Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-10

pFeserlOel in the pr0ros.d ameLl.
Power Users Protest.

""''"e VI i"i &c ConSuIhtrS OF cur
rent. protesting against the ncrcas
cd rates FOR power. On the petition
were the names of the Warwick Ma
chano Works; Swift & Co, Dabney
brokerage Company. Max Levison A
T. Burcher. Il. Il. Vaughan. Newport
News Furniture Company and the
Health Food Bakery.
MI Frank B. Hooper. president of
the Warwick Machine Works. spoke
Mt length in support of this pot,t ion.
He said he and the other signers of
me petition had been paying rate
of about 3ia cents per kilo watt hour
Tor power, and that the recent in
crease was serious matter for them.
lie said the company could make
mcney under the old rates, ana that
there was no excuse for the increase.
Other Special Rates.
Mr.. Wallace insisted that tl, rates
to wood dealers, who have been my
ing a rate OF five cents. should not he
Increased. Mr.. Marshall stood for tho
adoption of the finance committees S
report Mcssrs. Ilellum, Christie and
Harris favored adopting the report
with II further reduction in powe:
rates.
Mr.. Il. NJ. BraXton, council for The
light company, and Mr.. Payne ad-
dressed The body. They urged thar
me council make no effort to regulate
rates by license tax ordinance call.
cd attention TO tho fact that 4, hnd
been shown that the old rates OF Tho
company We're lower than the raioa
charged In other cities. ANA coufrmc
MI Ford's statement that a ratio o,,
power ranging from TO conts per
kilo watt hour would be given. they
SAID that they did mot believe tho
cornell had the rigm TO regulate rates
by taxation and that the company could
not accept the proposed amendment,
although the rates were agreed 10.
because such acceptance woul place
the company in the light of having
admitted the councils right TO rcgu
late rates by taxnsion.
Especial stress was laid rpon tho
TACT That the company had realizod
mat irregularity in the power rates
was wrong. Mr.. Payne said tina, tho
various special rates s,onld never
nave been allowed, ana urged The
council not TO attempt to force the
company TO give special rates TO cor
tain consumers.
A Further Compromise.
Many questions were asked MIR.
Payne. ana for time it soemcd thot
The councilmen would never get to-
gethci. OH the question. Finallv Mr..
West asked Air. Payne 10 compromise
ny granting low rate to the larger
consumers, making the rate for over
10000 kilo watts Az cents per li!lo
watt, with the usual 10 per cent. dis
count on bills paid within 30 DAYS.
An ordnance reported by the fin
ahce committee. appropriatins sll0 to
detray The expenses of sending an
INDECENT family to Scotland, wsy voted
down.
New Rusiness.
After 1:ao o'clock this morning the
following new measures were intro
dnced:
BY Mr. Cox: An ordinance repeal
ing an ordinance granting fran.
chise to the Newport News Gas Com
pany; referred 10 highways and sew
ers committees.
by AIR. Wallace: Ordinance reouir-
ing line water company TO cbarne \
minimum rate of 81 and in excess of
That amount only for the actual
amount of water used: referred to the
ilrc denartment and water committee.
an ordinance requiring lighting com
nanics to give n meter reading on
lhoir bills, referred TO the building.
grounds and lights committee.
Large Crowd Attends.
Wien President Jones called tho
council TO order last night. the conn
ell chamber was filled with citizens
majority of the spectators remained
lintil after the lidu0r license question
mad been disposed of, and many were
IN The hall until The council adjourn
ed
The president insisted upon order
throughout the meeting. and. although
The greatest possible latitude wos nj.
lowed in order to give a free tlscns-
zion Of all questions, there was no
wranelng. " 40
Mr. Payne agreed 10 this PROPOSE
ton. and then President Jones asked
whether or not MI Payne would give
MIS- promise to The council in writing
'odey. This. too was agreed TO. Then
Inc fight was practically over.
Mr. Harris forced Il vote upon lir
amendment to the finance commi,tce's
report. fixing the rates on power at
from Z to cents. The ordinance as
reported by the committee fixed the
license tax at $500. exclusive of the
pole tax. provided the rates were not
IN cXcess OF tho flgnres r.iunn In thc