Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-01
RIOICUlED BY MR.. TAWNEY
CARY's CHARGE OF A GOVERN
MENT HoLD-UP.
Proposed Contract for Electric Light
for Departments Calls for I'm
precedentedly Low Rates.

Considerable discussion has been caused
at the House end of the Capitol by
the statements Of Representative Cary OF
Wisconsin. a member of the House Dis
trict committee. concerning the provision
in the sundry civil bill now under consid-
GRAFTON. authorizing the Secretary of the
Treasury to enter into contract with the
Potomac Electric Power Company for
supplying government buildings with cleo
trio current at cents per kilowat hour
for the first million hours and 21a cents
per kilowat hour for all current furnished
in excess of this.
In statement made by Mr. Cary on
the subject he spoke freely of lockers"
and Of the government being held up. and
of extortionate charges. and other things
of the House committee on appropriations
and other congressman in a position to
know. the rate at which the Secretary Of
the Treasury is authorized to contract
United States. and instead Of being CEN
sured the members of the committee on
appropriations. it is declared. should be
congratulated
Chairman Tawney Indignant.
Representative Tawney of Minnesota,
chairman Of the committee. is decidedly
hot under the collar at what he considers
Mr.. Cary's entirely unwarranted asser-
ton.
Why" said Mr. Tawney to a Star re-
porter today, IF the provision in the SUM-
dry civil bill authorizing the Secretary OF
the Treasury to make a contract with the
the government will be able to purchase
electric current about 300 per cent cheap
err than it costs at present. The charge
that this provision in the bill will put
the government at the mercy of the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company is an alb
solute absurdity. But am not surprised
at the howl. I was certain that as soon
as this provision was inserted in the bill
there would be q fearful screech Of this
kind. for any measure which aims to re-
duce or change in any way the force en-
ployed by the government in any capacity
is sure to be criticised by the persons af-
fected and their friends
This provision in question will do away
with the current generating plants now
In different government buildings, and.
or course. the persons employed in these
plants will lose their jobs. BY the pro-
vision in the bill the Potomac Electric
Power Company is to furnish every gov
eminent building in the District with
which have been built. but those which
are to be built in the future. The con-
tract Is to run for ten years. but there is
provision that the government may
III cum tie COHtTdCt dILor one year. Ihe
price-8 cents per kilowat hour for the
nrst million kilowat hours and 21z cents
for each kilowat hour for every one mill
lion or part of a million Kilowat hours in
excess OF this-is lower than the rate at
which any other municipality in the
country is able to purchase electric cur
rent. In some Of the plants now operated
by the government in department build
ings In the District the cost Of generating
electricity runs as high as Is cents per
kilowat hour. Besides. there IL a con-
tfnuaf demand for the installation of
power plants every time a new building
Is erected. and even in the old buildings.
Under the proposed contract all this
expense will be done away with"
Other members Of the House are in
clined to pay little or no attention to
Mr.. Cary's criticisms that the provision
will put the government at the mercy of
the Potomac Electric Power Company,
and in speaking Of his statements they
call attention to the fact that the gov
eminent may fix its own rate at which
it shall purchase electric current and
make that rate az low as it pleases. just
so long as 1t IL not low enough to be
called cOnflecatory Oy the courts