Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-05-31


feet. and after that date it will be
unlawful for electric light companies
IL the state of Washington to collect
meter deposits from patrons of the
companies The order also provides
that all deposits previously collected
on electric meters must be refunded
within a limited time.
The Washington Light and
Power company has heretofore
charged a deposit of SO on each
meter installed in Pullman, but ac-
cording to the ruling of the state
commission this custom must cease.
BY the terms of the order the cleo
trio light people are prohibited from
collecting a straight meter deposit,
hut are given the privilege of col
Letting in advance a sum sufficient
to cover the estimated maximum
succeeding month, provided, how
ever, that per cent interest is paid
on this sum. 1t was stated by Mr.
Kingsbury that the Idaho-W ashing-
ton company would probably not take
advantage of this clause in the order,
except in cases of parties who are in
then only as a protection to the COM
pany in securing the meter charges
in case the customer left the city
with his bill unpaid.
The meter deposits heretofore paid
by local patrons of the company will
be refunded through the head office
at Moscow, and the company is given
several months in which to repay the
money
The adjustment of the long-stand-
ing meter deposit custom will strike
Joy to the hearts of Pullman patrons,
who have long contended that the de-
post of $40 charged by the Idaho
Washington company in this city is
exorbitant. The same company last
summer reduced the rate to S. in
Garfield, after the citizens of that
city had put up strenuous fight
against the $40 fee, and there are
but very few towns served by this
company who pay as large deposit
as Pullman.
The clause in the order which APP
plies to meter deposits reads as fol-
lows:
mo company shall require a de-
post or advance payment by any
consumer before service is supplied,
unless the plan under which such de-
post or advance payment is proposed
shall have first been submitted to the
commission, together with the rea-
sons therefor, and shall have been
approved by it. Any company hav-
ing in force at the time of the adop-
ton Of these rules any regulation re-
quiring deposit or advance payment
from consumers, shall, within 80
days thereafter, submit such regula-
tons to the Commission, which shall
make such a ruling in the matter
as may seem just and equitable. In
terest at the rate of eight per cent
~ per cent? per annum, payable an
nually shall be paid by every com
pany to its consumers upon every de-
post allowed by the commission to
De collected from any consumer"
The clause concering the method
Oh making out the bills for the
amount of current used during any
stated period, will not affect the
laaho-Washington company, as their
pdesent system complies with all the
requirements stated therein The
cause reads as follows:
All bills rendered to consumers
W any company for supplying gas,
electric current, or water, shall show
Inc readings of the consumers meter
at the beginning and end of the per-
iou OF time for which the bill is rem
uered, give the dates at which the
readings We're taken, the number of
units of service supplied, and the
price per unit, and be made out in
sucn way as to be readily under
s'ooo by the consumer"
Inc order further stipulates that
escn electric meter shall be tested
toi accuracy at stated periods, and
mat the meters shall have card at
Sa0neo bearing the date and result
VI the test, together with the name of
Tue person making the test COM
p'e'e record of these tests must be
Aept oy the companies and must be
accessible to the public during the
business hours of the company The
.Ompanies will also be required to
A0ep a complete record of all inter
upuons of service upon its entire
s''em and include in each record
"e eime, duration and cause of each