Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-03-22
ELECTRIC
RATES ARE
REDUCED
COMPANY ANNOUNCES 1T WILL
GIVE SALEM SAME RATES AS
PORTLAND REDUCTION
AMOUNTS TO ALMOST HALF
THE RATE.

An important announcement Of re-
duction in rates for electricity in sa-
lem was made yesterday by Presi-
dent Josselyn of the Portland Rail-
way Light & Power company Sa-
lem receives the same rates as Port
land, the reduction being made sim
ultaneOusly In both places.
The new schedule for lighting con-
sists of rates at and cents In
stead Of the present figures OF Ii
and cents per kllowatt hour.
Bills on this reduced schedule will
be mailed out beginning July LIST to
those customers who have signed
new contracts.
The establishment of these new
rates has been made possible through
the practice of economies and the
requirement Of additional facilities,
thus enabling the company to give
It's customers the benefit Of lower
rates for lighting and power. II has
been the inteTGion OF the company
since last June to put into effect new
rates, and the investigation which
has resulted in this announcement
has required a great deal OF careful
work on the part of the officials since
that time.
Material Reduction.
THE persent rates in Salem said
Mr. Josselyn, have been developed
over a period Of years with the growth
Of the city and It's requirements for
light and power, and up 10 the pres
ent time there has not been a thor.
oughly scientific Standardization OF
the schedules The efforts of our
experts have, therefore, been direct
ed towards a Standardization of rates
for similar service so that as far az
possible customers should pay ex.
actly the same rate under like con
ditions"
"The new schedule Of lighting
rates which is announced in the ad.
yertislng columns will effect a mater.
ial reduction In the bills OF practl.
cally all residence customers and
most OF our commercial customers
and are more favorable than was
contemplated In the announcement
made last June. This reduction ap.
piled to 1911 business would decrease
our revenue from light customers
more than $4,000.
Another Ofier.
I'VE have also decided TO offer Ouf
patrons who do not care TO sign uT
for periods OF year or more an ap-
plication form Of service for lighting
or power which may be terminated
on three days notice. Such service
would, Of course, necessitate some.
what higher charges than the yearly
contract service"
Among the new schedules is in.
cluded a Wholesale power rate which
for the average user Within practlca
working limits. Is lower than ans
other electric power rate on the Pa.
clic coast This should add mater.
tally 10 Salems advantages as man.
ufacturing center and be a great In
duosment for factories 10 locate
here"
"The effective date ls set at Jul,
lst In order to allow time for oui
stan to change over the $4,000 &C
counts obtain new contracts, estab
lish new sets Of ledgers and do thD
thousand and one things made nee
essary by the change. The work ant
expense involved In the introduc
ton Of the new rates are enormous
and ! have entrusted this entirely Il
the personal direction of our genera
manager. Mr.. y. w. HID"
The New Lighting Rate.
AS announced by the company, thl
new rate Is based on the customer
maximum demand or use Of IN,
company's plant and equipment, ant
Is as follows: First six per cent o
the maximum possible consumption
at . cents per kllowatt hour; next
per cent Of the maximum POSSIBLE
consumption at Z cents per kllowat
tConunued on Page 81