The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-22
ATT ANITA COUNCIL FIGHTING
 FOR LOWER RATES FOR POWER

Atlanta. February 2o.-(Special.)- )-So in- tent is the city council upon pushing the investigation of the Georgia Railway and Electric company with view to getting lower rates for power and lights, and. if possible. lower street car fares, that there is little question 1t will ap- propriate S5000 additional in order to pay for an appraisement of the company s property and an audit of it's books under the direction of the state railroad com mission.
 A resolution providing for an additional appropriation of that amount was intro duced in council this week and referred to the finance cornmittee. There is lit- tie doubt of it's adoption, and this will make a total of $100Oo which the city is giving to the fight, having already appropriated like amount to investi- gate the feasibility of municipal plant.
 On account of the size of the property involved, 1t is said there Is some doubt whether the expenses of the investigation can be paid with $5000; but in the event it cannot the city will have a fund nearly double this size with which to meet the emergency.
 Necessity for this arises from the fact that the railroad commission itself has no fund with which to meet. the ex- penses of such Investigations; so if 1t is made the city will have to foot tho bill
 The agitation which the newspapers have been pushing consistently for re- duction in light and power rates and street car fares, and the city's activity in the matter, have already had their effect on the company's stocl0 At the time of the big merger announcement a few weeks ago, when the company was taken over by the Georgia Rail- way and Power company, under a 99o year lease, Georgia Railway and Electric common went up above 1S0.
 Now the fight on the company Tor lower rates, together with the talk of competition, has pushed if back to 1GO. The stock pays regularly per cent, but according to a report made to New York stockholder. it Is said the com pany made l671 per cent last year, pass ing good healthy sum up to surplus. It is stated this is considerable increase over the earnings in 1910. which are re- ported to have been 1421 per cent. The Georgia Railway and Electric company proposes to fight not only against re- duction of it's rates, but to meet com petition by invading the territory of it's competitor. Following the announcement Of the Central Georgia Power company of Macon that 1t would be ready to put 1O,- GOO horsepower into Atlanta by June l. at rates less than one-half of those now paid by Atlantans, the Atlanta company has gone to Macon and opened an office for the purpose of securing contracts there for the sale of light and power. It has announced that 1t win put line into Macon by midsummer.
 Thus a merry rate war Is promised both in Atlanta and Macon possibly before the Atlanta investigation gets well under way. It will require several months to get all the evidence the commission will have to have in reaching a conclusion, and if the decision of the commission should seriously affect the company, it will no doubt mean that a long ltiga- tion will follow it.
 There is one feature of the new law which may prevent very serious rate