Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1907-12-03
SEEMS TO Be IN
BAD POSITION
NEVADA LIGHT AND POWER
COMPANY On THE
RACK.

The Nevada Light and Power COM
pany is getting near TO the point
where it will be up to them to show
whether they are beholden to the
/ people or not. The county commits
sioners held a special session last
night at which General Manager
! Hobbs was TO meet them. The COM
pany was represented by Key Pitt
man, who informed the board that
Mr.. Hobbs had resigned, and that he
had been requested by President
Chappell to inquire as to what the
board desired.
The commissioners told Mr.. Pitt
man that what they particularly de-
sired was some representative of the
company before them who could talk
of meters and kilowatts, whereat Mr..
Pittman said that he could only talk
about one meter, and knew nothing
at all about kilowatts. He suggested
I that any questions the board might
have in mind might be submitted to
him on paper, and he would have
Mr. Chappell answer them.
District Attorney McCarran was
referred to, and he replied that he
had some questions that he would
like to address to the company but
that he would prefer to make them
verbal, and have then answered in
person Mr.. McQuillan said that he
has some questions himself, that he
would like to address to some one
who understood kilowatts and other
things in connection with the opera
tion of the plant.
The question of franchise came up,
and it was learned that the company
was operating under the state law.
, BY this law the company was en-
powered to do many things in re-
CARDS to the streets and alleys, and
they must first file notice of their
intention to put in a plant in every
county and town in which they are
to operate. 1t was learned that this
had not been done in Tonopah, and
for the matter of that, not in the
county.
Mr.. Pittman said that the reason
of this, he presumed was in conse-
quence of the ambiguous reading OF
the section of the law, which states
that the town in which the company
operates shall receive per cent Of
the proceeds of the company.
According to this reading" sale
Mr.. Pittman, the company would
v have to pag Tonopah 2 per cent o
y its entire proceeds; it would have Z
pay the county 2 per cent besides
L 1t would have to pay the same t,
i every county and town through
which it's lines were run. Now, if i
o paid 2 per cent to fifty towns ant
i counties it is easy to see where it
J. proceeds would go. There would b.
n 100 per cent paid out, with nothing
: left for the company. OF course thi
n is not the intention of the act, blu
~ 10 lhC iSdulHsS VI II JuoC IiC odllU
II 1t was discovered that an intention
t and an agreement had been file,
IL with County Recol der Grimes re
garding Rhyolite. The commission
l. ers did not know of this. The com
y pany offered to pay to Rhyolite 2 pc
If cent of their profits. The agreemen
was dated November 1, and signe
d by President Chappell. 1t was ne,
e one on Mr. Pittman and he could no
Y. say what it meant.
r 1T MEANS" said Commissions
McQuillan, that the electric com
e pany is in very bad position wit
"a regard to Tonopah. 1t hasn't com
r piled with the law, and they have lef
J. themselves at our mercy"
Il 1t was decided that the matte
would be taken up at a meeting late
d in the week, when Mr.. Chapel
" would be present. Mr.. Pittman car
N ried away the assurance that tn
is board would not do anything bu
ic what was fair and equitable. Dis
trict Attorney McCarran will prob
J. ably frame an ordinance covering tn
N matter, and fixing the rates at whic
"A IN, y,,hl;<c 1,,,,..