The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-06-04
THE PECULIAR" WAYS OF ELECTRIC
 LIGHT LOBBYISTS
They Are Exposed in a Letter from A. N. Cooper Relative to That Attempt to Load Uuprofitable Contracts" on to Rowland Dry Goods Company.

A. NJ Cooper, vice president of the Howland Dry Goods Company of this city, evidently believes that the ways of the electric light lobbyist are "pe- ways of Samuel C. Warehouse, of New Haven, the lawyer who informed the committee on public utilities, that a low, rate for electricity was offered to MT. Cooper's company, by the monop- oly, to Toad it with unprohtable con tracts" and who at the same time said that the rates charged for cleo tricity are peculiar"
 Incidentally MT. Cooper's letter con- tains information that would be im- portant to the Common Council com mittee soon to be- named to invesd- gate the relations between the city and the lighting monopoly, for he says: ''Mr. C. A Paul, manager Of the Bridgeport plant of the United Com pany, then stated that the proposed rate was possible only because of the decreased cost of production" The investigation is based upon the fact that the contract with the city provides that the rates charged the city shall be reduced with the redue- ton in the cost of production of the current.
 MT. Cooper's letter follows:
 Editor of the Farmer:
 Sir:-The more the public is giv- en light upon the fight waged upon this company by the United Hum mating company, the more there IS = learned about the peculiar meth ods of that big corporation. The latest contribution to this fund Of of knowledge made Wednesday by z Attorney Samuel C. Morehouse Of New Haven is, however, of such a character that we believe it needs special consideration
 Before the special committee of the Legislature considering the proposed Public Utilities bill, MT. . Qxn1ainad the low rate for electric current offered this company by the United Illuminat- ing company. His explanation was that the rate was made ''in order to load up a rival concern with unprofitable contracts, It seems to us that this explanation ; needs explaining. Possibly Mr- Morehouse can tell how the mak- ing of a low rate by his concern to this company was going to load the Howland company with unprofit- able contracts We confess to be- ing unable to see how his object was to be accomplished.
 It might be a wise idea for MT. Morehouse to learn actually what was said to this company by his subordinates in Bridgeport. It is a fact that the United Illuminat- ing company offered to sell cleo tric current to the Rowland Dry Goods company at less than cents per kilewatt hour. The offer was naturally a surprise to us as but a few years before, the 1Euminat- ing company had refused to even consider giving us a lower rate than 10 cents.
 When this new rate was offered, we inquired how it was possible. MT. c. A. Paul, manager of the Bridgeport plant of the United company then stated that the pro- posed rate was possible only be- cause of the decreased cost of pro- duction. Did MT. Morehouse know of this assigned reason? Or did he wish us, when he made his statement of Wednesday, to be- lieve that the officers of his com pany were deliberately attempting to mislead a possible customer?
 If the offer made by MT. Paul had been accepted by this conn pany, the natural result would have been the closing of our electric plant. In fact, it was a stipulation of the proposed contract that our plant should be closed permanent ly. Possibly MT. Morehouse can explain how, with that plant clos ed, we would have been able to carry out the unprof1table contracts with which he planned to load us.
 During all the efforts of the cleo tric light companies to fasten a halter around the necks of in dependent producers. MT. More house has been active. He has done some clever and far-reach- ing work. But we are astonished at this, his latest contribution to the literature upon the subject. He must have been very much puzzled for an answer when so childish an excuse was the only one he was able to put forward.
 Yours very truly,
 THE ROWLAND DRY GOODS CO
 A. M. Cooper, Vice. President.