The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-22

Des Moines, Ia., May. 21--Back ed by public sentiment and two able lawyers.
 the sns s pss sonn MSass s nosd as ws sss service Sorpcrations. oommissioner
 Un snt sRs sSer nrousn P S. %Gss ss sa brought the electric light company to time, has the street railway company pleading for peace. and has the water ing with all their might for the pre- servation Of rates the city believes to be exorbitant and excessive. Author IS extended in the bes Moines plan.
 Commissioner Macvicar, superinten- dent of the department of streets and corporations with their own guns and on their own fields Once collapsing under the strain, he is back again and more n ons yaas as Ssn s:s hss Seeen complished In the past decade.
 ties, lies with the municipaIities. They % esarses ana 0Tsr a the rssss on Wster By 2 careful compilation of figures
 founa sha p Dss 2asS onss sss Mss Ms psS reasonable. He ed the company to lower the charge. The company re-
 "if you don't do it" MT. Macvicar re- piled, I've will have to exercise the autherity given us by the law and
 Des Moines was then paying ss5 per Macviear drafted an ordinance rednc- os ehe 1sss to eo%pshs ana sns by the city paying for its service. The for payment in full for for service a render ed during the certain months. Two months<went by; Warrants aggregat- ng 1Ssafy of sof ss ss cas on the council and asked for e settle
 We can't supply the lights for ss5,"
 Mir Macvicar told him what other cities of similar size, similarly. situated. were paying, And he added:
 There's no use talking settlement. We can go into any court and show that S65 Is compensatory, Sd you will either accept that amount or tear. out your lights. Other companies will be no exclusive franchise"
 The company took, the case into court, but 1t never came to trial. The battle before it, it saw public senti- thousands of dollars Accommodating in oo 1t aeced taa sn settle Dsssep ments within the next few months showed where 1t gained business thereby. The electric light company not only made the reduction In street lighting. but it cut the rate on power suppplied to misunderstanding plants.
 unSer Wh tsa ssreS aaeesa for tss seS was wa sep paying ~ sa2 for Street lamps. Former admisistrations had eontended the, rate was high. but none had evsT succeeded in lowering 1t. Politics had entered in the game, and succeeded in stamping out all ordinances intended, to lower the rate. MT. Macvicar call-l and told him the rate must be,eut He, Vicar then told him the same thing he had told the electric light company "Cut your rate or we'll make you"
 If you don't do It." Mir. MacVtcar, said, swe'll cut out $10.00o worth of street lights inside of twenty-four
 Co ahead~ was, the laconic rejoind-
 Mr. Macvicar instructed the city so- lictor to draft an ordinance reducing the gas light rate from $22 to SIT per year It was presented to the council and passed. MT. MacVicar then tn- structed his clerks to prepare plat showing street intersections where there were gas lights at or near each of the four corners. When this was shs c9m%isstoner T,a, ran :, ls hEs sornosI sarG1EsIh Ss sSSsaiS dcpF sns pay. so snS
 0Sae sGentIsosny @ one. gkrc flight costs the ian,ps S.fs FCS cost sa2s spjeees CT sss. we can cut olt, tha5 four gas latnps at these corners and Srepiace them ewith arc