Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-14
CUTS PASADENA
LIGHT TO 4 CENTS;
CHARGES 8 HERE
Edison Company Reduces Rate in
Crown City but Fights
Local Reduction
ILLUMINATES A CONTRAST
Contests Drop to 7 Cents in Los
Angeles; UnderbidS Sub
urb'S Municipal Plant
ILLUMINATES A CONTRAST

Within few hours after the an
nouneement was made in Pasadena
yesterday that the municipal lighting
plant of that city would reduce it's
rate from to cents per kilowatt
hour, providing the total number of
light users was increased to 1000, the
Edison company again slaShed the
rate, reducing its charge to cents per
kilowatt hour.
The war now on in the Crown city
is of peculiar interest in Los Angeles
at this time. The same company is
resisting a reduction in its rate in this
city from to cents per kilowatt
hour. but is willing to cut its rate to 4
cents ten miles from Los Angeles in q
fight against municipal plant.
What the next move of the municipal
authorities in Pasadena will be is
problematical. The reduction to the
5-cent rate was contingent on the sign
ing of 1000 contracts with light users
The Edison company's cut to 4 cents
before the city's canVassers have
learned whether they can get 1000 con-
tracts was unexpected. 1t is aggres-
sive, and the municipal plant will have
TO meet 1t, apparently, to hold the
business it now has.
However, the fight in Pasadena is
regarded in Los Angeles as of far more
Importance because of its bearing on
the referendum election to be held
June 80. when the voters of Los An
geles will say whether the rate for
electric light here shall be cents or
shall remain at The present rate, 8
cents per kilowatt hour.
MUNICIPAL PLANT TO CUT
Following the announcement yester-
day that If 1900 additional customers
can be secured the. rate of the Pasade-
ma municipal lighting plant will be cut
to cents kilowatt hour, to meet the
rate set by the Edison company Janu-
AIRY /, after the company had ben pro-
hibited from giving fiat rates, City At
torney j. Perry Wood of Pasadena last
evening authorized the statement that
a resolution will be passed by the coun-
ell of that city this morning dividing
Pasadena into districts and asking for
volunteers to solicit customers in each
precinct for the city plant.
Pasadena officials, business men and
others who are loyal to the municipal
plant were busy yesterday closing up
contracts and sounding prospective
customers in order to steal a march on
the Edison company Manager Koiner
of the municipal plant stated last night
that people are thinking well of the
proposition, and nearly all of those ap-
preached have signed up with the city"
In regard to soliciting for the Pasa-
dena plant, the circular issued yester-
day by ]. D. Mercereau, chairman Of
the lighting committee, and Manager
Koiner of the municipal plant makes
the following appeal:
FIGHT CORPORATION
THE plant is your own. Will you
not devote a few hours to soliciting
customers for 1t? Contract forms may
be had at the office of the lighting de-
partment in the city hall. The Edison
company employs many expert, highly
paid solicitors. It has been, and Is,
carrying on campaign to discrsdit and
put out of business the city's plant.
Its officers have said that they will do
this at any cost. To all sorts of prom
ises and misrepresentation they have
at length added rebating and unlawful
discrimination. The city should not
have to employ large corps of expert
solicitors to. secure the patronage of its
own citizens"
To offset the anticipated argument
of free lamp renewals by the Edison
company, the city circular says
mo one should be deluded by the
offer of the Edison company to fur
nish free lamp renewals. Metalized
filament or Gem lamps may be pur-
chased by you from any dealer at 25
cents per 20 candlepower lamp. These
use 20 per cent less energy for the
same candlepower than the carbon fila
ment lamps furnished by the Edison
company. The use of the metalized
fiament or Gem lamp will therefore
save you 20 per cent OF your present
bills. The furnishing of lamps by the
Edison company saves you at the most
one-half a cent per kilowatt hour, or
10 per cent of your light bill. Gig
ured at the scent rate.) By taking
from the city and buying your own
lamps, you therefore make net saving
of 10 per cent of your light bill. In
other words, it is 10 per cent cheaper
to have city light, and pay for your
own lamps, than to have Edison light
and accept their free lamps
by using tungsten lamps your bill
is reduced 60 per cent as against the
carbon lamps furnished by the Edison
company"
PASADENA'S PROPOSED RATES
In conclusion the circular states that
the rate of the city, If made, will be
permanent, and intimates that If the
Edison company should succeed in
forcing the city plant out of business
it would raise rates to the highest
notch. The lighting situation in Los
Angeles is referred to, and the warn
ing sounded that This is the sort of
thing we would be having in Pasadena
if it were not for the municipal plant"
The old rates of the municipal plant
and the proposed new schedule follow:
A statement made by the municipal
plant says:
CIass- Old rate. New.
100 kilowatt hours or less............
From 100 to 800. 0O...........s............ Az
From 500 TO 1000. 0.......................
fnon %,