Arizona republican., 1909-06-03
FARMERS VIEW 0F
 THE LIGHT QUESTION
Thinks There Are Two Sides to 1t and Subject of New Franchise Should Be Conservatively Consid- cred.

I
 To the Editor of The Republican, Sir:
 Being a resident in Salt River valley and having the general welfare of same at heart, I wish to express my self in regard to the present agitation between the citizens of Phoenix and the public utility companies. We have | for a long time been forging ahead with Uncle Sam back of us with the largest reclamation project ever under taken by a federal government, all for l the benefit of the people in this val | ley and those who may be fortunate | enough to come here. And now that this project is nearing completion, we are looking forward to the splendid re- 1 turns from our several holdings, and the rich and everlasting harvests which we may ever enjoy. With all of this glorious future ahead of us, why should we be ungrateful to those who have been here with us and have pio- neered with us, spent their good mon | ey. and helped in every way to build up a city and a valley, which we are | so proud of.
 By this l mean that this valley and city without its telephone systems, and the city and suburbs without its cleo tric light and gas plants would be dreary place in which to dwell. But we are not living in that age at pres ent. but there are those among us who | can look back upon the time when these things did not exist.
 Then some one had the nerve to start in and create companies and cor porations, wherein the suffering public might be served with the so-called lux uries of life. which later become the. staples and necessities over which the people are now having so much agita tion. and yet the same companies and corporations worked shoulder to shoul- | der with the people and helped to | build up our city and valley.
 Why should we. not give them some consideration. why should we always condemn without knowing more of the l facts and conditions under which they are compelled to exist. why should it be necessary to have a committee make investigation all over the coun- | try and find out how the other fellow charges. These companies are doing business here not elsewhere, but here
 
 governing factors.
 You leave here in the summer time. ! to go to the coast and you come back and tell how cheap everything is over there, fruit from l cent to 3 cents per pound, berries of all kinds, six baskets for 25 cents. and yet when you left home you were paying three to five times that price and were satisfied. Why is it. this matter is easily an swered, first because the people in this valley do not raise the produce to sup ply the market, and it makes it neces- sary for the merchants to have the same shipped here from the outside at very heavy expense and great risk. The same thing applies in all lines of business making cost of everything which we have higher than in many other places.
 We note in our daily papers a good deal of comment in regard to the pres ent rate reduction just made by the local electric light company, which Is pronounced by some as no reduction at all, but looks that a rate of 20 cents per K w. which is the existing rate, was just 25 per cent greater than
  looks like there was a lot more dis count coming to those who have any sized bill. We sometimes see in our home papers Cby this I mean our old home way down east) that the rates have been reduced or 10 per cent since we left that country, but out here we get a 25 per cent reduction all at once. looks like a pretty liberal reduction to me. But the city folks always do want more than the farmers. but we don't like this business of | granting another franchise to a com pany when the one which is here now has a contract to buy power from us, and therefore help us to pay for the big dam, which stands back of us all for the joint success of Phoenix and Salt River valley
 The company too is to pay to the | government a cent and a half per | kilowatt for power, which is three | times the cost of it to some of the | companies elsewhere, whose service | rates are quoted in comparison, and l which cent and a half the farmers get | the benefit of. Though that rate is | doubtless cheaper than the former cost i of producing electricity it is still cost | so much in excess of the cost in some i places that the comparison is unfair. | Until the government can afford to | sell electricity still cheaper. why not | be satisfied with the present reduction | of 25 per cent as a marked improve ment over old conditions. It gives us | cheaper light and also helps very ma | terially to help pay for the dam.
 The city of Phoenix is only a small | factor in the game, when it comes to | the acres which are to be benefited by | the sale of this power. but the city | cannot get along without the valley | back of it, and therefore should not in any way retard the prospective rev enue from the sale of the government power. I am informed from reliable sources that the Pacific Gas & Flee tric company will pay the government | approximately s40O0O per year at the