The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-04-25
SUPPORT THE HYDRO.ELECTRIC

Every light and power consumer in
the Hood River valley remembers well
the high rate Ihe was paying for cleo
trical energy before the installation Of
the system Of the Hydro Electric Co
here March !. Before the Hydro -Eiee-
trio Co. began actual work Of con-
structiug its plant. it announced re-
duction in the rate as charged by the
Pacific Power a Light Co. then doing
buslnes here. 1--WE can do business
FOR a much less charge" was the gist
of the statement of the Hydro-Elec-
tries management, 'and make reas-
enable return on our money. II is our
aim to make this reasonable return
and still give the people Of this valley
an efficient service"
This the Hydro Electric company has
been doing. As soon as it was seen
that the company was actually within
the city with its service the Pacific
Power & Light Co. transferred its local
property to a subsidiary company and
began a cut rate war, in an effort to
kill off the competing company. Rates
were slashed to nothing, and the Hood
River Gas e Electric Co. is now giving
service to those whom they have sue
ceeded in persusding to continue the
use of their electrical eneryg at figures
excessively low. and are making offers
Of special inducement to customers Of
the new competing company. The
Hydro has made no effort to cut the
rate of its first offers. eve can oper
ate cur plant at such figures and make
reasonable profit" the management
states, "and we don't propose to make
any reduction. Even at these figures
we cannot maintain our plant unless the
people support us.
But the people Of Hood River, as a
whole, have seen the benefits they will
derive by supporting a home company
and have rallied to the support. The
methods of the Pacific Power a. Light
Co. and its successor. the Hood River
Gas a. Electric Co., were not conduct
i've to holding their customers Indeed,
the excessive charges of the month be-
fore the Hydro installed its wires in
buildings and homes here and the extra
ordinary and far fetched litigation in
stituted for hampering the progress of
the new competitor were effective in
creating a public sentiment in favor of
the Hydro company.
The Hood River Gas & Electric Co
has recently had much to say about
the losses to the community in the long
run. Of cut rate war. From all Of its
arguments along this line the only con
clusion that can be drawn is that in
the event that it drives its competitor
out of the field it will Immediately
raise its rates to make up for losses,
when the rates were cut. and make a
profit for the whole time.
However, the Hydro has not entered
the local field with the advancement of
this policy. 1t is living at the rate it
is at present charging and its manage
ment declares that it will continue to
do business at the present figure.
If the Hydro Electric Co. had been es-
tablished for the purpose of selling out
to competing company at high figure
and thus leaving the consumers of
electrical energy in a worse position
than they had formerly been in, the
promoters of the scheme would have
and should have had the utmost con-
tempt of local sentiment. But all of
their actions have evidenced a purpose
to play fair and to build an institution
of benefit for the community, and for
this reason as we'll as for their own
interests the citizens should not waver
In their support for the Hydro