Johnsbury with 20 arc lamps paid at
the rate of 1913 cents. For lighting with
20 arc lamps Vergennes paid at the
rate of 6.8 cents. In Winooski the rate
with 20 street arcs was Al cents.
In Massachusetts during the year
ending June &c. 1903 the following
paid for street lighting in the towns
named. and most of these rates are
probably in force at the present time.
Aver paid a rate of S.6 cents for four
arc lamps and 6.5 cents for 102 mean
descent lamps used on the streets. In
Plymouth the rate was 10.S cents for
seven arc lamps and 65 cents for 2S6
incandescent lamps. Blackstone paid
at the rate of 79 cents for 3S arc
lamps. Franklin had 40 arc street
lamps and paid a rate of 9.4 cents. In
Uxbridge the number of arc lamps
was 81 and the rate was 7.2 cents.
Adams had s. arc lamps of 1900 NOM
inal candlepower at the rate of 81
cents. Great harrington paid 5.3 cents
for 229 incandescent street lamps.
Some of the above rates are no
doubt too low and do not yield a fair
return on the value of the property
devoted to the lighting service In
other places rates can be found that
are too high or even higher in few
instances than those you are now
paying. From all available data 1t
seems that the rates recommended of
S.3 and SIS cents per thousand watt
hours for half-night lighting and of
6.S cents for all night lighting are
fair to both your village and the
lighting company. These rates, If
adopted under the conditions sug-
gested, will give Brattleboro a much
improved lighting service at saw
Ing of some hundreds of dollars an
nually. in comparison with the press
ent lamps and rates.
The test of reasonable rates most
favored by the courts is that they
shall yield fafr return on the struc-
.ural value Of the property necessary
or and devoted to the public service
lnder good management, 1t has not |
)een possible to apply this test to |
hn rsata In Dy.at lab
ng definite could be learned as to the |
'alue of the electric system, or its
let earnings, though this and other !
Information bearing on the matter
vas sought. Some rough idea of the
ecessary investments in electric sys-
ems may be got from the following
cures as to Massachusetts towns
he figures given for population are
hose of 1900 and the term capital
J used to represent the sum of the
took, bonds and notes outstanding
gainst the electric company in each
lace. Aver has a population of 2.446
nd the capital there of $32,751.30. I,
blackstone has population of 5,72l
nd the electric capital there amounts :
$17,640. In Great harrington the !
lpital is $4,000 and the population !
S54. Leominster has population of :
1892 and the electric capital is $685.
70 Brattleboro has a population of :
297 u
Recent improvements in the art y
omise great increase in the amount =
light developed by unit Of cleo ?
lie energy. and the interests of the
llage on this point should be provid- =,
for in any contract covering term .,
years !, !,
Very respectfully, y
ALTON d. ADAMS