The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-01-26
MORE LIGHT ON
ELECTRIC GO.
Makes Exhaustive Report Of
It's Affairs to Morristown
Civic Association.
REASONS FOR SERVICE CHARGE

In respone to request for more de-
tailed information regarding the rea-
sons for the increase in the charges
for electricity to consumers. the Nor
ris s. Somerset Electric Co. has pre-
sented the following communication
to the Morristown Civic association
through its president, Geo. Q. Smith.
George G. Smith, Esq,
President, Morristown Civic Asso-
citation, Morristown, N. ].
Dear Sir:-We have received a
communication from the Secretary Of
your Association containing copy of
the resolution adopted at a recent
meeting Of your Executive Committee,
requesting us to give you more de-
tailed statement than that heretofore
published of the reasons leading to
the recent increase in charges to con-
sumers Of electric light, and showing
more fully the operation of the addi-
tional charge.
We take pleasure in answering this
request as follows:
i. A review OF the TacIS I6aulH& 10
the organization OF this company. n
In order to understand the present
situation fully we think that the fol-
lowing preliminary facts should be
kept in mind:
In the spring of 1906 your Associa-
tion made an investigation of electric
lighting conditions in Morristown.
This investigation showed that the
plant of the Public Service Corpora
sion had been allowed to fall into a
most dilapidated state, and that, as a
result, the electric lighting service
given both to the town and to the in
dividual consumers was extremely
poor.
This report was placed before the
Town Council with recommendations
but no action was taken thereupon.
The conclusions reached in this re-
port were confirmed most unpleasant
ly in the fall of the same by seri-
GUS breakdown in the electric lighting
plant which, little later on, was fol-
lowed by much more serious col
lapse causing the greatest annoyance
and inconvenience to the entire mu-
nicipality.
So great was the popular indigna-
tion at this condition of affairs that
a mass meeting was held. which re-
suited in the appointment of a Citi-
zens' Committee composed of Charl-
tor A. Reed, F. Landon Humphreys,
S. B. Carson, G. F. Wilson and S. H.
Gillespie, for the purpose of making
a full investigation of the matter. This
Committee, pursuant to its instruc-
tions, employed a competent engineer
to examine the plant of the Public
Service Corporation. His report was
summarized in the following quota
ton:
sTt may be fairly said that Norris
town has outgrown the present equip
ment There comes time in the
history of every electric plant in a
growing town where it becomes neces-
sary to practically scrap all the ap-
paratus included in the original in
stallation, and put in modern equip
ment of greater economy and capa-
city. That time has apparently arriv-
ed in this case"
His recommendation was that at
least $4,000 would be necessary in
order to rehabilitate the plant
Following this report the Commit
tee used every effort to induce the
officials of the Public Service Corpora
tion to carry out these recommends
tions. All such efforts, however, prov
ed to be in vain; and as a result this
Committee made a report to the peo'
pie concluding in the following words:
while your Committee feels that
it is doubtful whether there is now
sufficient electric business in this
town or whether there can be devel-
oped sufficient electric business in the
immediate future to furnish profitable
investment for two competing compa-
nies, it also feels that the situation
with the existing company is such,
that there is no assurance on which
dependence can be placed of rem
edy for existing conditions. The best
hope of relief is in the formation of a
new company
III. The organizations of shis COM
pany and the pnbiic lighting situa-
tfon.
AS a result Of the foregoing inves-
tigation and report the present com
pany was organized, the incorpora-
tors being S. S. Childs, F. Landon
Humphreys, S.. B. Carson, J. M.
Forbes, L. Childs, P. v. Stryker and
S. H. Gillespie.
About this time plans were very
carefully prepared by the Board of
Aldermen for most comprehensive
and modern public lighting installa-
ton replacing the old electric lights
and the former street gas lights; and
contract was eventually made with
the town for the period of Ave (5)
years for the complete lighting of the
streets. BY this contract two import
ant results were obtained, first, the
installation for the first time of a
thoroughly modern and satisfactory
system of street lighting in Morris
town, and second, substantial reduc-
ton In the prices previously charged
by the Public Service Corporation for
the inadequate street electric lights
which it had been furnishing.
Our efforts to arrange for proper
financingof the company in order to
enable it to carry out its street light
ing contract were hampered by the
financial cricis into which the country
was plunged; but we did not permit
ourselves to be discouraged, and by the
exercise of unremitted efforts we sue