New-York tribune., 1908-12-28
NEW LIGHTING RULES
ORDER OPS. COMMISSION
Electric Com panies Mast File Sched-
uIe of Al Charges.

The Public Service Commission has issued orders
20 all electric light and power companies, effective
January /, prohibiting any discriminatory or prefer
entail rates for light, heat or power, and compel
ling the companies to file with the commission anu
display in their offices full schedules of rates
charged thirty days before such rates are 10 pc
effective
These orders are expected TO bring about whole
sale changes and corresponding benefits over affairs
encountered by the consumer OF electric current
now. The order aimed at preferential rates pro
vides that electrical corporation shall collect OF
receive from any customer by any special rate
rebate drawback or other device. any greater OF
less compensation for electricity or any other
service than it collects from any other customer fr
like service: shall it give any undue or un-
reasonable preference or advantage to any person
corporation locality; shall 1t vary It's rates
from those filed with the commission. The only ex-
ceptions to this are the City and State OF New
York.
For nearly year Commissioner Maltbie has
been investigating the situation to electric light
and power companies. He hos held numerous con
ferences and public hearings. at which representa-
tives of the various companies affected by the
orders have been present Early in the proceedings
he found that many complaints which he took as
a basis of operations were well founded and by
calling these to the companies attention obtained
satisfactory remedies without formal orders of the
commission. Notable among such instances were
the restoration OF break down service to occn-
sonal customers and the modification OF contract
forms eliminate and two year minimum
guarantee clauses. Before the adoption Of the
orders Commissioner Maltbie submitted a detailed
report Of his work to the commission. lie SAID
that now all the ordinary consumer Of current had
to do TO sign application for service. which
when approved became contract. This, small
card, had on its back all the regulat covering
the relationship of consumer and company. The
contract could be terminated and service stopped
three days notice. Said the report:
At first glance It would that such variety
m1 S2nq De m a9g i tG ne cr
of,tactiots NH 80 a1+ 10 Iar,rSa seriol,s in.
considerable number of The first is that un-
upon the principle Of charging what the traffic will
bear and often without due regard TO the cost OF
some cases. 70 fixing of price 10 certain consum-
other consumers much above the cost OF the ser
vice OF course. in practically every private bqSi-
cost. to extent but it becomes serious mat
ter when the number of rate schedules Is large and
each one is fixed at a point which will just secure
An instance of such condition is furnished by the
contract of the New York Edison Company. In the
secure a lower rate than the fiat 10-cent rate a
kilowatt hour must guarantee. and pay for II ne
does not use, an average of 1000 kilowatt hours
month for ten months out of every year. and also
use equivalent 20 two hours average daiiy ou[4-
he will pay 10 cents kowatt hour for the first
IIse In The RoroI,af, of The RrCnx the co1sIIner
who wishes 10 get lower rate than 10 cents is re
hours month for ten months Of each year and
one hours average daily use. If he gives this
guarantee. which is much lower than is required Of
consumers living in Manhattan, he secures lower
rate than in Manhattan he pays 10 cents kilo-
watt hour fer the first two hours average daily
use, 7ia cents unit for from three 10 four hours
average daily and cents 3 unit for all beyond
this and yet owing to the difference in
conditions Of supply. IT probably costs the company
less to supply current in Manhattan than in The
Bronx.
while approaching the reasons which make it de,
sirahe to have contracts and schedules which viii
meet the demands nf the public It is quite neces
sary that the forms of contracts should be sim
pie possible few in number possible and
adjusted that the actual amoUnts naid lilo
hour will gradually change from the highest
rate for small cnnSumntion TO the lowest rate for
large users. while At tbs time urovidinG that
class of shall he cho rFed EQUITABLE
amount and that every rerson in the same class
sfall nav at the rate
have -efrained from srr~oesti0r the Fundamental
principle thet should 10 odcrtnd II nreDarng such
schedules Of rates believing that this nrivile~e 90
well the duty belongs 10 tho or4niAs and that
the commission should onlv +o1-e
he rAceesarv 10 chance ror7f'50-s after complaint
has been made and hearings held
Commissioner Maltbie found that there some
difference of opinion whether special contracts
for certain consumers actualI, constituted discrtm
ination, but decided that full publication of rate
schedules would remedy this difficulty.