The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-04-06
Special Committee Makes Re-
port on Electric Light Charges
RATES ARE TO Be REDUCED
Ordinance Introduced for Extension of
Twentieth Street Paving-Fire De-
partment Improvements Go
Over to Wards Term.

BY unanimously concurring in the re-
pert of its special committee, appointed
to take up and investigate the matter
the City Council at its regular semi
monthly meeting held last night, went
on record as being of the opinion that
it would be wise and expedient for the
city of Birmingham to consider the in
stalation of its own electric light plant
The special committee also reported
that after careful consideration of the
matter that it had arrived at the con-
clusion that the Birmingham Railway,
Light and Power company is now making
excessive charges for electricity furnish
ed to consumers in Birmingham. 1t re-
commended that ordinances be adopted
providing for the decrease in charges
the same to become effective on July 1.
BY resolution City Attorney Edward d.
Smith was instructed to prepare the
ordinance Immediately, this city official
having rendered an opinion that the
City Council has the right to regulate
the charges.
Upon resolution of Alderman Walter
Moore of the Fourth ward, introduced at
a meeting of the City Council several
months ago, the Mayor was instruct I'd
to appoint a committee of five TO inves-
tigate charges made to consumers of
water, gas, Steamboat and electricity,
the Mayor to be the chairman of the
committee Mayor Drennen appointed the
following aldermen as the other members
of the committee: Alderman Moore, AL
derman George b. Ward of the Second
ward and Mayor-elect, Alderman Rob-
ert H. Thach of the Seventh ward and
Alderman B. H. Cooper of the FIFTH ward.
Several sessions of the special committee
were held anu last Tuesday report was
formulated. Although the report was a
very complete one the committee was
continued and instructed to make fur
Their Investigations.
The report follows:
Special Committees Report.
The special committee appointed to
investigate the contracts now existing
between the city and parties with ref
erence to gas and electricity beg leave
to report and recommend as follows:
Inc committee upon It's appointment
took up regularly and systematically
for investigation the present contracts
of the city with the Birmingham Rail-
way Light and Power company and
endeavored to ascertain the exact
status of the city and the citizen con
sumers of light and gas with the said
company.
We found upon tbs investigation
that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
has the legal right to regulate the
prices charged t. consumers or gas
and electricity, and the opinion of the
city attorney with reference to this
proposition is hereto attached and
made part OF this report
We found that there are no existing
contracts with said company giving 1t
the right to regulate and fix the prices
of gas and electricity.
We made a full and complete inves-
tigation as to the prices charged for
gas and electricity in more than one
hundred cities of like size and import
ance with Birmingham, and discovered
that the prices charged for electricity
ranged from lc cents to Is cents per
llilowatt
The price of gas ranged from about
s. cents to SO. We also discovered
from the examination of the contracts
with the Birmingham Railway. Light
and Power company that the city is
entitled to fifteen free street gas
l.mps This committee after a full in
vestigation as hereabovo set out. came
to the conclusion that the prices
charged the citizens of Birmingham
were excessive. They also came to the
conclusion that the gas furnished to
the citizens of Birmingham was of an
inferior quality. This committee also
found that quite a large number OF
cities own ana operate their electric
light plant ard furnish electricity to
consumers at much lower rate than
is charged by private corporations, the
mott prominent southern cities that
are owning and operating their plants
are Jacksonville, Fla, and Nashville.
Tenn, and the former having been in
operation since 1895, and this commit
tee is of the opinion that it would be
wise and expedient for the city of Bir-
mingham to consider the installation
OF its own electric light plant.
After studying these questions care
fully and going over all the facts laid
before us, this committee makes the
following recommendations:
That the incandescent light rate for
the city of Birmingham be fixed as
follows: By meter, per K. w. Cor
1000 watts, u cents.
Ten per cent on bills uo to 25.0O0
watt hours or % K. w.
Fifteen per cent on bills over $4,000
watt hours, or 25 X. w.
Twenty per cent on bills over 10000
watt hours or $50 X. w.
Twenty-Five per cent on bills over
a w