Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-01-28
Mr.. Butler Replies to Mayor
Jones Letter.
DIDN'T KNOW Ct PROTEST
General Manager says Meyers Broth
srs Knew How Meter was Tested
and Made No Complaint to Him
Concerning the Affair.


Of the Citizens railway Light u
Power Company, yesterday wrote
reply to the letter from Mayor Marquis
Jones calling Mr.. Buffers attention
10 the complaint of Meyers Brothers
that representative OF the company
had taken the motor meter out OF
their store and tested it without cali
ing in the city electrician to be pres
ent at the test as they had requested
when the test was asked for. Mayor
Jones will receive the letter this morn
ing.
When seen by representative of
this paper yesterday, Mr.. Butler said
that he had been informed by Mr..
Wsr1eld, who tested the meter. that
the meter was taken out OF the store
with the knowledge Of the Messrs.
Meyers and that the test was made
at the company's Office and that 1t
was absolutely correct. Mr.. Butler
said that even had the meter been
running three per cent. fact, as the
city electrician figured it with his
stop watch, il would only have made
a difference Of less than dollar on
the bill for the month OF December
as the law allows that the meters may
vary two per cent either fast or
slow. this provision being made be-
cause no meter will run exactly cor
rect. However. the meter was found
to be one per cent. slow when it
was put TO the test.
Was Not Notified.
Continuing, Mr.. Butler said that he
saw no reason why the matter should
have been reported to Mayor Jones.
He said that he did not know that
the test had been made without the
city electrician being present and that
the Messrss. Meyers did not COM
municate with him regarding the mat
ter. He added that the company was
at all times ready and glad to test
any and all meters in the presence
OF the city electrician whenever a
consumer asked for it. unfortunate
ly for US, many Of the older meters
here run slightly SLOW as various tests
have shown. This is due to the fact
that some OF the meters are not OF
the best make" ....-.
n 70 C1rI r-r1N 80 hA 70
for the company. has been In the
employ of the company for only a few
months, coming here from Ohio. He
wss highly recommended and is re-
garded as an expert.
Mr.. Butler went on TO say that the
motor in Meyers Brothers store is
run under a contract for day cur
rent at six cents a thousand, but that
during tine month of December the
motor was run nearly every night on
the night current, the rate on which
81 ten cent a thousand. No addition
q. charge was made Tor the Use OF
the current at night, he said, the cur
rent being furnished at the day rate
of six cents instead Of the night rate
Of ten cent?.
Use Of Current Varies.
The use OF current varies day By
day. continued Mr.. Butler. Some
days more current is used than on
others and the result IS that the bills
for soma months are higher than they
are during other months. II the
people would learn how to read their
meters think there would be fewer
Misunderstanding. We have showed
many OF cur consumers how 10 read
their meters and We never hare com
plants from them, because they watch
she meters from time to time during