The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-12-03
L|DE REPORTS
 ON NEW RATES  Says Deductions Are Facts;
 Not Theories  REDUCTIONS SHOWN
Prominent Electrical Engineer Makes Investigation for City and Says Reductions Are From 15
 to 26 Per Cent

Martin J. Lide, the we'll known cleo trical engineer. who was employed hy the city to look into the recent Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power company contract before that instru last night anent the controversy. He points out that the actual reductions proposed by the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company are in some instances 15 per cent discounts and In some instances the reduction amounts to 26 per cent and that great amount of consumers burn their lights 30 kill owatt hours regardless of statements to the contrary.
 His statement. which he points out is not the deductions of theorist, fol- lows:
 There seems to be considerable ar. gument, discussion, expert opinion, surmse and misstatement as to the ex- act reduction of the new lighting rates. For the benefit of those who are real ly interested in facts and not in sur mises and theories Of experts l will present the following statements which are facts, not surmises nor deductions, but demonstrable facts:
 Lighting Rates
 q. An examination of the bills of several hundred residences on the Southside shows that the present light ing rate of the citizens in that sec- ton is 101s cents This is 121s per cent discount from the 12 cent rate and shows that the average rate is an ex. act mean between the 10 per cent dis count applying to 25 kifowatt hour con- sumers and the 15 per cent discount applying to 25 to 150 kilowatt hour consumers.
 "2. An examination of these bills shows that under the new rate the average rate will be approximately cents, showing that, experts and the. orists to the contrary, a number ot customers actually burn their lamps over 3O9 hours in residences. The re- duction from 1014 cents to g cents per kilowatt hour Is fl per cent reduc ton.
 "S An examination of the bills of the commercial customers of the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power company shows that under the new. rate the average rate paid by the small commercial consumers of the city, com prising about 90 per cent of all com merciaI consumers, will be about G.S5 cents per kilowatt hour, reduction of 26 per cent from the present aver age rate of SA cents.
 Ten Cent Basis
 A. If the present rate were changed to a straight 10 cent basis with the present discount the following would be the facts: s"fA) The average rate to lighting customers would be Sa4 cents per kilo- watt hour as against cents under the proposed rate.
 "(B) The average rate to 90 per cent of the commercial users would be 1.7 cents per kilowatt hour as against 6.S5 cents under the proposed new rate.
 ''The above are just facts. not opin- ions nor the theories of experts, but demon strable, verifiable facts, and are set forth for the information of those who are really interested in getting at the facts. If any one doubts them 1t will be a great pleasure to verify them in case the dubious party is willing to pay for the verifcation.
 "In the next two or three days 1t is my purpose to write an article eul- bodying some points in the recent coll tract which may be of interest to the conservative general public as enl- bodying the views of an engineer who has devoted practically his entire life to the study and practice of electrical engineering and to the study of cen