The daily sentinel., 1912-08-10

owatt for limited amuunt-ZOO,OO
kilowatis. / think it sand then
there is variance in price. 1t is q
fact that no matter whether We buy
of the Redlands company, or whether
We manufacture il in our own plant,
that the cost to as is in the neigh
borhood of 4c a kilowatt. There is
another fact that can be established
by an examination of our accounts,
and that is that our average receipts
per kilowatt in all respects is in the
neighborhood of &c. The people do
no consider that in this business
there is a large loss. | think it is
not an exaggerated statement to say
that from 20 to 81 per cent of the
electrical current furnished is lost in
transmission and distribution TO the
customers. The cost Of administra-
ton, the cost of installment and ey-
erything reduces this matter to a
point of the difference that ! have
stated. an average receipt of 6h C
per killowatt for the power that we
purchase.
PiecemeaI Ownership.
Another feature that this company
objects to, not that we deny the right
of the city to negotiate for this mat
ter, but in view of the conditions that
exist here in view of this combina-
tion of interests which have been
collected together as one corporation,
although they are administered sepa-
rately, it is an unfair proposition to
us at this time. even If this way, a
time when such thing would be
opportune. to come forward and say,
we will extract from your business
the only part which is profitable to
you"
Now, Mr.. Vorbecl spoke of the
fact that no explanation has been
made as to the inopportunity of this
matter at this time. As to that 1t
might be well for me to say, in view
of the fact that our enterprise has
not been as profitable as We expected,
and that something was necessary to
be done. If 1t could be done, with a
view of extracting ourselves and our
investment from that unfortunate
condition, that it has been a matter
of negotiation for the last two
mopths. If not longer, to affect a COM
bination with what is known as the
Uintah railway, whereby the two in
terests and properties could be put
together into perhaps new corpor-
auon, or by a combination in some
way on a fair basis, which would
mean the making of Grand Junction
the terminal of the Uintah railway,
Its eastern line. at any rate terminal
ing In Grand Junction. with its west
ern outlet looking toward Salt Lake
CITY. II meant in its construction the
of the Uintah railway from
a narrow gauge to broad gauge sys-
tenn. 1t involved a contemplated cap
ital necessary to this reconstruction
OF the Uintah railway. and extension (
Of the lnterurban. of over S2,0OO,0OO. 7
and | think maybe S3,O00,OO0. II
meant TO us the exchange of securities .
and 1t means to the city of Grand 4
junction, II it can be accomplished I
IL seems to me considerable more .
than could be gained by the acauisi- Z
tion of this part of the public utilities
which we are talking about.
Uintah Negotiations.
NOW we have spent on this matter
considerable money. Experts have
been in the field examing the traffic
conditions, and there has been up
until recently, and ! don't know
hut what there is yet. a surveying
party in the field, examining with ref
erence to physical conditions. | can
say that the conditions surrounding
these negotiations were looking ex-
tremely favorable. The parties rep
resenting the Uintah interests were
inclined to be very agreeable and we
on our part also wanted the combi-
nation made. The interests repre-
sented are financially very strong.
ana there only remained perhaps the
arranging of the financial details of
this combination, and to us it seems
that the agitation of taking away
from that proposition an element and
factor which would enter largely in
TO the conditions which might be
agreed upon, is sufficient to interrupt
or determine and bring to an end
any attempt en- our part to complete
lhose negotiations; and | can say
turther that in the enecting of that
comDlnation there would have been
resulting from II the possible and
proDaDle extension of our interurban
system toward the eastern end of this
valley. The matter. of course So
lohg as there is no determination as
10 what the intent and purpose or
what might be the desires of the
citizens of this place in regard 10
~ lphS DIS lllhL Is a
matter of agitation and disturbances
1t naturally and very fortunately af-
fects anything we have in hand. Tha.
is the reason why we have raised
the question of its being inopportune
at this time
Invite Criticism.
There is one other matter that has
occurred as being a cause of COM
plaint against the corporation and
against one of its items of business
and that is that complaints are made
and charges have been made that we
nave been defrauding this city and
cltizens of this place by giving them
short ice weights in the distribution
OF our ice and complaints have been
made of discourtesy on the part of
employees handling that business
want to say that this is absolutely un-
true, and this company has no desire.
no intention. and would not know