Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-11-15

'
The Mayor And Common Council OF
Wausau. Gentlemen:
We respectfully call your attention
to the expiration of your lighting and
power contract with this company
which expired on October 13th-1910
This contract was entered into by the
city of Vausau and the Wausau Elec.
trio Company July 1904 for a period
of six years.
FORMER CONTRACT: This contract
was made after a somewhat drawn out
period of controversy between the
council and the electric company.
Under former contract the Wausau
Electric Company furnished and main
tanned the street lights of the city
at the rate of $4,000 per year per lamp.
AT the expiration of this former con-
tract the subject of municipal lighting
became one the campaign issues during
the city election. The city employed
an electrical engineer who submitted
estimates upon the cost OF municipal
plant and cost of producing current.
The Wausau Electric Company sub
mitted two propositions to the city.
One proposition provided that they
would furnish and maintain city arc
lamps at the rate of $500 per year to
burn all night and every night or 1850
hours per year. At the suggestion OF
some of the officials they also sub
mitted proposition to furnish current
for the operation of street lights, the
city to install and maintain their own
system. Upon the advice of the en-
gineer employed by the city the cOun-
ell accented tie after proposition and
CONTRACT was entered into and the city
installed their own distributing system
The rates for electric service provided
for in the contract were as follows:
FORMER RATES: Current for public
service fan motors 29c per K. w. hour
delivered to the building with no min
imum charge. City to furnish trans
formers and meters.
Current for lighting public buildings
to be delivered at building at &c per K
w. hour. City to furnish transform
ers and meters.
Alternating series current for street
arc at 2.3c per K. w. hour taken from
central station switch board. Electric
Company to furnish transformers.
REDUCED RATES FILED: In consider
alton of the expiration of this contract
by order of our board of directors, we
are today filing, as required by law
with the Railroad Rate Commission 6
new schedule of rates which will be IL
effect until changed. These rates are
given upon a separate sheet and tht
rates as filed cover the electricity now
used by the city and provide for al
contemplated uses with the exception
of the pumping of city water at the
water plant, providing the city should
determine to equip that plant elec
trically.
PUBLICITY OF RATES: We will also file
with you in the near futureand furnish
for publication for the purpose of gen
eral public information a communities
ton taking upin detail the various rate:
herewith put in effect and we attach
at this time the list of costs on strei:
lighting now in effect in all the large
cities of Wisconsin. Under these rate:
which go into effect at the expiration
of ten days as provided by law this city
has, we believe the lowest rates in the
state of any city of its size or class OF
larger, if not the cheapest of any size
or class all things considered.
RELATIONS BETwEEN CITY AMI
COMPANY: This Company desires al
this time to make some comment sup
on the relations existing between dub
lie utilities and municipalities in gen.
eral as well as upon the relations exist
ing between this company and this
city. 1t will be noted by investiga'
ton that the rates here filled are eX'
ceptionally low rates for electric cur
rent. This company with one excep
ton sold TO the city of Wausau more
current than to any other consumer
during the past year. This company
proposes to furnish for public munich
pal use in this city the lowest .,oSSiblt
rates which can be maintained thus
permitting the city to be cheaply and
well Illuminated.
GROWTH OF BUSINESS: Since the
property of the Wausau Electric Com
pany was acquired over two years age
it has increased the number of private
electric consumers from about $50 &c
nearly 1900 an increase of about one
hundred fifty percent. Aside from the
natural growth of the city this increase
has been due largely to the liberal pol
icy which has been persistently main
tained. Many rates have voluntarily
been reduced, wiring and electrical APP
planes have been furnished the citi-
zens of this city at cost or near cost.
We have keenly realized the general
hostility which mas prevailed to a
greater or less extent against all cor
porations and it is particularly in evil
dence against the service of public
utilities in various cities. There arr
perhaps various causes for this but
among others many companies in the
past have followed the false policy OF
conducting public utility as a private
business. This company realises that
its success must depend upon public
confidence and public good will. ii
believes in taking the public and the