The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-02-20
PUBLIC ALLEGED TO be PAY.
ING INTEREST ON coRPoR.
ATOMS MONEY. s
READINESS TO SERVE?
BIG BUSINESS FIRMS DUPED eY
PRETExT OF ECONOMY;
PAY MORE.

CNTUNG.
- This expression can best
~ describe just what has
happened to Spokane business
firms that have been duped by
the Washington Water Power COM
pany's pretext of economy into
signing Readiness to Serve" con.
tracts, with the belief that they
were getting something a little
better than the small consumer Of
electricity.
Readiness to serve"-The ac.
tual meaning of this little phrase,
as used in the so-called economic
contracts which the Washington
Water Power company has been
pushing upon the large business
concerns of the city, with no other
choice to offer but that Of a
straight 10-cent rate. has not yet
been thoroughly determined by the
consumers.
DECLARED GENTLE
HoLDuP.
1t at least does not signify an
economic : scheme for securing
juice, but on the contrary, con-
tracts bearing the phrase, which
seems never to have been intended
to be comprehensive to others than
members Of the w. w. p. company,
has becomAs best known 50 far ~
"a gentle 66ldup for, about is o.
20 per cent more than the former
rate. instead of being a saving.
That the additional assessment
of 50 per kilowatt, which II called
the readiness to serve" charge,
has been levied for the express
purpose of making the public pay
the interest on the money the
Washington Water Power COM
pany has invested in its lighting
system here, is an assertion that
has been made. The Washington
Water Power company explains
that this So per kilowatt Is levied
upon consumers who do not wish
to pay the straight 10-cent rate,
to reimburse that concern for the
machinery and equipment that It
must maintain that 1t may be in
readiness to serve" every light
in every building, hence the "readi-
ness to serve" charge of IS per
kilowatt is charged in addition to
a rate of cents per kilowatt ac-
tually consumed and 1t is declared
that this charge Is assessed
whether or not current is con-
sumed.
PROFITS NEARLY 100 PER
CENT.
Should the assertion that the
readiness to serve" fee is ex-
tracted from the consumers of cur.
rent for the purpose of paying the
interest on money invested in the
power plant of this corporation. be
true, it is clearly seen the public
Is paying the interest and for the
wear and tear of the machinery,
and the Washington Water Power
company is collecting exorbitant
revenues from the public on q
plant that is practically clear
profit.
By the merits of the contracts,
bearing the readiness to serve"
clause, the w. w. p. Co., makes
the loadfactor used as q basis in
the consumption of electricity so
per cent of one day or about IL
hours, it is said. On this plan q
discount is given on every hour
during which electricity Is used
over 25 per cent of the lodefactor,
in other words. over six hours. The
contracts offer discount on cur
rent actually used and an addition
al discount figured on the basis OF
loadfactor percentage.
TWO SEPARATE DISCOUNTS
GIVEN. M
The discount for current actual.
ly consumed amounting to 800 is
$40. for 5000. discount $40; $500.
$50 and so on. and the loadfactor
discount amounts to per cent ON
every hour over six hours that the
lights are burned.
This feature of the offer Is tho
bait. but the readiness to serve"
charge has become the hook and
the lighting corporation II profit
ing immensely by the clever
scheme. Figured BY the month,
the readiness to serve" QherGo
amounts to cents On every y
candle power light. 10 cents On 10
c. p.: 25 cents ON "a G. p. and 80
cents per month on every 81 cans
die power light. This. II ID dep
clared, by men who have heen
working for the Washington Water
Power company. In this scheme,
guarantees the corporation o11 ~
year for an installa61on 0GU1