Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-17
REDUCE RATE AND
We Il PLAY HAVOC,
THREAT TO VOTERS
Lighting Companies to Mail 10O,-
600 MenaCing Letters to
|. A. Citizens
OUT TO DEFEAT REFERENDUM
Warning Is, Substantially, That
They Will Give Poor Ser
vice as Possible


ters which contain an open threat from
the lighting corporations of the city
that they will do all in their power to
halt the progress of Los Angeles If the
rates for electric light are reduced VIII
be mailed to citizens today.
These circulars mark the beglnnlhS
of the corporation campaign Whch
has been planned for the purpose Of
defeating il possible the light rate ref
erendum initiated by Mayor Alexander
and the city council when the llght
corporations, after circulating reIer
endum petitions of their own, refused
TO file their petitions in time for sub
mission of the rate ordinance to the
voters June 30.
The corporations threaten that there
will be no extensions of light circuits
if the voters declare for the 7-cent
rate per kilowatt hour for electric
light 1t is asserted that building en-
terprises and the building trades Will
suffer and business interests generally
be injured and that hundreds of men
will be thrown out of employment.
This circular letter is to be followed
bv many more which will be sent to
voters in an effort to persuade them
TO vote money out of their own pockets
by standing against a reduction In the
charges for electric light.
The letter is nothing more or less
than a threat to play havoc with Los
Angeles if the people of the city vote
for cheaper electric light-to curtail
expenditures; cancel contracts for bet
termentsa discharge workmen and If
possible cause paralysis where activity
now prevails.
PUT FAITH IN VOTERS
Those who are waging the fight in
behalf of the Good Government or
ganization, the Municipal league and
the present city administration eX-
pressed no fear last night that the
circular campaign would delude vot-
ers. They are confident that the YER
dict of the electorate June 80 will be
for the reduced rate schedule drafted
by the board Of public utilities and In
corporated in an ordinance passed by
the city council.
The publicity department of the
lighting corporations announced last
night that the circulars to be sent out
today will be signed by all the power
companies. Continuing, the publicity
department announces that 1.-The circu-
lar will call attention to the fact that
no further extensions of lines will be
made If the referendum goes into ef-
feet, and this fact, taken with the fall
llre of the companies to bid on the or
namental lighting of Pico street, and
the laying off of men, shows that the
companies believe in a restricted pol
icy.
"a c. Balch, general manager of the
Pacific Light and Power company, said:
while our company sells most of its
product at wholesale, we believe there
should have been more time spent in
considering the question that is facing
the retail companies. The offer to pay
the expense of a special election was
q bona tide one, and would have been
made sooner If the companies could
have got together.
Relative to the lighting of Pico street,
il was stated by administrative officials
Tuesday that the residents of Pico
street expect the light for that street
to be furnished by the city, and that no
action probably will be taken in the
matter until the city builds and can op-
crate its own lighting plants, from the
funds provided by the recent bond cleo
ton.
WOULD FORCE CITY
Mayor Alexander, in a speech last
Monday night at Pico and Ell Molino
streets, stated that the gas and light
ing companies are now. laying mains
ali over the city, wherever possible, in
spite of the owens river power plant
project, and that this work is being
done in the hope that the lighting cor
porations can force the city to buy out
their holdings a year or so from now,
when the lighting companies expect to
reap a harvest Of profit from the sale
to the people of these padded" hold
ings.
The threatening circular to be sent
out by the lighting corporations today
is as follows:
To our Consumers:
DO you desire continued growth
and prosperity for Los Angeles?
You will be called upon at the polls
to answer.
The city council has passed a
1ra 81
for electric lighting to a point which
results in practical confiScation of
property, and under it's provisions
further extensions of electrical
lighting lines are impossible. This
for the reason that money for eX-
tensions cannot be obtained unless
earnings are equitable
The city council in its hasty ac-
ton has not considered this phase
of the situation. We quote the fol-
lowing from the signed report of the
board of public utilities: 1--WE have
not had the necessary time nor ia
cilities since the organization of the
board to make full appraisal of the
plants and to work out details or
operation on the ground"
1t was after this report that the
ordinance was drafted. Before you
approve it at the polls, we ask you
to consider what it's enforcement
+ will mean to you personally.
If we cannot extend our lines
there can be no, new tracts opened
\ up for home building. All building
and building trades must suffer and
business interests throughout the
city must necessarily be impaired.
There will be no one exempt from
loss, for it will mean the instant re-
striction of all civic growth.
We will demonstrate in a subse-
ouent letter that the rates for cleo
in I n
much lower than the average rates
prevailing in other cities of the
limited states of the same or great
(Continued on Page TwO)