Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-12-11
BOARD REPORTS
MUCH REPEATING
STATE RAILROAD COMMISSION UN-
EARTHS MANY CASES OF DIS
ELIMINATION.
TELEPHONECOM PANIESWORST
Report Favors Uniform System of Ac-
counting and Makes Legislative
Recommendations.
PRAISES PUBLIC UTILITIES LAW.


The report of the state railroad COM
mission filed with Gov. Davidson this
noon is devoted almost exclusively to
the operation Of the public utility law,
which has proven a revelation in the
state. The report is divided into four
departments: Statistical, discriminatory
rates, legislative recommendations and
uniform accounting. By far the larger
portion is devoted to discussion of
discriminatory rates, which seems to
have pervaded almost every public util-
ity in the state. The commission lays
stress upon the fact that the discrimina-
tons now in force are those left after
year of housekeeping, which gives
but neager idea of what existing con-
ditions were when the law went into eff
feet
Phone Companies Discriminate.
The determinations of telephone COM
panies are first discussed, the informa-
ton being based upon the reports filed
by the companies. Out of sixty-one COM
panies whose reports were received in
time for compilation, thirtytwo reported
determinations, and out of AT telephone
exchanges, 70 companies tolerated dis
criminatory rates. OF the thirty-two
companies that Disseminated. the total
amount of rebates amounted to $2596.S6
per month. or S31, 162. 80 annually. The
general telephone conditions throughout
the state show an average for all the ex-
changes considered of about eight dis
criminatory telephones to 100 subscrlb-
ers. A list of line operated by the Wis
consin Telephone company in various
cities of the state is given, and it is in
teresting to note that twenty-one 'subsi-
diary companies, or 40 per cent. of the
total, exceeded the general average of
discrimination, and of the independent
lines reporting, only five, or 20 PEI, cent,
exceeded the average. OF the Bell sub
was 74S per cent, in the city of Shulls-
burg. Madison was 80 per cent. and
West Bend ~ per cent. OF the indie
pendent lines the highest discrimination
was 1879 per cent. in the city Of Reeds
burg, with 100 subscribers
Existing telephone contracts are the
cause of much OF the present discrimina-
ton, and the companies themselves ad-
NIT that for some time to come sixty
FIVE telephones out of a total of 1856
cases must be maintained until the con-
tracts are abrogated.
Water Report Inadequate.
The report on the water companies
was rather inadequate, owing to a mis-
understanding as to the character and
OGLd1l Oh lu0 ueS1IOu ny Iu0
commission. In seventy companies fur
nishing water which filed reports, TWEEN
ty-eight charged no discriminatory rates,
and forty-tWo reported such rates; that
is, three out Of forty-fve reported dis
criminatory practices. Of the twenty
eight that reported no discriminatory
rates, only seven were operated by pri-
vate corporations.
"All we can deduce is that ten private
water companies, with a total Of over
$4,000 service connections, report sixty
two cases of discrimination in favor
of private persons, or three cases to
1000 service connections" says the COM
mission. land that twenty-five municipal
plants, with a total of about $4,000 serv-
ice connections, report III such cases,
or 5 to 1000 service connections. One
discrimination. however, it must be
clearly understood, may include more
than one service connection. If reports
of municipal plants giving the number
of charitable and educational institutions
receiving special rates can be secured,
the ratio for municipal plants would
undoubtedly rise precipitately."
The report is replete with illustrations
of determinations. In a city of $4,000
inhabitants nine consumers paid annually
for water service about $21O. If they
had been listed according to published
schedules the total charge per year would
have been about 1886, discrimination
equivalent to a rebate of $125 in favor
of the nine consumers, or about $14 a
year for consumer. According to one
tabulation in the report, seventeen con-
sumers receive annually $267.5O worth
of service free of charge, an average OF
SIG a year.
Light Concerns Gave Rebates.
There are fifty-two gas companies in
Wisconsin, but reports from only thirty
one were received in time for compila
ton. OF this number only eleven report
ed discriminatory rates. Of the eleven
companies, the tabulation shows that.
they granted discriminatory rates to
about forty consumers each. Based on
this estimate, about three out of 1000
consumers are furnished service at other
than scheduled rates.
Of the 232 electric companies, about
one-half reported their discriminatory
service in time for the report. Of the
nishing service at other than the regular
scheduled charges. The commission de-
clares that about three out of every 100
electricity consumers pay less than the
scheduled rates, and adds, "the proper
ton is not so great as that for telephone
companies, but it exceeds that of both
water and gas utilities"
Was Paid in Shavings.
One company is cited, in a city of 5000,
which exacted from one of it's consumers
500 year for forty lights, and furnished
another consumer fifty lights in exchange
for the ''shavings from his mills" In
one city of 10000, out of a total of 1890
electricity consumers, 127 received dis
criminatory rates, which amounted to
monthly rebate of $1S42.59. The follow
ing table gives the basis for comparison
between the different classes of utilities:
No Dis
Discrimination. CT Elimination
Telephone ....... % g
water ............ - q
Gas ...... 20 IL